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Keeping or training of animals for exhibition licence

Keeping or training of animals for exhibition licence

Animal Welfare Regulations - 1 October 2018

New animal welfare regulations came into force on 1 October 2018, affecting businesses or individuals who want to apply or renew a keeping or training animals for exhibition licence.

Before submitting an application, please read our information explaining the new regulations and the Government's guide on how to comply with the regulations.

View information on the Animal Welfare Regulations 

You must have a licence to keep or train animals used in the course of a business for educational or entertainment purposes.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 define the above as keeping or training animals for the purposes of:

  • educating or entertaining any audience attending in person
  • recording visual images of animals by any form of technology which enables the display of such images

The following do not require a licence:

  • keeping or training animals solely for military, police or sporting purposes
  • any activity permitted under a licence to operate a travelling circus under the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012
  • any activity permitted under a licence for a zoo under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981

Eligibility

The new animal welfare regulations which came into force on 1 October 2018 have changed the rules governing the licensing of keeping or training animals for exhibition.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the following guidance notes to help you understand the new regulations:

Fees

  Application for new licence Application to renew licence
Keeping or training animals for exhibition  £180 £130

 

Appeals

If you wish to appeal against our decision you may do so to a magistrate. You must appeal within 21 days of the date you received the decision in writing.

You can appeal a magistrates' decision to the crown court.

The public register

There is a public register for this licence, which is available on request using the contact details below.

View the online public registers.

 

In this section:

  1. You are here: Keeping or training of animals for exhibition licence Keeping or training of animals for exhibition licence
  2. You are here: Eligibility Eligibility
  3. You are here: How to apply How to apply
  4. You are here: Fees Fees
  5. You are here: How we decide your application How we decide your application
  6. You are here: Appeals Appeals
  7. You are here: The public register The public register