You must register within one month of keeping poultry or other captive birds at any premises in England or Wales. This includes any birds you keep as pets. 

You’re breaking the law if you do not register.

Read different guidance if you keep a total of 50 or more poultry or other captive birds at any premises in England or Wales.

When you do not need to register

You do not need to register psittaciformes or passeriformes (such as budgies, parrots, cockatielscockatiels, canaries and finches) if they are both:

• fully housed in a dwelling (your home or another indoor structure)
• with no access to the open air

You must register if you take your birds outdoors at any time – for example, to exercise or train them, or to take them to bird gatherings such as exhibitions or shows. You do not need to register to take an exempt bird to a veterinary practice. 

How to register

If you have a County Parish Holding (CPH) number 

You can register in 2 ways, either by: 

• using the form to register to be a keeper of less than 50 poultry or other captive birds (PDF, 177 KB, 4 pages)

• emailing customer.registration@apha.gov.uk 

If you do not have a CPH number 

You can register online – it should take about 10 minutes. 

We’ll ask you for: 

• your contact details 
• details of the owner of the birds (if this is not you) 
• the location where you keep the birds 
• details of the birds you keep (species, number and what you keep them for) 

Start now

By registering:

• the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will contact you with updates and guidance if there’s a disease outbreak (such as bird flu) in your area
• you’ll help prevent the spread of disease and protect all kept birds, including back-yard flocks

Get help

If you need help registering contact APHA:

• by email at customer.registration@apha.gov.uk
• by phone on 03000 200 301 (lines are open 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday)

After you have registered

If your details have changed, you’ll need to tell APHA within one month when:

• you no longer keep or own birds
• your contact information changes
• you change the species of poultry or other captive birds you keep
• you change the purpose or purposes for which you keep birds
• you start keeping 50 or more poultry or other captive birds

Email customer.registration@apha.gov.uk or call on 03000 200 301. Lines are open 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.

Legislation 

The requirement to register within one month of keeping poultry or other captive birds at any premises in England or Wales is set out in the: 

• Exotic Disease (Amendment) (England) Order 2024 

• Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

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