Getting an animal keeper's licence to keep frogs
If you wish to keep frogs or tadpoles, you must get a licence from the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). The OEH amphibian licensing and record-keeping system allows us to monitor what amphibian species are being kept, bred and traded amongst enthusiasts.
People who hold a licence may obtain frogs and tadpoles from other people who legally hold them, but they are not allowed to be sold through pet shops and must not be taken from the wild. There are two classes of amphibian keeper licences:
Class 1 licence
A Class 1 licence allows you to look after 45 species of frog, including common species that are easy to look after. A person with just a basic knowledge of the needs of the animals should have no problems meeting their needs.
Some of the frogs which can be kept under a Class 1 licence are:
- green tree frog
- red-eyed tree frog
- dainty tree frog
- white-lipped tree frog
- peron's tree frog
- striped marsh frog
- common froglet.
An applicant must be over 16 years of age to apply for a Native Animal Keepers’ Licence. If you are under 16 years of age and interested in keeping native animals as pets, you still can, however, the licence application must be in the name of your legal parent/guardian.
Class 2 licence
A Class 2 licence is for 29 frog species that are rare and/or more difficult to keep than those species that can be kept under a Class 1 licence. These licences are available to people who are over the age of 18 years and have had at least two years experience in caring for Class 1 frogs.
Documents to download
Page last updated: 25 August 2011
