Don't forget your Voter ID
If you are voting in person in the General Election on Thursday 4 July, you will need to take an accepted form of photo ID with you.
Changes have been made to improve the existing animal licensing regulations. These changes aim to simplify the application and inspection process for businesses, and improve existing animal welfare animal standards.
The updated regulations are called the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.
The changes came into effect on 1 October 2018.
Anyone who has not been disqualified from keeping animals may apply.
At least one member of staff must (in the opinion of the local authority, when taking into account the animals being sold) have appropriate training.
We recommend that you discuss your proposals with our Planning team to decide whether a planning application is needed.
Alternative PDF version: Apply to sell animals as pets
Fees will be payable for applications.
Pay for a new application or renewal online
Please note you need to submit an application form as well as make the payment.
Under the new legislation, licences can be issued for up to three years.
The licence expiry date will depend on the risk rating that is given to the business at the time of inspection. It will also depend on compliance with both the general conditions and the higher standards.
All premises will be inspected before the licence is granted. The inspector will be looking to make sure the applicant has the following:
Based on the information, we will assess the risk rating and award stars.
Low-risk premises can be awarded up to five stars, and premises that have been assessed as higher risk can be awarded up to four stars.
If the applicant is not satisfied with the decision, they can make improvements to address highlighted issues and request a re-inspection (fees apply).
Businesses will automatically be deemed high risk until they have held their licence for one year.
A premises with a lower star rating is not necessarily a premises to avoid. There are other factors that have to be considered, such as the length of time the licence holder has been operating.
New businesses will be assessed as slightly higher risk. This is simply because there is no history of good practice that can be considered.
Information on how the length of a licence and the star rating are decided can be found in the procedural guidance notes for local authorities February 2022.
DEFRA have produced some guidance to aid the inspection process.
There are some ‘optional’ and ‘required’ conditions which may help you to achieve a higher star rating.
If customers have any concerns, please contact the Food and Safety Team before making a purchase or making booking arrangements.
If your application is refused, you can apply to the magistrates' court.