• Skip to content
  • Skip to navigation
Logo: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Your Account
  • Menu
Close menu
Close
  • About the Council
  • Business and Economy
  • Children and Families
  • Community and Living
  • Council Tax and Benefits
  • Education and Learning
  • Environment and Waste
  • Health and Social Care
  • Housing
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Leisure and Culture
  • Planning and Development
  • Transport and Streets
  • See all news
  • See all events
  1. Home
  2. Business and economy
  3. Licensing and regulation
  4. Business licences and business registration

Business licences and business registration

In this section

  1. Register to carry out acupuncture
  2. Register to carry on the business of earpiecing
  3. Register to carry on the business of electrolysis
  4. Register to carry on the business of tattooing
  5. Apply for a licence to hire out horses
  6. Applying for a variation to an existing licence
  7. Keeping or training animals for exhibition
  8. Apply for a licence to breed animals
  9. You are here: Apply for a licence to sell animals as pets
  10. Apply for a licence to keep dangerous wild animals
  11. Apply for a licence to provide boarding for animals.

Apply for a licence to sell animals as pets

Do I need a licence?

You will need to get a licence if you are selling animals:

  • As pets 
  • If the animals that you are selling will be later resold as pets

You will still neeed a licence if your business is based at home or if you are selling animals online.

This licence does not give you permission to sell animals as pets in public places such as market stalls. 

You also cannot sell puppies or kittens as pets if you have not bred them yourself.

This licence can be issued for a period of 1 year, 2 years, or 3 years depending on the risk rating and level of compliance.

Applying for a licence to sell animals as pets

When completing your application you will be required to have:

  • Details of the types of animals you are applying to sell
  • The age of animals when you will be selling them
  • Veterinary details
  • Accomodation details, including the size of the rooms that the animals have access to
  • Insurance details
  • Emergency keyholder details

If you are renewing an existing licence you will also need:

  • Your existing licence number

This is a chargeable service and is charged at £364.00, you will be required to make payment before you can submit your application. 

If you would like to apply for a licence to sell animals please use the link below: 

Business & Economy: Apply for a licence to sell animals as pets | Apply for a licence to sell animals as pets – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

How is the licence application assessed?

All licence applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

  • An assement of the applicaton as to whether they're a fit and proper person to carry out the licensable activity, their knowledge, experience, compliance history, ability to meet their licence conditions, and whether they're currently disqualified from making an application
  • An inspection of the site of the licensable activity by a suitably qualified inspector (and where applicable accompanied by a registered veterinarian)
  • The submission of the inspectors report which will contain information about the operator, details of the premises, records, conditions of the animals, and risk rating score.
  • The payment of the appropriate fee
  • Previous page: Apply for a licence to breed animals
  • Next page: Apply for a licence to keep dangerous wild animals

Downloads

  • Licensing Policies

Stay connected

Sign up for our newsletter
Footer Logo: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
  • About this website
  • Accessibility statement
  • Privacy
  • Languages
  • Contact Us
  • Location
  • Terms and conditions
  • Facebook logo
  • Twitter logo
  • YouTube logo
  • Instagram logo
  • LinkedIn logo

All content © 2025 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. All Rights Reserved.

Designed and Powered by Jadu.

chatbot launch button image
Left Right
Full Wide Split Narrow
Chatbot avatar image
Hi, I'm Bailey
I'm here to answer your questions.

Hi, I'm Bailey, how can I help you today? You can ask me questions relating to a number of council services.

To start a chat you will need to click 'continue' to confirm you have read and understood our terms and conditions Privacy Policy.

Privacy Statement