Anyone who kills animals for meat or other purposes must protect their welfare at the time of killing. The core rule is the same across Great Britain and Northern Ireland: avoid any avoidable pain, distress or suffering, follow written standard operating procedures and use certified staff. Each nation has its own 2014 Regulations, its own competent authority and its own CCTV rules, and the two nations covered here differ on the age for a certificate, licences for killing outside a slaughterhouse, the regulator and the CCTV dates.
This guide covers Wales and Northern Ireland. England has the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 and Scotland has the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Scotland) Regulations 2012. If you operate in more than one nation, meet each nation's rules for each site.
Which regime applies to you
- Your site is in Wales: the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014 and the 2024 CCTV Regulations. The Food Standards Agency is the main competent authority, and councils can inspect and prosecute.
- Your site is in Northern Ireland: the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is the competent authority, and district councils can inspect.
Wales
Northern Ireland
The two regimes side by side
Welfare at the time of killing in Wales and Northern Ireland
How the two devolved regimes differ for a slaughterhouse or other killing business.
| Point of comparison | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Regulations | Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014 (WSI 2014/951) | Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (SR 2014/107) |
| In force | 20 May 2014 | 21 May 2014 |
| Competent authority | Food Standards Agency for certificates, licences and slaughterhouse matters, and the Welsh Ministers otherwise | DAERA |
| Inspectors | Appointed by the competent authority or a county or county borough council | Appointed by DAERA or a district council |
| Minimum age for a certificate | 18, with exceptions for animal handling and poultry shackling | 16 |
| Licence for killing outside a slaughterhouse | Yes, with a vet assessment | The Regulations set requirements in Schedules 2 and 4, but no licence scheme |
| Fees in the Regulations | £25 for a certificate or licence, £8 to modify one, plus vet assessment charges | None in the Regulations |
| Animal welfare officer | Required at 1,000 livestock units or 150,000 birds a year or more | Required at 1,000 livestock units or 150,000 birds a year or more |
| CCTV Regulations | Mandatory Use of Closed Circuit Television in Slaughterhouses (Wales) Regulations 2024 | Mandatory Use of Closed Circuit Television in Slaughterhouses Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 |
| CCTV duty starts | 1 June 2024. Inspection powers and offences from 1 December 2024 | 1 August 2026. Inspection powers and offences from 1 February 2027 |
| CCTV footage kept for | 90 days | 90 days |
| Penalty on summary conviction | Fine up to level 5, or for a breach of Article 3 up to 3 months in prison as well | Fine up to level 5, or for a breach of Article 3 up to 3 months in prison as well |
| Appeal against a certificate decision | To the First-tier Tribunal | Representations to DAERA within 21 days, then an appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction within 21 days |
| Prosecution time limit | 3 years from the offence and 6 months from enough evidence | 3 years from the offence and 12 months from enough evidence |
Steps to get compliant
- List the operations on your site that need a certificate: handling before restraint, restraining, stunning, checking stunning, shackling or hoisting, bleeding and pithing.
- Check each person's training and apply for certificates from the FSA in Wales or DAERA in Northern Ireland. Use temporary certificates only for people working under direct supervision while they train.
- Write your standard operating procedures and appoint a certified animal welfare officer if you pass the threshold.
- Check your layout and handling against the Schedule 1 rules of the nation you operate in.
- Put CCTV in place covering every area where live animals are present, and arrange to keep the footage for 90 days. Check the dates for your nation: Wales is already in force and Northern Ireland started on 1 August 2026.
- If you kill outside a slaughterhouse in Wales, check whether you need a licence and book the vet assessment.
- Keep records where an inspector can see them. Be ready to hand over procedures, training evidence and footage.
Legal basis
Primary legislation and key regulations
Official guidance
Food Standards Agency - Animal welfare at slaughter (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK - Apply for a temporary certificate of competence to slaughter or kill animals (opens in a new tab)
Welsh Government - Mandatory use of CCTV in all slaughterhouses (opens in a new tab)
Welsh Government - Mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses regulatory impact assessment (opens in a new tab)