Primates licence
From 6 April 2026, if you wish to privately keep a primate, you will need to obtain a licence.
The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 will come into force from 6 April 2025. It brings in a licensing scheme to make sure all primates in England will be kept in zoo level standards of animal welfare. Private primate keepers will be subject to regular inspections, making sure these standards are upheld.
Existing primate keepers will have two years until 6 April 2026 to reach compliance with the welfare standards and all private primate keepers and people proposing to keep a primate will be required to hold a licence, valid for a maximum of three years, and undergo reassessment to renew their permission to keep their animals.
From 6 April 2026 it will be an offence for anyone to keep a primate without a relevant licence. Failure to comply with licence conditions could result in an unlimited fine, removal of the primate or imprisonment for a term of up to six months.
Application process
Details of the compliance standards and the full licence application process will be published here when available.