The Animal Welfare (Primates Licences) (England) Regulations 2023 came come into force on 6 April 2025, and all private keepers have until 6 April 2026 to be fully compliant.

These regulations will bring in strict rules ensuring that only private keepers who can provide zoo-level welfare standards will be able to keep primates.

Private primate keepers will be subject to a strict inspection regime to ensure welfare and licensing standards are upheld. From 6 April 2026 it will be an offence for anyone to keep a primate without a relevant licence. Failure to comply with the licence conditions could result in an unlimited fine, removal of the primate(s) or imprisonment for a term of up to six months.

Existing primate keepers have until 6 April 2026 to reach compliance with the required welfare and licensing standards. We are currently awaiting on further guidance from DEFRA, however you can email licensing@crawley.gov.uk for an application form and relevant guidance notes to make an application. Once further information has been received from DEFRA this page will be updated with further guidance.

If you are a primate owner or considering purchasing a primate and would like any further guidance at this time please email licensing@crawley.gov.uk.

Your policies and procedures should detail how you meet all of the licence conditions.
So that we can deal with your application as quickly as possible, you should submit them as part of your application.

The regulations require the following paperwork to be kept as part of the licence:

• a plan of the premises
• a register of all primates kept on the premises, including:
  • name
  • sex
  • microchip number
  • date of birth or, if not known, its approximate date of birth
  • species
  • colour and markings
  • the name and contact details of its previous keeper (where applicable)
  • the date and cause of its death (where applicable)
  • 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
  • an up-to-date list of emergency contact details that includes the fire service and police
• a written procedure for special circumstances, including plans 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
  • the care of the primate(s) 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(s) while being transported