Dangerous wild animals

You must have a license to keep dangerous wild animals, this includes venomous snakes, venomous spider, monkeys, certain reptiles and spiders. You can view the full list of dangerous wild animals ^{(PDF, 49kb)} here.

Legislation summary

You can read the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 here.

Eligibility criteria

We'll only grant a licence if:

• the applicant for the licence is over 18 and is a suitable person to hold the licence
• the animal will be kept in secure accommodation so it can't escape
• the accommodation is clean and provides the animal/s with sufficient space for exercise and suitable ventilation, temperature, lighting, drainage
• there are satisfactory precautions in case of a fire (we can ask a local fire officer to inspect the premises)
• adequate precautions are taken to prevent and control infectious diseases
• the applicant is the legal owner of the animal
• the premises have been inspected and approval by a veterinary surgeon has been provided in writing to the local authority
• the licence holder has taken out adequate insurance against liability for any damage caused by the animal

Before granting a licence, we'll require an inspection of the premises by a veterinary surgeon or authorised practitioner.

Applying for a licence

Apply for a dangerous wild animals licence online

Once your application is submitted and paid for online it is automatically sent to the responsible authorities, so there is no need for applicants to send in paper hard copies.

Fees

Renewal of a current licence

You'll need to reapply before the existing licence expires.

All licences expire on 31 December of the year they were granted. If you intend to keep the animal/s named on the licence, you must renew the licence before the current licence expires.

Page last updated: 16 April 2024