New licensing scheme for primate keepers
Posted on: 27 March 2025
Tewkesbury Borough Council is preparing to introduce a new national licence scheme for those who keep primates.
The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024 will introduce a requirement that from 6 April 2026, all primate keepers will require a licence.
The regulations will also require licence holders to comply with strict conditions, ensuring they provide zoo-like animal welfare standards for the primates they keep. Local authorities will inspect premises to ensure these conditions can be met before licences are issued and will carry out periodic inspections to ensure ongoing compliance.
From 6 April 2026, it will be an offence to keep a primate without a licence. The maximum penalty will be a 51-week prison sentence, an unlimited fine, or both.
Applications for licences can be made from 6 April this year, and anyone who keeps primates is encouraged to apply as soon as possible after that date.
The council would also like to know how many primates are currently in Tewkesbury Borough and where they are being kept. If you have any information about primates that are being kept in the borough, please contact licensing@tewkesbury.gov.uk.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Director of Communities, Peter Tonge, said “We are committed to ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare. The introduction of the new licensing scheme for primate keepers is a significant step towards safeguarding the well-being of these intelligent and sensitive animals.
“Current animal welfare regulations do not require people to notify local authorities if they keep primates, so we are keen to identify how many are currently in the borough. We encourage all primate keepers to apply for their licences promptly and to adhere to the strict welfare conditions set out in the regulations. Together, we can ensure that primates in our borough receive the care and protection they deserve.”
For more information on the new licensing scheme, including how you can apply for a licence, visit tewkesbury.gov.uk/licences-and-permits.
