Every licence for selling animals as pets in England comes with a star rating from 1 to 5. It isn’t a mark out of five for how nice your shop is; it’s the output of a fixed table in Defra’s statutory guidance that combines two assessments the inspector makes. Understanding the table is the quickest way to see how to improve your rating, and why a brand-new business can’t get five stars straight away.
The two things the inspector scores
1. Welfare standards. The statutory guidance for selling animals as pets turns every licence condition into minimum standards (which you must meet to be licensed at all) and higher standards (which go beyond the legal minimum). Higher standards are split into required and optional. To be rated as meeting the higher standards you must meet all of the required higher standards and at least half of the optional ones. If you fall short of the minimum standards in minor ways you’re rated as having minor failings; serious failings mean no licence.
2. Risk. The inspector scores a set of risk factors, each as low (1) or high (2). The factors cover your compliance history, the complexity of what you do, and the inspector’s view of how well you understand and manage welfare. A total score of 17 or less is low risk; 18 or more is high risk. A business with no history, such as a new applicant, is treated as high risk until it has demonstrated compliance.
The rating table
| Welfare standard | Low risk | High risk |
|---|---|---|
| Minor failings | 1 star, 1-year licence, unannounced visit within 12 months | 1 star, 1-year licence, unannounced visit within 12 months |
| Minimum standards | 3 stars, 2-year licence, unannounced visit within 24 months | 2 stars, 1-year licence, unannounced visit within 12 months |
| Higher standards | 5 stars, 3-year licence, unannounced visit within 36 months | 4 stars, 2-year licence, unannounced visit within 24 months |
Two things follow from the table:
- Risk matters as much as standards. Meeting every higher standard as a high-risk business gets you 4 stars and two years. The same standards as a low-risk business get 5 stars and three years.
- Licence length is the real prize. A 5-star licence means one application fee and one full inspection every three years instead of every year, and fewer unannounced visits in between.
If your licence covers more than one activity (for example selling animals and boarding), the rating is rounded down to the lowest result across the activities.
What moves you from 3 stars to 5
- Meet the higher standards. Read the higher-standard column of the statutory guidance for each condition and pick off the required ones first. Many are about documentation and training rather than building work: written enrichment plans, higher staff-to-animal ratios, training beyond the minimum, more frequent monitoring, a vet-reviewed health plan.
- Build a compliance history. Risk scoring rewards a record of meeting conditions, responding to inspection findings and keeping good records. Keep evidence of everything you fixed after the last inspection.
- Show you understand welfare. Inspectors assess whether the people running the business can explain why they do what they do. Staff who can talk about the species’ needs, and records that show problems being spotted and dealt with, both count.
- Don’t let the paperwork let you down. Missing written procedures, gaps in daily checks and an out-of-date register are the common reasons an otherwise good shop is held at minimum standards or minor failings.
Re-inspection
If you’re rated 1 to 4 stars and have put right the things that held you back, you can request a re-inspection. The request must be in writing (email is fine), set out what you’ve improved, and include evidence. If the evidence supports the request, an inspector must visit, normally within three months; a new rating can’t be awarded on paperwork alone. You pay for the visit at the council’s full cost recovery rate, and there’s no limit on how many times you can ask, but each visit is charged. The council can refuse a request that isn’t substantiated, and must tell you why and what evidence would be needed.
Checking where you stand
The statutory guidance is long, and the higher standards are scattered through it. PetCompli’s self-assessment puts every minimum and higher standard for selling animals as pets into a checklist you answer site by site, shows which band your answers put you in, and lists the gaps with the evidence you’d need. It doesn’t decide your rating, the council does, but it means no surprises on inspection day.
Frequently asked questions
Can a new pet shop get 5 stars?
Not usually at the first inspection. A business with no history is treated as higher risk, which caps the rating at 4 stars even if it meets the higher standards. Once it has a track record of compliance it can be rated low risk and reach 5 stars.
Do I have to display my star rating?
The regulations require the licence itself to be displayed, and the licence shows the rating. Unlike food hygiene ratings there's no separate rating sticker scheme, though many councils publish ratings and businesses often display them voluntarily.
Can I appeal my star rating?
You can ask for a re-inspection once you've fixed the issues, in writing, with evidence. The council must visit (a new rating can't be based on documents alone), normally within three months, and charges for the visit. Disputes about the rating go first to the head of the licensing department and then the council's complaints procedure. Decisions to refuse, vary or revoke a licence can be appealed to the First-tier Tribunal.
Sources
This guide explains the law and statutory guidance in plain English for licensed pet businesses. It isn't legal advice: check the current legislation and your own licence conditions, and ask your local authority's licensing team if you're unsure. Last reviewed 14 October 2026.