Deadlines, documents, star ratings and how to make sure your renewal goes smoothly.
Track your renewal with StarReadyStart your renewal at least 12 weeks before your licence expiry date. Most local councils require a minimum of 10 weeks notice and some require more. If you submit too late and your licence lapses, you must stop taking bookings immediately until the new licence is issued.
Submitting early also gives you time to address any issues the council raises before your current licence expires.
Your renewal inspection will check the same 10 DEFRA-required documents as your original application. Crucially, your documents should be updated to reflect your current premises setup — not the same documents from your last inspection if anything has changed.
Inspectors will notice if your documents are identical to the last inspection and have not been reviewed. Updated, specific documents show ongoing compliance rather than a one-off effort.
Yes — your star rating is reassessed at every inspection. You can go up or down depending on your premises and documentation at the time of inspection.
If you received 3 or 4 stars at your last inspection, your renewal is the opportunity to improve your rating and extend your licence period. A move from 3 to 5 stars changes your licence from annual to 3 years — saving significant inspection and renewal costs over time.
At renewal, your inspector will check all 10 required documents, your compliance folder, your physical premises and your ongoing records. They will want to see evidence that you have been maintaining compliance between inspections — not just preparing at renewal time.
This is why ongoing documentation matters. Daily logs, updated procedures and maintained compliance files show a pattern of good practice rather than last-minute preparation.
If your licence expires before renewal is granted, you must stop accepting new bookings immediately. You may also need to make arrangements for any animals currently in your care depending on council guidance.
A lapsed licence is treated as a new application in some councils, which means you lose your star rating history and start the inspection process from scratch. Starting your renewal early is the only reliable way to avoid this.
StarReady tracks your licence expiry date and sends you reminders at 12, 8 and 4 weeks before renewal is due. Your documents stay current and can be regenerated any time to reflect changes to your premises or to incorporate updated DEFRA guidance.
The renewal tracker in your dashboard shows your countdown, your submission status and your licence number in one place.
Add your expiry date and get reminders at 12, 8 and 4 weeks. Keep your documents current. Know your readiness score before the inspector arrives.
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