Form

Apply for a county parish holding (CPH) number

Apply online for a CPH number for land or buildings you'll use to keep livestock, including those kept as pets, in England.

Applies to England

Documents

Apply for a county parish holding (CPH) number in England

Details

Help improve the registration process for livestock keepers

Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is running a pilot to help improve the process of registering as a livestock keeper. Fill in this form if you’re applying for a CPH number for the first time and would like to take part.

You must get a county parish holding (CPH) number for land and buildings used to keep livestock for any purpose, including those kept as pets. It’s sometimes referred to as a holding number.

You must do this so that the government knows where livestock are kept and can trace them to help prevent and control disease.

Livestock includes: 

  • cattle, bison and buffalo (bovine animals) 
  • pigs 
  • goats 
  • sheep 
  • deer 
  • poultry (if you have 50 or more birds)

You do not need a CPH number if you keep fewer than 50 poultry. But you can choose to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

You must also get a CPH number if your business uses animal by-products.

There’s a different process to get a CPH number if, for example, you plan to:

Call the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) if you’re unsure what type of CPH number you need.

Rural Payments Agency 
Telephone (Defra rural services helpline): 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm 
Find out about call charges 

Who can apply for a CPH number online 

You can apply for a CPH number using the online form if you’re:

  • not already registered on the Rural Payments service (the Rural Payments Agency’s (RPA) registration system)
  • over 18 years old
  • keeping livestock in England

Do not use the online form if you’re already registered on the Rural Payments service. RPA already has much of the information it needs to process your application. Apply by phone instead.

Rural Payments Agency
Telephone (Defra rural services helpline): 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Find out how to apply for a CPH number:

Call RPA if your land crosses a border.

The rules are different in Northern Ireland. Read the guidance for animal identification, registration and movements.

Other ways to apply

Call RPA if you’d prefer to apply for a CPH number by phone.

Rural Payments Agency
Telephone (Defra rural services helpline): 03000 200 301 
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm 
Find out about call charges

Before you start

Apply for a CPH number a maximum of 6 weeks before the livestock arrive.

Get the National Grid field numbers for your land or buildings

You must provide accurate National Grid field numbers so that RPA know exactly where animals will be kept.

You must provide the National Grid field numbers for:

  • the main area where you’ll keep livestock
  • any other land or buildings where you’ll keep livestock

For example, if you’re a pet owner, the main area you keep livestock might be a back yard, garden or piece of land attached to your house.

If you keep livestock as a hobby, the main area might be a community allotment, back yard or a piece of land you own. For farmers, the main area is the gathering point on your farm yard or main field.

A National Grid field number is not the same as an Ordnance Survey grid reference.

Use the multi-agency geographic information for the countryside (MAGIC) map to find the National Grid field numbers for your land or buildings. Follow these instructions:

  1. Select ‘Get Started’.
  2. Search for a place or postcode.
  3. Using the map, locate the land or building. Use the +/- icons to zoom in and out.
  4. In the top toolbar, select the fourth icon along (‘Where am I?’) – it looks like a target.
  5. Click on the land or building.
  6. A pop-up box will appear showing the land details for this location. The National Grid field number is the fourth number down and comes after the ‘Grid Ref’ (Ordnance Survey grid reference). It’s made up of 2 letters and 8 numbers, for example, AB 1234 5678.

Other information you’ll need

You’ll need to say if you own or rent the land or buildings where you’ll keep the livestock. If you rent it, you’ll need to confirm if:

  • you have a tenancy agreement to rent it for more than one year
  • the landowner already has a CPH number

If you cannot complete the form

If you’re unable to complete the form, call RPA to complete your application over the phone.

Rural Payments Agency
Telephone (Defra rural services helpline): 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

What happens next

RPA will send you an email with a validation link to confirm your email address. You must click on this link within 12 hours. If you do not do this within 12 hours, you must contact RPA to get another email validation link.

Rural Payments Agency
Telephone (Defra rural services helpline): 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

You should get your CPH number by email within 10 working days. It may take longer during busy periods, or if the information you provided is incorrect.

The email will also include a single business identifier (SBI) and customer reference number (CRN) to use when contacting RPA in future. 

Published 6 September 2022
Last updated 12 December 2023 + show all updates
  1. Added a link to the online service for registering less that 50 birds.

  2. Made it clear that you do not need a CPH number if you keep fewer than 50 poultry – instead complete the voluntary registration form. Added that you must apply for a CPH number if you business uses animal by-products. Added that there is a different process to get a CPH number if you’re setting up a slaughterhouse or registering as a racing pigeon establishment.

  3. Added call to action box asking livestock keepers to fill in form to take part in RPA pilot to help streamline the process of registering as a livestock keeper.

  4. Added a link to a new online form to apply for a county parish holding number and removed the PDF. Added a definition of what livestock includes. Added that you must apply a maximum of 6 weeks before the livestock arrive. Added a section on who can apply for a CPH number online. Added examples of what’s meant by the main area you keep livestock in the Get National Grid field numbers section,

  5. Minor updates to form.

  6. Added a link to the guidance page ‘Register land you use to keep livestock’ for more information before applying.

  7. Added 'You must be over 18 years old to apply for a CPH number' to make age minimum for applicants clearer and reduce calls to Defra rural services helpline.

  8. Updated version of Apply for a county parish holding number form. Made clear that this page only applies to England.

  9. First published.