Using animals for scientific purposes

Fees 

Applicants may apply for a licence to use animals for scientific purposes for one, two or three years. The prescribed fee is $100 per year. 

A licence is only valid until the end of that calendar year of which the fee is payable for. For instance, the licence will expire on 31 December whether the application was submitted in January or August of that year.  

There are no refunds of licence fees once the assessment process has commenced. 

Submitting an application 

To submit an application, please send an email with the required attachments to scientific.licensing@dpird.wa.gov.au. Once a complete application has been submitted, allow up to five weeks for a licence to be approved.

The Animal Welfare Act requires that an application to renew a licence is made no later than 42 days before the day on which the licence is due to expire. As licences expire on 31 December, this means that an application to renew a licence must be made no later than 18 November in the calendar year which the licence is scheduled to expire. 

If an application to renew a licence is not submitted on or before 18 November, an application to be issued a new licence is required. 

Where applicants want to renew licences to use and supply animals for scientific purposes, a separate application for each licence must be made.  

Before applying to renew a licence to use animals, applicants should read the application guidelines, which can be access in the document list below. 

Required documentation 

To renew an existing licence to use animals for scientific purposes, the following forms must be completed:  

• Application for a licence to use/supply animals for scientific purposes; 

• Payment form; and 

• Statutory declaration (relevant to the applicants State or Territory). 

Copies of these documents can be accessed in the document list below or by emailing scientific.licensing@dpird.wa.gov.au.  

When assessing a licence application, DPIRD may seek clarification or further information from the applicant. 

Fees 

Applicants may apply for to renew a licence to use animals for scientific purposes for one, two or three years. The prescribed fee is $100 per year. 

There are no refunds of licence fees once the assessment process has commenced. 

Submitting an application 

To submit an application, please send an email with the required attachments to scientific.licensing@dpird.wa.gov.au. Once a complete application has been submitted, allow up to five weeks for a licence to be approved. 

The same process to applies to be issued a new, or renew an existing, licence to supply animals for scientific purposes.  

Where applicants want to obtain licences to use and supply animals for scientific purposes, a separate application for each licence must be made. 

Renewing a licence to supply animals 

The Animal Welfare Act requires that an application to renew a licence is made no later than 42 days before the day on which the licence is due to expire. As licences expire on 31 December, this means that an application to renew a licence must be made no later than 18 November in the calendar year the licence is scheduled to expire. 

If an application to renew a licence is not submitted on or before 18 November, an application for a new licence is required. 

Required documentation 

To apply for a licence to supply animals for scientific purposes, the following forms must be completed: 

• Application for a licence to use/supply animals for scientific purposes 
• Payment form 
• Statutory declaration (relevant to the applicant's state or territory). 

Copies of these documents can be accessed in the document list below or by emailing scientific.licensing@dpird.wa.gov.au.  

When assessing a licence application, the department may seek clarification or further information from the applicant. 

For further information, view the Wildlife Animal Ethics Committee webpage. 

Fees 

Applicants may apply for a licence to supply animals for scientific purposes for one, two, or three years. The prescribed fee is $100 per licence. 

A licence is only valid until the end of that calendar year of which the fee is payable for. For instance, the licence will expire on 31 December, whether the application was submitted in January or August of that year.  

There are no refunds of licence fees once the assessment process has commenced. 

Submitting an application 

To submit an application, please send an email with the required attachments to scientific.licensing@dpird.wa.gov.au. Once a complete application has been submitted, it may take up to five weeks for a licence to be approved. 

The Animal Welfare Act stipulates that the Minister cannot issue or renew a licence to use animals for scientific purposes unless satisfied that the applicant has an acceptable animal ethics committee (AEC), or the applicant has made arrangements with an AEC of another institution for it to act as its AEC. 

No animal(s) can be used for scientific purposes unless the proposed use is reviewed and approved by an AEC. 

Before applying for a scientific use licence, applicants are required to obtain an agreement from an AEC for ethical oversight. 

Some institutions in Western Australia that have established AECs may be prepared to provide ethical oversight to projects from external licence holders. Applicants who have not established their own animal ethics committee are responsible for contacting and organising an agreement with an AEC. 

Schools intending to apply for a licence to use animals for scientific purposes should consider contacting the Department of Education’s Schools Animal Ethics Committee. 

Environmental scientists who are not part of an institution that has an AEC but intending to apply for a licence to use animals for scientific purposes should consider contacting the Wildlife Animal Ethics Committee. 

