This question comes up alot so heres a quick overview.

When considering getting a DWA license, you need to firstly think long and hard about the risks involved and whether it is something you truely want to do, it takes a high level of dedication.

To apply for the license you will need to contact your local council, theres no point in going into too much depth because all councils are different but as a general rule you will need:

A locked escape proof room.

A sign on the entrance room of the door warning of what is inside the room.

Locked vivarium also with warning signs.

Relevant handling equipment.

Public liability insurance.

You may need.

A back up handler, alot of times this is the case.

Envenomation protocols, which even if they dont ask for them specifically these are very very important to have.

To be able to turn the light on from either just inside the room or outside before you go in.

A covering letter of proof of being mentored and relevant training.

A double door entry system.

Before they will grant the license, as I mentioned earlier you need to have public liability insurance, there are a few ways to get this, through the people that insure your house (which I found was very expensive and unworkable), a private broker or a specialist company, alot of people use exotics direct I found them to be the best when I looked into it.

Also as Slippery42 said, some councils are money grabbers, or just try to put people off put the costs very high, in fact it varies greatly, from £25 in places right up to over £2000 in others.

This is a very brief overview and in no way comprehensive of everything you need to know but it is a start, for someone that wants know the basics. Hope people find it useful.

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I will sticky this as its a question then pops up from time to time.

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The two most important elements are.

• Is your council a good one or a bunch of money grabbers?
• What does the inspecting vet think of you or your set up?

If the answer to the first one is yes......move home!

If the answer to number two is that he has reservations about your application then think again about having venomous species!!!!

Yeah I should of added that, maybe I will, I was lucky, in the fact that they couldnt find a vet in my town that was very willing to do it, so the council got back to me and said about it, so I offered to find the vet myself, so I got onto a mate that had a license issued already and arranged for that vet to come and do my inspection, so I knew what to expect.

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My local authority use the International Zoo Vet Practice for all relevent inspections.....not just DWA......mind you I am the very first

IZVP are extremely thorough which I'm glad of.

Must have cost a small fortune to get them to do the inspection...which is luckily enough included in the application fee....very reasonable!

its not too bad with my council a little of 200 i think but is just trying to secure a room and get some training before i can apply! anyone in the northamptonshire are willing to share some advice etc please pm me

As I help the RSPCA with reps that are taken into their care i think it might be very usefull to learn about how to handle dwa species.I never know what I will get a call about and don't fancy coming face to face with a dwa unless I know what I'm doing.Would anyone be willing to take time to teach me handling protocols of these reps.I have no intention of ever keeping dwa's myself as I have young children and a soon to be wife who would not be to impressed if I started keeping them.You should have seen them all run when my 9ft burm took a not so gentle hold of my hand,I would like to have said it was only a love bite but I would be fibbing lol.
Any help in this regard would be greatfully accepted.
I live in middlesex.
Gerry.

Great thread Si

This needed to be covered is a common question although people could learn to use the forum search rather than assuming they are the first ones to ever think of applying.

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I don't know where you live, but Pete Blake is 'The Man' when it comes to mentoring....He doesn't suffer fools gladly, but thats a good thing.
He's in Bristol, as if anyone didn't know...LOL.
I just started my mentoring with him, and I can recommend the course he has put together...Very comprehensive...Lots of very experienced people to talk with.....(Brian and Peter Heathcote) You'll be in SAFE hands

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SWMorelia
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Thanks for the heads up mate,but unfortunatley i live to far from Bristol,
I'm hoping an experianced dwa keeper is nearer to me than that.
Thanks again.
Gerry.