Primate Licence

The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 came into force on 6 April 2025.

From April 2026, you will need a licence if you keep primates in a domestic or non-domestic premises.

It is estimated that up to 5,000 primates are currently kept in domestic settings as pets in the UK. These wild animals have complex welfare and social needs.

To keep a primate, private owners must meet new welfare and licensing standards. These rules aim to give pet primates better legal protection.

If you already own a primate you need to apply for a licence. Failure to hold a licence from April 2026 will be an offence under section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Breaking this law could lead to up to six months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.

Any primate that is being kept by a private keeper must be licensed by 6th April 2026. These include but are not limited to:

• Marmosets
• Tamarins
• Squirrel Monkeys
• Spider Monkeys
• Capuchin Monkeys
• Lemurs
• Lorisids (also known as bush babies)

Certain primates also need a Dangerous Wild Animal (DWA) licence.

To check if your primate requires this additional licence, please follow the button below:

The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976

Exemptions

The regulations do not apply to any premises licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act or places specified in a licence under section 2C of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act.

Eligibility Criteria

No person can keep a primate or apply for a licence to keep a primate, if they are disqualified from keeping a primate.

You cannot keep a primate or apply for a licence if you are disqualified under any of the following:

• section 34(2) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006
• section 1 of the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954
• section 40(1) of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006
• section 33(1) of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011

Other relevant convictions under the Animal Welfare Act will also be considered.

Applicants must pay the required application fee and comply with any conditions attached to the licence.

Regulations

The regulations can be viewed here: The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024.

The statutory guidance can be viewed at Licensing Process For Keeping Primates.

The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates is a guide to the steps a keeper of primates must take to meet the needs of an animal, as required by Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 Code of Practice.

There is a comprehensive range of business regulatory support services available to help and advise businesses to be more successful and compliant.

This includes pre-application advice and licensing application assistance.

View business support services

How to Apply

Complete the application form and send it with the fee and required documents to the address on the form.

Applicants must:

• be a minimum of 18 years of age,
• not be disqualified from keeping primates

Download a primate keeper application form

The regulations require the following paperwork to be kept as part of the licence. In order to ensure we deal with your application as quickly as possible, you should submit them as part of your application.

Your policies and procedures should detail how you meet all of the licence conditions:

• A plan of the premises
• A register of all animals kept on the premises, including:
  • its name;
  • its sex;
  • its microchip number;
  • its date of birth or, if not known, its approximate date of birth;
  • its species;
  • its colour and markings;
  • the name and contact details of its previous keeper (where applicable);
  • the date and cause of its death (where applicable); and
  • where the primate is permanently transferred to other premises, the name and contact details of the new keeper (where applicable) and the address of the place to which it has been relocated;
• A written emergency plan, covering:
  • the measures to be taken for the removal of the primates should the licensed premises become unsafe or uninhabitable;
  • the arrangements for the care of the primates during and following an emergency; and
  • an up-to-date list of emergency contact details that includes the fire service and police.
• A written procedure for special circumstances, including contingencies in the event of:
  • the temporary isolation of any primate including arrangements for ensuring that the welfare needs of any primate that is being temporarily isolated are met during the period of its isolation.
  • the death or escape of a primate; and
  • the care of the primates following the revocation of the licence or the death of the licence holder.
• The individual diet plans for each primate.
  • This must be created based on guidance from a vet or primate dietary expert.
• A written hygiene protocol, covering:
• Cleaning and disinfecting
• Prevention and control of the spread of disease
• A written transportation procedure covering the welfare of the primate while being transported.

Fees

Vet fee costs are charged in addition to the fees shown where applicable.

If you require a further copy of your licence, then there is a charge of £20 if posted or £10 if sent by email.

Application Evaluation Process

The Council is not permitted to decide an application for a primate keeper licence unless it has considered a report.

This report must be from a veterinary surgeon or suitably qualified and competent person, who has been authorised by the Council to carry out an inspection of the premises where the animal will normally be held. 

On completion of the inspection you will be contacted to arrange payment to the Council, of any cost incurred for the veterinary surgeon/suitable person inspection.

When considering the application the Council must take into account:

• whether the licence conditions are likely to be met, including the Licence Conditions For Primate Keepers and Callitrichids: Licence Conditions for Keepers
• any previous failure by the applicant to meet the licence conditions; and
• any other conduct of the applicant, that is relevant.

The period of the licence must be 3 years or where requested by the applicant, a shorter period ending on the date specified by the applicant.

Renewals

Renewal applications follow the same process as applications for a new licence.

Appeals

The Council may:

• refuse to grant or renew a licence,
• vary or surrender a licence application
• issue a rectification notice
• revoke a licence

Applicants and licence holders have 28 days to make written representation to the Council. The 28 day period starts on the day on which the applicant or licence holder is first notified of the Council’s decision.  Following representation received the Council must reconsider the decision and notify the applicant or licence holder of their decision and any rights of appeal to a first-tier tribunal.

Tacit Consent

We will aim to have your application determined within 10 weeks of a valid and complete application.  If we have been unable to determine your application in this time, a licence will not be automatically granted.

This means that you must wait for the council to determine your application before you keep primates, due to public safety and animal welfare