Responsibilities of animal ethics committees 

The primary responsibility of an AEC is to ensure, on behalf of the scientific establishment for which it acts, that all activities relating to the care and use of animals for scientific purposes are conducted in accordance with the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, and other relevant legislation. Animal ethics committees may achieve this by: 

• Reviewing applications for projects to ensure they are ethically acceptable and conform to the requirements of the scientific use code  
• Reviewing activities and facilities associated with the care and management of animals
• Conducting follow-up review of approved projects and activities
• Continuing to monitor the care and use of animals, including facilities, practices, and procedures 
• Taking appropriate actions regarding unexpected adverse events and non-compliance 
• Providing advice and recommendations to the institution. 

More information regarding the responsibilities of animal ethics committees may be found in section 2.3 of the scientific use code. For a copy of the scientific use code, visit the National Health and Medical Research Council website.

National Health and Medical Research Council

Animal Ethics Committee members 

The scientific use code requires that AECs comprise at least one person from each of four categories of membership: 

Category A: a person with veterinary science qualification and are recognised as a veterinary surgeon. 

Category B: a person with substantial recent experience in the use of animals for scientific purposes. 

Category C: a person with demonstrated commitment to animal welfare and established experience in furthering the welfare of animals.

Category D: a person who does not currently, and has not previously, conducted scientific or teaching activities using animals. 

Category C and D members cannot be employed by or otherwise associated with, the scientific establishment and must together represent at least one-third of the AEC membership. Additional members with valuable expertise and experience may also be appointed to the AEC to improve the committee’s effectiveness. 

More information regarding the composition of AECs may be found in Section 2.2 of the scientific use code. For a copy of the scientific use code, visit the National Health and Medical Research Council website.

National Health and Medical Research Council

Field site notification form 

Licence holders are required to notify the department of locations where animals are to be used or kept for scientific purposes in WA, before undertaking activities using animals for scientific purposes and obtaining animals to be used for scientific purposes. 

More information, including a description of field sites, can be found in the Locations where animals are used and kept for scientific purposes guidelines. 

To notify the department of a field site, a Field Site Notification Form must be completed and submitted to scientific.licensing@dpird.wa.gov.au. This form can also be used should any of these details change during the project. 

Annual Reports 

Submission of an annual report is a condition imposed on all licence holders. 

The reporting period for annual reports is the calendar year. All annual reports must be submitted to scientific.licensing@dpird.wa.gov.au by 30 April of the year following the reporting period. An annual report must be submitted regardless of whether animals were used or supplied for scientific purposes during the reporting period. 

Annual report templates are distributed to all individuals and institutions that held a licence during the reporting period. The templates are distributed before the end of each calendar year and are accompanied by relevant guidelines. 

For more information about annual reports, please contact scientific.licensing@dpird.wa.gov.au. 

Independent External Reviews 

Institutions that hold a licence to use animals for scientific purposes are required to undertake an independent external review in relation to their scientific use of animals in accordance with the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes). Further information regarding independent external reviews may be found at section 6 of the scientific use code. 

Visit the National Health and Medical Research Council website below for a copy of the scientific use code.

Visit website

Licence holders are responsible for notifying the department if there are any changes to the licensing information. This includes a change to the: 

• nominated licence holder (institutions only); 
• designated contact person(s); 
• designated sites; and 
• the animal ethics committee responsible for overseeing the licence (licence to use animals only). 

To notify the department of any changes, please complete the appropriate section of the form in the document list below. 

Change in nominated licence holder 

Institutions that hold a licence must nominate a senior staff member to be responsible for overall governance with respect to the care and use of animals (‘nominated licence holder’). If for any reason the nominated licence holder for the institution changes, it is the institutions responsibility to notify DPIRD of the change by completing section 1 of the Application to change licence details form.  

Change in designated contact person(s) 

Licence holders may designate a primary contact and additional contacts to facilitate effective communication and coordination between the department and the licensee. Designated contacts serve as the central point of contact for enquiries, updates, and interactions including but not limited to, notifications regarding licence expiry and submission of annual reports. To add contact person(s), please complete section 2 of the Application to change licence details form. 

Change in designated sites 

Licence holders are required to notify the department of locations where animals are to be used or kept for scientific purposes in WA, before undertaking activities using animals for scientific purposes and before obtaining animals to be used for scientific purposes. 

More information, including the process for notifying the department of changes to designated sites, can be found in the Locations where animals are used and kept for scientific purposes guidelines. 

Change in animal ethics committee overseeing the licence 

When applying for a licence to use animals for scientific purposes, applicants are required to declare the animal ethics committee that will be responsible for overseeing their licence. If for any reason the animal ethics committee overseeing the licence changes, licence holders must notify the department of the change by completing section 4 of the Application to change licence details form.