Overview

Under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, you must have a licence if you display wild animals to the public for 7 or more days in any 12-month period. This excludes circuses. This applies whether or not payment is received from the public.

Operating without a licence can lead to fines of up to £2,500 per offence and enforcement action.

Where an income of £1000 is achieved in any period of six or less days, a Licence for Keeping or Training Animals for Exhibition should be applied for where the public has interaction with a kept animal.

No licence is required for displays of six days or less and where annual income is below £1000; however a Dangerous Wild Animal Licence is required, where animals are scheduled, under the Dangerous Wild Animal Act 1976 are held.

There are circumstances where a Dispensation from requiring a Zoo Licence; or changing the requirements of a Zoo Licence Inspection may be appropriate.  Please only apply for a Dispensation following consultation with our Inspectors.  It is possible that you may require a Zoo Licence Dispensation to work in conjunction with a Licence for Keeping or Training Animals for Exhibition.

We advise submitting an enquiry, either to [email protected]  or via 01305 251010, for advice prior to any dispensation application.

Fees

The fee for a new licence, to renew a licence or for a 3 yearly periodic inspection is £590 plus vet fees. 

A licence will not be granted until fees are paid in full. If no licence is granted only the licence fee will be refunded.

Multiple locations

Any activities relating to the same business that operate at different locations will require individual licences. If you already have a licence and you want to start an activity at an additional location from that stated on your existing licence, a new premises application and full fee must be submitted.

Your licence

If approved, your licence ensures:

animal welfare standards are met
public safety and biodiversity education are prioritised
compliance with conservation measures such as research, breeding, and species reintroduction are undertaken

Conditions and restrictions

Your licence will include mandatory conditions such as:

prevent escapes and control pests
maintain records of births, deaths, acquisitions, and escapes
provide biodiversity education
insurance for public liability

Participate in conservation activities (research, breeding, training).

Apply now

We must receive a completed application at least two months before it can be processed. This ensures compliance with the statutory two-month notice of intent and allows sufficient time for you to publish the required advertisements.

Advertising your notice

At the point of submission a ‘Notice of Intent’ for the application for a zoo licence must be advertised in one local newspaper and one national newspaper. 

The published notice must identify the location of the zoo and state that the Notice of Intent is available to be inspected at the Council offices at County Hall, Colliton Park, Dorchester DT1 1UZ.

Before you start

You should read the:

Begin your application

You will need the following to complete this application:

stock list - common name and taxonomy, number and sex
plan of site to scale
further information on conservation measures
copy of intended notices
copy of firearm licences

You will need to register for an account on our licencing website before you can apply.

Register now

If you already have an account, you can login and apply.

You will be prompted to pay for your permit at the end of this application.

Login and apply now

What happens next

Once the Notice of Intent period has elapsed we will progress your licence application in full.

The application will be reviewed and will take into consideration any comments made during the Notice of Intent period. An inspection will then follow with appropriate DEFRA veterinary support. The cost of which will be forwarded to the applicant.

You must inform us of any changes that have been made to your application and provide details during the intention notice period.

have the approximate number of visitors changed
have the approximate number of vehicle parking spaces changed
have the access types and locations changed
have the number and type of staff likely to be employed changed
have the number of species of animals changed
have your plans to meet the conservation measures as required in section 1A of the Zoo Licensing Act changed

They will assess:

Zoo location and layout

Species and numbers of animals

Staffing and visitor details

Conservation plans

If approved, your licence will be issued, and a paper copy will be sent to you.

Your licence must be displayed publicly at every entrance to the premises and, on any website, used for your business.

Star Rating System

Unlike other animal activity licences, Zoos do not currently use the star rating system.

However, inspections still assess welfare standards and compliance.

Renewal applications process

Licence holders should submit a renewal application no less than 10 weeks before the expiry date of their current licence. This allows sufficient time for inspections and processing to ensure continuity of the licence. If you do not wish to renew your licence, please let us know by emailing [email protected]

Zoo licence