Information about providing boarding in kennels for dogs, and how to apply for a licence
Who should apply
To run a kennel, you must have a dog boarding licence under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities involving animals (England) Regulations 2018.
Exemptions
You won't need a licence if you're:
- keeping dogs under the Animal Health Act 1981
- keeping dogs as a vet or dog groomer
- pet sitting
Apply for a licence
To apply for an animal welfare licence online you’ll need:
- A debit or credit card for the fee
What happens next?
You'll receive a visit from an officer to look at your premises, to make sure it's suitable to board dogs. You may also receive a vet inspection if we feel it's necessary.
We'll then determine your application, and if successful, we'll award a star rating between one and five. An additional fee will then be payable, depending on the length of the licence (one to three years). To find out more, please see our fee document.
Planning requirements
Even if we've issued a licence, you may still need planning permission for boarding dogs. For further information, please see our planning pages.
Neighbourhood nuisance issues
We have a duty to investigate complaints of nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Even if you’ve had a licence or planning permission granted, if we find your premises to have issues like excessive noise, and odour, this could result in formal action being taken. For further advice, please contact csnn@west-norfolk.gov.uk
Conditions
Mandatory conditions will apply to your licence, and there are some additional conditions in the guidance documents. You can find these at the bottom of the page.
Licence renewals
You'll need to renew your licence at least 10 weeks before it expires. We'll send you a renewal form when it's time for you to renew. Being late with your renewal may mean a break in licensable activity.
Further information
For further information, you can visit the Association of Dog Boarders website. You can also contact us using the details below: