There's no national price for a dog boarding licence. In England, Scotland and Wales your local council sets the fee to cover its own costs, so the same licence can cost three or four times as much in one district as in the next. This guide shows real fees from council websites, explains what you're actually paying for, and shows why the cheapest licence over time is usually the one with the best star rating.
Fees below were taken from council websites in October 2026 and are examples, not a complete list. Councils update their charges every April, so check your own council's current fee schedule before you apply.
What councils charge in England
England licenses four boarding activities under the 2018 regulations: kennels, home boarding, dog day care and cat boarding. Some councils charge one flat fee; others split it into a part paid when you apply and a part paid when the licence is granted.
| Council | Kennels | Home boarding | Day care | Cattery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test Valley (2026/27, flat fee, new or renewal) | £331 | £262 | £331 | £310 |
| Hart (2026/27, under 20 animals) | £318 | £318 | £318 | n/a |
| Elmbridge (from April 2026, new licence) | n/a | £432 | £432 (up to 5 dogs), £510 (more) | £510 |
| Dover (2025/26, new licence) | £260 + £180 to £345 | £250 + £120 to £265 | £260 + £180 to £345 | £260 + £180 to £345 |
| Sevenoaks (plus vet fees) | £758 | £728 | £728 | £758 |
Dover's second figure is paid on grant and depends on your star rating. "n/a" means the fee wasn't listed separately on the page we checked.
At the top end, Bromley charges separately for admin, a vet inspection and a mid-term unannounced vet visit. For a new day care licence, that adds up to roughly £1,000 or more, depending on the number of dogs and the licence length.
Why fees vary so much
Councils are only allowed to recover their costs, but those costs differ. The main reasons one council is dearer than another:
- Vet inspections: the law doesn't require a vet to inspect boarding premises. A suitably qualified inspector, such as someone with a Level 3 qualification, can do it. Councils that send a vet usually pass the fee on, and it can be several hundred pounds.
- Whether the fee is split: some councils charge once; others take an application fee and a separate grant fee that changes with your star rating and licence length.
- Size: some councils charge more for larger day cares or for businesses with more animals.
- Extra activities: if you run boarding and day care, or dogs and cats, you may pay for each. Dover, for example, charges £100 for each extra activity.
How star ratings change the real cost
In England, every licence comes with a star rating from one to five, and the rating decides how long the licence lasts: one, two or three years. You pay a fee each time you renew, so a longer licence means fewer fees.
Using Dover's published kennel fees as an example:
| Star rating | Licence length | Fees for that licence | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 star | 1 year | £260 + £180 = £440 | £440 |
| 3 stars | 2 years | £260 + £265 = £525 | about £263 |
| 5 stars | 3 years | £260 + £345 = £605 | about £202 |
Worked from Dover's 2025/26 fees for a new kennel licence. Renewal fees and future years may differ.
A five-star kennel pays less than half as much per year as a one-star kennel, and it's inspected less often. New businesses are treated as higher risk until they have a year of history, so the best a first licence can get is four stars and two years. After that, meeting the higher standards and keeping good records is what earns the longer licence.
Other costs to budget for
- Re-rating: if you improve after your inspection, you can ask to be re-rated. The council has to re-inspect within three months, and you pay for the visit. Dover charges £140.
- Planning permission: a licence isn't planning permission. If your business is a material change of use, a planning application has its own fee.
- Getting up to standard: barriers, kennel sizes, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and a written emergency plan are all conditions. The cost of meeting them is usually far bigger than the licence fee.
- Insurance: not part of the licence, but for most boarding businesses a bigger yearly cost than the licence fee.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
In Scotland and Wales, boarding is still licensed under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963. Licences run to the end of the calendar year, so you pay every year and there are no star ratings to earn a longer one. Examples: Falkirk charges £320.30 for a boarding establishment and £210 for home boarding, with lower renewal fees; Vale of Glamorgan charges £275 for a boarding establishment and £167 for home boarding, plus vet costs.
In Northern Ireland, boarding establishments are licensed by DAERA rather than councils, with one-year licences. We couldn't find a published fee, so ask DAERA directly. The Republic of Ireland has no boarding licence, although planning permission and a General Dog Licence may apply.
Paying less over time
The fee you pay in your first year is mostly fixed. What you can control is the rating, and so the length of your next licence. Inspectors judge it on welfare standards and on how much risk they think your business carries, and records are a big part of both. If you can show a complete register, current vaccinations for every animal, daily care logs and your written procedures without hunting for them, you make the inspector's job easy.
That's the part KennelBooker helps with. The animal register builds itself from your bookings, owners upload vaccination certificates and expired ones are flagged, consent forms are signed online, and feeding, medication and exercise can be logged against each stay. More detail is on our AAL 2018 and GDPR page. For who needs a licence and what the conditions say, read our UK and Ireland licensing guide, or the home boarding licence guide if you board at home.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get a dog boarding licence in the UK?
It depends on your council. In England, 2026 examples run from £262 for home boarding at Test Valley to £432 at Elmbridge and around £730 to £760 at Sevenoaks, and a new day care licence at Bromley comes to roughly £1,000 or more once vet inspection fees are added. In Scotland, Falkirk charges £210 for home boarding and £320.30 for a boarding establishment.
How much is a dog home boarding licence?
Examples from council websites include £262 at Test Valley (2026/27), £318 at Hart (2026/27), £432 for a new licence at Elmbridge, and £250 on application plus £120 to £265 on grant at Dover, depending on star rating. In Wales, Vale of Glamorgan charges £167 for home boarding, plus vet costs.
How much does a cattery licence cost?
Examples include £310 at Test Valley, £510 for a new licence at Elmbridge and £758 at Sevenoaks, where vet fees are extra.
Does a dog daycare licence cost more than a boarding licence?
Sometimes. Some councils charge the same for both, while others charge more for larger day cares. Elmbridge, for example, charges £432 for day care with up to five dogs and £510 above that.
Do I have to pay for a vet inspection?
Not by law for boarding in England: the inspector must be suitably qualified, which can mean a Level 3 qualification rather than a vet. Some councils still send a vet and pass the cost on, so check your council's fee schedule.