Change description : 2026-04-01 09:00:00: Added a link to the new online form to report animal activity licences and fees to the Secretary of State. [Guidance and regulation]
Guidance for local authority inspectors in England on licensing activities involving animals. The guidance explains the conditions that businesses need to meet in order to receive an animal activities licence.
Updated the attachment 'Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities'. The 2024 to 2025 reporting period is now closed. The deadline was 31 May 2025.
1 April 2025
Updated ‘Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities’. Added a link to the reporting form and details of the current reporting period.
1 June 2024
Updated the attachment 'Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities'. The 2023 to 2024 reporting period is now closed.
15 May 2024
In attachment 'Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities', notes added to highlight that the Kennel Club’s UKAS accreditation expired on 30 May 2024 and explain the implications of this.
2 April 2024
Updated ‘Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities’. Added a link to the reporting form and details of the current reporting period.
1 October 2023
Updated the attachment ‘Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities’. Removed a bullet point under ‘Appoint an inspector’ about completing a course before 1 October 2023. This is now out of date.
1 June 2023
Updated the attachment 'Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities' as the 2022 to 2023 reporting period is now closed.
6 April 2023
Updated the 'Report animal activity licences and fees to the Secretary of State' in the attachment 'Animal activity licensing process'. Added a link to the reporting form and added details of the current reporting period.
20 March 2023
Updated 'Appoint an inspector' in 'Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities'. A Level 3 certificate qualification or equivalent must be completed by 1 October 2023.
17 January 2023
Updated the section 'Appoint an inspector' in 'Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities'. A Level 3 certificate qualification or equivalent must be completed and granted by 1 April 2023.
28 September 2022
Updated 'Animal activity licensing process: statutory guidance for local authorities' to remove the date for enrolling on a course leading to a Level 3 certificate qualification or equivalent. Inspectors do not need to complete a training course by 1 October 2022.
1 June 2022
The 2021 to 2022 reporting period for animal activity licences has closed.
26 April 2022
Clarified the exercise and toileting requirements for dog kennel boarding licensing, conditions 5.4 and 7.6.
1 April 2022
We've updated the dog day care licensing guidance to specify sleeping and rest area requirements (section 5.2). We've updated the dog breeding licensing guidance relating to pet shop keepers in Wales (part B, section 1.1).
1 April 2022
Updated the statutory guidance for local authorities. They must report animal activity licences and fees to the Secretary of State by 31 May 2022.
10 March 2022
Clarification of regulation that an inspector must be appointed under.
8 March 2022
We have updated the dog breeding licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities.
16 February 2022
Update to guidance on hiring horses - updated optional higher standard for diet from weekly to monthly body condition scoring.
1 February 2022
Updated to clarify drafting errors in guidance notes and to replace PDFs with HTML documents.
20 April 2020
Updated the guidance for selling animals as pets and dog breeding.