Exotic pet laws in New Hampshire
Rules read from each state's law on 10 November 2026. Not legal advice.
The table lists every animal we cover and what New Hampshire law says about keeping it as a pet. Each row links to the rule it rests on; animals link to their own state-by-state guide.
Animal by animal in New Hampshire
| Animal | Status | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capybara | Banned | The capybara is not on New Hampshire's non-controlled list, and any unlisted species is prohibited by default. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Unlisted species are prohibited by default | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.04(b) |
| Fennec fox | Banned | New Hampshire lists the fennec fox as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Wallaby | Banned | New Hampshire lists the wallaby as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Tarantula | Banned | Tarantulas are not on New Hampshire's non-controlled list, and any unlisted wildlife is prohibited by default. The rules treat invertebrates as wildlife. Ask Fish and Game to confirm before buying one.Unlisted species are prohibited by default | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.04(b); Fis 804.03(b)... |
| Raccoon | Banned | New Hampshire lists the raccoon as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Red fox | Banned | New Hampshire lists the red fox as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Skunk | Banned | New Hampshire lists the striped skunk as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Pet monkey | Banned | New Hampshire lists the primates (chimpanzee, baboon, capuchin, squirrel monkey, rhesus and others) as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Kangaroo | Banned | New Hampshire lists the red kangaroo as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Big cat | Banned | New Hampshire lists the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar and cougar as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one. Cheetah is unlisted, so prohibited by default.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Bobcat | Banned | New Hampshire lists the bobcat as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Prairie dog | Banned | New Hampshire lists the prairie dog as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Kinkajou | Banned | New Hampshire lists the kinkajou as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Otter | Banned | New Hampshire lists the river otter as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one. Asian small-clawed otters are unlisted, so prohibited by default.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Lemur | Banned | New Hampshire lists the ringtailed lemur as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Alligator or other crocodilian | Banned | New Hampshire lists the alligator and crocodile families as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Venomous snake | Banned | Venomous reptiles are excluded from the non-controlled list and are controlled, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for them. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.02(b)(4); Fis 804.05... |
| Bear | Banned | New Hampshire lists the black bear as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.Permit available only to exhibitors (permittee category 5) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.05, Table 800.2; Fis... |
| Serval or savannah cat | Depends | New Hampshire lists the serval as controlled, with permits only for exhibitors, and hybrids are covered. Registered pet cats with no wild felid parentage for three generations fall outside the rules, so later-generation savannahs may be exempt. Ask the agency.Serval and early-generation hybrids: exhibitors only. Registered cats certified three generations free of wild felid parentage are exempt (Fis 802.03(f)) | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 802.03(f); Fis 804.05, T... |
| Axolotl | No state restriction found | Exotic amphibians, which includes axolotls, are non-controlled in New Hampshire, so no possession permit is required. | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.02(b) |
| African pygmy hedgehog | No state restriction found | African pygmy hedgehogs are named as non-controlled in New Hampshire, so no possession permit is required. | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.02(b) |
| Ferret | No state restriction found | Domesticated ferrets are named as non-controlled in New Hampshire, so no possession permit is required. | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.02(b) |
| Sugar glider | No state restriction found | Sugar gliders are named as non-controlled in New Hampshire, so no possession permit is required. | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.02(b) |
| Chinchilla | No state restriction found | Domesticated chinchillas are named as non-controlled in New Hampshire, so no possession permit is required. | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.02(b) |
| Giant constrictor | No state restriction found | Exotic reptiles are non-controlled in New Hampshire unless alligators, crocodiles or venomous, so giant constrictors need no state possession permit. This is the possession rule only. | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.02(b) |
| Tegu | No state restriction found | Tegus are exotic reptiles, which are non-controlled in New Hampshire, so no state possession permit is required. | N.H. Admin. Code Fis 804.02(b) |
| Wolfdog | Not verified yet | We could not confirm New Hampshire's rule for this animal yet. Ask New Hampshire Fish and Game Department before you buy. |
Who regulates exotic pets in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the agency to ask. Fis 804.04(b): species not listed as non-controlled, prohibited or controlled are prohibited. Controlled species need a permit, and most mammals and reptiles in Table 800.2 are limited to permittee category 5 (exhibitors); category 1 (individuals) applies only to some native amphibians, reptiles, fish and birds. Fis 804.07 grandfathers some pre-existing permits.
The main texts:
- N.H. Admin. Code Part Fis 804, Possession of Wildlife
- Fis 802.01 permittee categories
- Fis 801.26 wildlife definition
Before you buy in New Hampshire
- Ask the state agency above, in writing if you can, and keep the answer.
- Ask your county and city: local ordinances can ban an animal the state allows.
- Check your lease, homeowners or renters insurance and any homeowner association rules.
- Buy only from a seller who can show the animal is captive-bred and legal to ship to New Hampshire.
See every state in exotic pet laws by state, or test one animal in the legality checker.
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
- Is it legal to own a raccoon in New Hampshire?
- Banned. New Hampshire lists the raccoon as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.
- Is it legal to own a monkey in New Hampshire?
- Banned. New Hampshire lists the primates (chimpanzee, baboon, capuchin, squirrel monkey, rhesus and others) as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.
- Is it legal to own a fox in New Hampshire?
- Banned. New Hampshire lists the red fox as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.
- Is it legal to own a skunk in New Hampshire?
- Banned. New Hampshire lists the striped skunk as a controlled species, but only exhibitors can hold a permit for it. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.
- Is it legal to own a ferret in New Hampshire?
- No state restriction found. Domesticated ferrets are named as non-controlled in New Hampshire, so no possession permit is required.
- Is it legal to own a capybara in New Hampshire?
- Banned. The capybara is not on New Hampshire's non-controlled list, and any unlisted species is prohibited by default. Private pet owners cannot legally keep one.
- Who do I ask about exotic pets in New Hampshire?
- Start with New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Then ask your county and city.