Apply for a dog breeding licence

You need a licence if your business breeds dogs, either at home or in a commercial property.

Who needs a dog breeding licence

If you breed dogs at home or in a commercial property, you need a licence from us.

You need a licence if you:

  • breed 3 or more litters of puppies per year, unless you can show that none of the puppies were sold
  • breed puppies and advertise a business that sells them, regardless of how many

Once you've applied for a licence, we'll contact you to arrange a visit. We may also need to get a report from a veterinary surgeon or practitioner. 

When you receive your licence, we'll tell you the rules you have to follow and the records you have to keep.

Find more information in the government's guidance on animal activities.

How to apply

Find out how much your animal business licence will cost.

Download the application form and send it to:

Animal Wardens
Brighton & Hove City Council
2nd Floor Bartholomew House
Bartholomew Square
Brighton
BN1 1JP

You also need to download and complete the animal activity licensing privacy notice, and send it to us with your application form.