Primate Licensing

From 6 April 2026, anyone other than licensed zoos and certain medical research facilities keeping primates must have a primate keeper licence. Primates include:

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

Existing private primate keepers can apply for a primate licence from April 2025. By April 2026, all private primate keepers and people proposing to keep a primate will be required to hold a licence. Licences will be valid for a maximum of three years, with further assessment to ensure continued compliance on renewal.

From April 2026, keeping a primate without a primate keeper licence will be a criminal offence. A conviction for unlicensed keeping of a primate carries a penalty of imprisonment for a term of up to six months, an unlimited fine, or both.

View a summary of regulations relating to this licence. 

Apply for a licence

You will be able to apply for a licence from 6 April 2025.

Apply for a licence to keep Primates (Word doc, 104 KB)

After you apply for a licence, an inspection by a vet or other suitably qualified and experienced person will be arranged to check whether the licence conditions are likely to be met if the application were to be granted.

Following the inspection, if we are satisfied that the licence conditions are likely to be met, the application will be granted.  If we are not satisfied, then the application must be refused.

Whilst it doesn't become a legal requirement to hold a licence to keep primates until 6 April 2026, we would encourage all primate keepers to make their applications as early as possible to allow plenty of time for inspections to take place and for decisions to be made.  Any licences issued before 6 April 2026, will be granted to take effect from that date.

How long do licenses last?

Primate licences last for a maximum of 3 years but you can request a shorter period if necessary. You must apply to renew your licence 10 weeks before your current one ends.

What paperwork will I need to submit with my application?

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 provide a snapshot of your business and 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.