Animal licensing
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 took effect on 1 October 2018.
Quick links
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations are under section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Anyone carrying out any of the following licensable activities in Leicester City Council’s area requires a licence from us to do so.
- Selling animals as pets
- Providing or arranging for the provision of boarding for cats or dogs
- Hiring out horses
- Breeding dogs
- Keeping or training animals for exhibition.
Animal welfare legislation
You can view the full legislation on the link below:
Animal activities licensing guidance notes
The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) publishes procedural guidance for local authorities in relation to the regulations, along with guidance notes on the conditions that apply to licenses authorising the different licensable activities. The procedural guidance and other guidance notes can be viewed below.
The guidance notes for each licensable activity also provide guidance on whether an individual requires a licence or not, which will depend on their individual circumstances.
Dog day care, dog breeding, dog/cat boarding, dog kennel, selling animals as pets, hiring out horses
Guidance notes for licensing dog boarding franchises can be downloaded below.
Application forms are available to download at the bottom of this page.
Fees
Depending on which licensable activities you are applying for, we may be required to appoint a vet to inspect the premises. The costs of any required vet inspection are NOT covered by the application or licence fees and must be paid for by the applicant separately. If your application requires us to appoint a vet, you will be invoiced by Leicester City Council to recover the costs we incur in relation to the vet’s inspection and the production of their report.
If multiple activities are being applied for, an application fee for each is applicable.
Fees may be amended upon review.
| Fees/notes | New application | Renewal application | Variation application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £83 | £55 | £83 |
| Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee if required |
| Specialist fee | - | - | - |
| Licence fee per year | £206 | £206 | £0 |
| Star/risk rating re-inspection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notes | (App fee + vet) + (licence fee 1/2/3 years) | (App fee + vet) + (licence fee 1/2/3 years) | One off variation fee + vet fee if required |
| Fees/notes | New application | Renewal application | Variation application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £83 | £55 | £83 |
| Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee if required |
| Specialist fee | If required | If required | If required |
| Licence fee per year | £317 | £317 | £0 |
| Star/risk rating re-inspection | - | - | - |
| Notes | (App fee +Vet) + 1 year licence | (App fee +Vet) + 1 year licence | - |
| Fees/notes | New application | Renewal application | Variation application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £83 | £55 | £83 |
| Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee if required |
| Specialist fee | - | - | - |
| Licence fee per year | £198 | £198 | £0 |
| Star/risk rating re-inspection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notes | (App fee + Vet) + (licence fee 1/2/3 years) | (App fee + Vet) + (licence fee 1/2/3 years) | One off variation fee + vet fee if required |
| Fees/notes | New application | Renewal application | Variation application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £55 | £55 | £55 |
| Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee if required |
| Specialist fee | - | - | - |
| Licence fee per year | £79 | £79 | £0 |
| Star/risk rating re-inspection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notes | (App fee +vet) + 3 year licence | (App fee +vet) + 3 year licence | - |
| Fees/notes | New application | Renewal application | Variation application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £83 | £55 | £110 |
| Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee if required |
| Specialist fee | - | - | - |
| Licence fee per year | £317 | £317 | £0 |
| Star/risk rating re-inspection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notes | (App fee + Vet) + (licence fee 1/2/3 years) | (App fee + Vet) + (licence fee 1/2/3 years) | One off variation fee + vet fee if required |
| Fees/notes | New application | Renewal application | Variation application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £138 | £138 | £83 |
| Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee if required |
| Specialist fee | - | - | - |
| Licence fee per year | £158 | £158 | £0 |
| Star/risk rating re-inspection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notes | (App fee + vet) + (licence fee 1/2/3 years) + yearly vet inspection | (App fee + vet) + (licence fee 1/2/3 years) + yearly vet inspection | One off variation fee + vet fee if required |
| Fees/notes | New application | Renewal application | Variation application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | £276 | £276 | £110 |
| Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee | (+)Vet fee if required |
| Specialist fee | Yes | Yes | If required |
| Licence fee per year | £1,426 | £1,426 | £0 |
| Star/risk rating re-inspection | - | - | - |
| Notes | (App Fee +Vet + Specialist) + 1 year licence | (App Fee +Vet + Specialist) + 1 year licence | - |
Apply by email
You can download the application forms below.
The completed application form and the documents referred to on the form should all be emailed to [email protected].
Once we have validated your application and received all documents, we will contact you to take payment.
Star rating scheme
The procedural guidance describes the risk-based system that must be used when issuing licences under the Regulations. Local authorities in England are expected to follow it in full.
This system determines both the length of the licence and the star rating that is awarded. The exception is 'Keeping or Training Animals for Exhibition' where all licences are issued for three years.
Further guidance on the star rating scheme is available on the guidance notes linked above.
Will tacit consent apply?
No. It is in the public interest that we must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from us within a reasonable period, please get in touch using the details above.