There are now strict rules to ensure that only those able to provide zoo-level welfare standards will be able to keep primates.
From 6 April 2026, anyone other than licensed zoos and certain medical research facilities keeping primates must have a primate keeper licence. Primates include:
- Marmosets
- Tamarins
- Squirrel Monkeys
- Spider Monkeys
- Capuchin Monkeys
- Lemurs
- Lorisids (also known as bush babies)
Existing private primate keepers can apply for a primate licence from April 2025. By April 2026, all private primate keepers and people proposing to keep a primate will be required to hold a licence. Licences will be valid for a maximum of three years, with further assessment to ensure continued compliance on renewal.
From April 2026, keeping a primate without a primate keeper licence will be a criminal offence. A conviction for unlicensed keeping of a primate carries a penalty of imprisonment for a term of up to six months, an unlimited fine, or both.
The regulations on keeping primates can be read here:
The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024
Apply for a licence
You will be able to apply for a licence from 6 April 2025.
Information on how to apply and the requirements of the Regulations can be found on the Primate Keeper Licence page of the Worcestershire Regulatory Services website.
