Overview

You need this licence if you:

run a business that breeds and advertises dogs for sale
breed 3 or more litters in any 12 month period and sell any of the puppies

Additional activities at the same location

If you carry out more than one activity at your premises, you must submit a full application for your first activity and a separate full application for each additional activity. When applying for an additional activity, select the “additional activity application” option from the application list. This also applies when renewing an additional activity licence.

Multiple locations

Any activities relating to the same business that operate at different locations will require individual licences. If you already have a licence and you want to start an activity at an additional location from that stated on your existing licence, a new premises application and full fee must be submitted.

Restrictions

You will not get a licence if you’ve committed animal welfare offences or if you have been banned from:

hiring out horses
selling pets
boarding cats or dogs
keeping or training animals for exhibition

You may not get a licence if you’ve committed other offences.

Fees

Type of licence	Administration and inspection fee	Licence fee	Total fee
Breeding dogs	£480	£58.50	£538.50 plus vet fees
Minor variation e.g. amend animals on licence	£26 per animal up to a maximum of 4 animals	Not applicable	£26 per animal up to a maximum of 4 animals
substantial variation e.g. significant licence change	£180	Not applicable	£180
Re-assessment of star rating	£86 per hour	Not applicable	£86 per hour

Vet fees are payable by the applicant and recharged post inspection to the applicant by the council. A licence will not be granted until fees are paid in full. If no licence is granted only the licence fee will be refunded.

Additional activities

When you apply for an additional activity the fee will be 50% less than the fee listed above. This does not apply if the activity falls into the zoo or dangerous wild animal category.

How we assess your application

Conditions

We will inspect your premises before giving you a licence. We may carry out additional inspections any time after it’s granted.

You must prove that you can meet the following licence conditions:

dogs must be kept in suitable accommodation with proper food, bedding, and exercise
breeding dogs must undergo Fit to Breed assessments, including DNA testing and vet checks
puppies must be microchipped and sold directly by the breeder (as per Lucy’s Law)
you must maintain detailed records of:
- breeding history
- health checks
- socialisation plans
- puppy contracts and sales

You’ll also need to:

display the licence number in any advertising
display the licence clearly on the premises and on any website used for your business

Star rating system

The star rating shows how well a business meets animal welfare standards and how reliably it’s run. A higher rating (up to 5 stars) means better welfare and lower risk, and it allows for a longer licence period.

After inspection, your business will be awarded a star rating from 1 to 5, based on:

welfare standards (minimum or higher)
risk assessment (low or high risk)

Higher ratings (4 or 5 stars) mean:

you meet all required and at least 50% of optional higher standards
you qualify for a longer licence (up to 3 years)
you may benefit from fewer inspections

Lower ratings (1 or 2 stars) may result from minor failings or being a new applicant with no compliance history.

Appealing your rating

If you're unhappy with your rating, you can appeal. Start by contacting the inspecting officer to see if the matter can be resolved informally. If you're still unhappy with the outcome, you can send a formal appeal by email to Environmental Health. You must do this within 21 days of getting your licence. Your appeal will be looked at by someone who wasn’t involved in your original inspection or rating.

Requesting a re-assessment

If you've made improvements and want a new rating, you can ask for a re-inspection. Just email Environmental Health and include:

what changes you’ve made
any evidence to support your request

There’s a fee for this service, and the re-inspection should happen within 3 months. Keep in mind that your new rating could be higher or lower.

Apply now

You may be fined an unlimited amount or imprisoned for up to 6 months if you provide or arrange boarding for cats or dogs without a licence or do not follow the conditions of your licence. Your licence can be taken away if you stop or delay an inspection, and you could be banned from running an animal boarding establishment.

Before you start your application

You should read the:

Begin your application

You will need the following to complete this application:

a plan of the premises
a copy of your insurance policy
operating procedures
risk assessments
infection control procedures
relevant qualifications
training records
all documents relating to 9.1 of the conditions
emergencies as per 10.1 of the conditions
Innate Health Assessment Certificate for each breeding bitch and stud obtained from the www.innatehealthassessment.org website

You will need to register for an account on our licencing website before you can apply.

Register now

If you already have an account, you can login and apply.

Login and apply now

After you've applied

Once you have submitted your application:

we will review your documents
we will contact you to discuss your application and arrange an inspection including a vets inspection
if your application is approved, your licence and star rating will be issued and a paper copy will be sent to you
your licence must be displayed publicly and on any website used for your business

Useful links

DEFRA Statutory Guidance for Dog Breeding

Apply for a dog breeding establishment licence