Exotic pet laws by state
Rules read from each state's law on 10 November 2026. Not legal advice.
By state
- Alabama9 of 27 banned
- Alaska18 of 27 banned
- Arizona14 of 27 banned
- Arkansas11 of 27 banned
- California19 of 27 banned
- Colorado15 of 27 banned
- Connecticut16 of 27 banned
- Delaware4 of 27 banned
- District of Columbia24 of 27 banned
- Florida4 of 27 banned
- Georgia20 of 27 banned
- Hawaii25 of 27 banned
- Idaho6 of 27 banned
- Illinois8 of 27 banned
- Indiana0 of 27 banned
- Iowa12 of 27 banned
- Kansas2 of 27 banned
- Kentucky12 of 27 banned
- Louisiana11 of 27 banned
- Maine19 of 27 banned
- Maryland12 of 27 banned
- Massachusetts19 of 27 banned
- Michigan3 of 27 banned
- Minnesota13 of 27 banned
- Mississippi7 of 27 banned
- Missouri2 of 27 banned
- Montanachecker only, being read
- Nebraska6 of 27 banned
- Nevada5 of 27 banned
- New Hampshire18 of 27 banned
- New Jersey10 of 27 banned
- New Mexico20 of 27 banned
- New York12 of 27 banned
- North Carolina5 of 27 banned
- North Dakota5 of 27 banned
- Ohio1 of 27 banned
- Oklahoma0 of 27 banned
- Oregon13 of 27 banned
- Pennsylvania16 of 27 banned
- Rhode Island13 of 27 banned
- South Carolina6 of 27 banned
- South Dakotachecker only, being read
- Tennessee5 of 27 banned
- Texas4 of 27 banned
- Utah10 of 27 banned
- Vermont19 of 27 banned
- Virginia5 of 27 banned
- Washington10 of 27 banned
- West Virginia2 of 27 banned
- Wisconsin0 of 27 banned
- Wyoming5 of 27 banned
By animal
- Axolotl
- Capybara
- African pygmy hedgehog
- Ferret
- Sugar glider
- Fennec fox
- Serval or savannah cat
- Wallaby
- Chinchilla
- Tarantula
- Raccoon
- Red fox
- Skunk
- Pet monkey
- Kangaroo
- Big cat
- Bobcat
- Prairie dog
- Kinkajou
- Otter
- Lemur
- Alligator or other crocodilian
- Venomous snake
- Giant constrictor
- Tegu
- Bear
- Wolfdog
How to read these pages
"Banned" means state law bars a private person from keeping the animal as a pet. "Permit needed" means a state permit, licence or registration is required. "Depends" means a condition decides it, such as hybrid generation or grandfathering. "No state restriction found" means we read the state's rules and the animal is not covered, which is not the same as legal everywhere: county, city, landlord and federal rules still apply.
How we checked. For each state we read the statutes, administrative code and agency lists that govern keeping wild or exotic animals, and every row above links to the text it rests on. A second, independent reviewer then re-read the same sources, and a row is shown only if it survived that check. "Not verified yet" means a state's rule could not be read or confirmed, which is a gap in our data and not a green light. County and city ordinances, landlord and insurance rules, and federal law sit on top of the state rule. Read how we check. See an error? Email hello@creaturesincrisis.org with the link.
Quick answers
- How many states ban exotic pets?
- No state bans all of them, and no two states draw the line in the same place. Some use a list of banned animals, some a list of allowed animals, and some require permits for whole classes.
- Where can I check one animal in one state?
- Use the legality checker.