Primates
The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2023 will come into force on 6 April 2026.
The legislation brings in a licensing scheme, setting strict rules to ensure 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 licencing 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 licence conditions could result in an unlimited fine, removal of the primate or imprisonment for a term of up to 6 months.
"Primate" means an animal of any species, other than human beings, that belongs to the Primate order of mammals. This includes – but is not limited to – any species of monkey, ape, lemur, loris or tarsier.
What’s next?
Existing primate keepers will have until 6 April 2026 to reach compliance with the welfare and licensing standards.
From 6 April 2026 all private primate keepers will be required to hold a licence, valid for a maximum of three years, and undergo reassessment to renew their permission to keep these animals. A fee will be payable.
Guidance will accompany the standards and will be published in due course.