Statute Details
- Title: Cattle (Licence Fees) Regulations
- Act Code: CA1964-RG2
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (regulations)
- Authorising Act: Cattle Act (Chapter 34, Section 7)
- Current Version: Current version as at 26 Mar 2026
- Commencement: [1st January 1965] (as reflected in the revised edition)
- Key Provisions: Regulation 1 (Citation); Regulation 2 (Fees); Regulation 3 (No refund of fees)
- Legislative History (highlights): Amended by S 561/2010; Amended by S 788/2014 (effective 1 Jan 2015)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Cattle (Licence Fees) Regulations is a short piece of subsidiary legislation that sets out how much a person must pay for a licence to keep cattle in Singapore. In practical terms, it translates the licensing framework in the Cattle Act into a clear fee schedule. The regulations are therefore primarily administrative and financial: they determine the cost of compliance for cattle keepers and regulate how those fees are calculated and treated if a licence is later suspended or revoked.
Under the licensing regime in the Cattle Act, licences are required for places where cattle are kept. The Regulations specify the annual fee payable for licences issued under section 4 of the Act. They also address two issues that commonly arise in licensing disputes and compliance planning: (i) how the fee is prorated when a licence is issued part-way through the year, and (ii) whether fees can be reclaimed if the licence is suspended or revoked.
Because the Regulations are concise, they are often overlooked in favour of the substantive licensing provisions in the Cattle Act. However, for practitioners advising clients who keep cattle—or who are applying for, renewing, or challenging licensing decisions—the fee provisions can be decisive. They affect budgeting, the economics of compliance, and the remedies (or lack thereof) available when licences are curtailed.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Regulation 1 (Citation) provides the short title: the Regulations may be cited as the Cattle (Licence Fees) Regulations. While this is standard drafting, it matters for legal referencing in correspondence, submissions, and enforcement documentation.
Regulation 2 (Fees) is the core provision. It establishes a tiered annual fee based on the number of head of cattle kept at the licensed place. The fee is “subject to paragraph (2),” meaning the general tiered rates apply unless the special rule on mid-year issuance limits the amount payable.
Under Regulation 2(1), the annual fee payable for a licence under section 4 of the Act is as follows:
- Up to 15 head of cattle: $66 per year.
- More than 15 but not more than 50 head of cattle: $164 per year.
- More than 50 head of cattle: $300 per year.
These thresholds are designed to scale the fee with the operational size of the cattle-keeping activity. For legal practitioners, the key interpretive point is that the fee is tied to the number of head of cattle “in respect of a place for keeping” cattle. This suggests that the licensing unit is the premises/place, and the fee classification depends on the cattle count for that premises at the relevant time.
Regulation 2(2) (No more than half the annual rate for licences issued after 30 June) introduces a mid-year cap. It provides that the fee payable for a licence issued after 30th June in any year shall not be more than half the rate set out in paragraph (1). In effect, if a licence is granted or issued in the second half of the year, the fee is limited to a maximum of 50% of the relevant tier’s annual amount.
This prorating rule is important for clients who may receive licences late in the year due to application processing, inspections, or administrative delays. It also affects how fees should be calculated in billing disputes. Practitioners should ensure that any invoiced amount for a licence issued after 30 June complies with the “not more than half” limitation.
Regulation 3 (No refund of fees) states that the fee paid for a licence shall not be refunded upon the revocation or suspension of the licence. This provision is absolute in its terms and removes a potential avenue of recovery for licence holders.
From a legal risk perspective, Regulation 3 is significant because it addresses the financial consequences of enforcement outcomes. If a licence is suspended or revoked—whether due to non-compliance, safety concerns, or other regulatory grounds—the licensee cannot claim repayment of the fee already paid. Practitioners advising clients should therefore treat the fee as non-refundable “sunk cost” once paid, and should consider this when advising on compliance strategies, settlement positions, or the timing of applications.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Regulations are structured as a short instrument with three numbered regulations:
- Regulation 1: Citation (how the Regulations are referred to).
- Regulation 2: Fees (including tiered annual rates and the mid-year issuance cap).
- Regulation 3: No refund of fees (upon suspension or revocation).
There are no additional parts or complex sub-schemes in the extract provided. The simplicity of the structure means that the practitioner’s focus should be on the fee calculation mechanics and the consequences of licence suspension/revocation.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Regulations apply to persons who are required to obtain a licence under the Cattle Act for a place where cattle are kept. In other words, the fee obligations attach to the licensing framework for cattle-keeping premises. The fee is payable for a licence issued under section 4 of the Act, and the amount depends on the number of head of cattle kept at the licensed place.
Practically, this means the Regulations are relevant to cattle farmers, cattle owners, operators of cattle farms or holding facilities, and any entity responsible for maintaining compliance at the licensed premises. They are also relevant to legal advisers and compliance officers who manage licensing applications, renewals, and responses to enforcement actions involving suspension or revocation.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Although the Cattle (Licence Fees) Regulations is brief, it has real operational and legal consequences. First, it provides a clear fee schedule that affects the cost of regulatory compliance. For clients planning cattle operations, the tiered structure ($66 / $164 / $300) allows budgeting based on expected herd size. For practitioners, it provides an objective benchmark for assessing whether a fee demanded by the authority is correct.
Second, the mid-year issuance rule in Regulation 2(2) can materially affect the amount payable. If a licence is issued after 30 June, the fee cannot exceed half the annual rate. This is particularly important where there are delays in processing applications or where licences are granted following inspections that occur later in the year. Practitioners should be alert to billing errors and should be prepared to cite Regulation 2(2) to correct overcharging.
Third, Regulation 3’s “no refund” rule is a key risk allocation provision. It limits financial recourse for licence holders whose licences are suspended or revoked. In disputes, clients may naturally ask whether they can recover fees for periods during which they were unable to lawfully keep cattle. The Regulations foreclose that possibility. Accordingly, legal advice should emphasise compliance and early remediation to avoid enforcement outcomes, rather than relying on refund-based remedies.
Finally, the legislative history indicates that the fee amounts have been updated through amendments (notably S 561/2010 and S 788/2014 effective 1 January 2015). Practitioners should therefore confirm the version applicable at the relevant time for any matter involving historical fees, invoicing, or enforcement decisions. The “current version as at 26 Mar 2026” status is helpful, but time-specific advice may require checking the version in force when the licence was issued.
Related Legislation
- Cattle Act (Chapter 34), in particular section 4 (licensing) and section 7 (authorising regulations on fees)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Cattle (Licence Fees) Regulations for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.