New regulations mean that from 6 April 2026, you will need a licence if you keep one or more primates, these include:
- Marmosets
- Tamarins
- Squirrel Monkeys
- Spider Monkeys
- Capuchin Monkeys
- Lemurs
- Lorisids (also known as bush babies)
You can read about the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024.
The only exemptions from the requirement to hold a licence under these regulations will be licensed zoos and medical / research facilities authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
The regulations bring in a licensing scheme, setting strict rules to ensure that only those who can provide zoo-level welfare standards will be able to keep primates.
Existing private primate keepers can apply for a primate licence from April 2025, and from 6 April 2026, all private primate keepers and people proposing to keep a primate will:
- be required to hold a licence, valid for a maximum of 3 years
- undergo reassessment to renew their permission to keep their animals
After 6 April 2026, if you keep a primate in England without a licence, you will be committing an offence under section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and could face up to 6 months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.