New licensing requirements for keeping primates

Under the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024, all primate keepers whether as pets or not, will be legally required to hold a licence from 6 April 2026.

Primates covered by the scheme include marmosets, tamarins, squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, lemurs and lorisids (also known as bush babies).

The regulations set out strict rules to ensure that only those who can provide zoo-level welfare standards will be able to keep primates.

After 6 April 2026, it will be an offence to keep a primate without a licence. Anyone doing so could face up to six months imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both.

Cllr Victoria Atherstone, cabinet member for safety and communities, said: “We want to make sure primates are properly cared for, and this new licensing scheme is an important step forward in protecting their welfare. These animals are intelligent and need very specific care, so it’s right that there are clear rules in place.

“We are not sure if anyone in Cheltenham owns a primate but it’s essential if you do that you apply for their licences promptly and make sure you are meeting the required zoo-level welfare standards.”

Existing primate keepers should make their applications as early as possible to allow plenty of time for inspections to take place and for decisions to be made. Licences will be valid for a maximum of three years, and keepers will need to be reassessed to renew their licence to keep their animals.

Find out more information on the new licensing scheme, including how you can apply for a licence.

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Notes: The only exemptions from the requirement to hold a licence under these regulations will be licensed zoos and medical and research facilities authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.