Is it legal to own a raccoon in Virginia?

Banned. Virginia treats raccoons as wild animals, and possessing one is unlawful unless specifically permitted by law. No pet permit route is offered. Exceptions exist for rehabilitators and similar permit holders.

Is it legal to own a monkey in Virginia?

No state restriction found. Virginia has no state ban or permit for pet monkeys or other nonhuman primates. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. Primates appear on no Virginia permit list. Check local rules and federal law.

Is it legal to own a fox in Virginia?

Banned for new owners. Wild red foxes cannot be kept in Virginia. Only domesticated red foxes with distinguishable coat colors that were held on July 1, 2017 and declared to the department may be kept, and they cannot be bred or sold without a permit.

Is it legal to own a skunk in Virginia?

Banned. Virginia treats skunks as wild animals, and possessing one is unlawful unless specifically permitted by law. No pet permit route is offered. Exceptions exist for rehabilitators and similar permit holders.

Is it legal to own a ferret in Virginia?

No state restriction found. Domestic ferrets are carved out of the weasel and relatives permit entry, so a pet ferret needs no state wildlife permit.

Is it legal to own a capybara in Virginia?

No state restriction found. Virginia has no state ban or permit for capybaras. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. The rodent entry covers only species native to Africa.

Who do I ask about exotic pets in Virginia?

Start with Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Then ask your county and city.

Exotic pet laws in Virginia

Rules read from each state's law on 10 November 2026. Not legal advice.

The table lists every animal we cover and what Virginia 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 Virginia

Animal	Status	What it means	Source
Raccoon	Banned	Virginia treats raccoons as wild animals, and possessing one is unlawful unless specifically permitted by law. No pet permit route is offered. Exceptions exist for rehabilitators and similar permit holders.	Va. Code 29.1-521(A)(10)
Skunk	Banned	Virginia treats skunks as wild animals, and possessing one is unlawful unless specifically permitted by law. No pet permit route is offered. Exceptions exist for rehabilitators and similar permit holders.	Va. Code 29.1-521(A)(10)
Bobcat	Banned	Virginia treats bobcats as wild animals, and possessing one is unlawful unless specifically permitted by law. No pet permit route is offered.	Va. Code 29.1-521(A)(10)
Bear	Banned	Native black bears are wild animals, and possessing one is unlawful unless specifically permitted by law. Nonnative bears (Ursidae) need a special permit from the Department of Wildlife Resources.Nonnative bears: special DWR permit	Va. Code 29.1-521(A)(10)
Red fox	Banned for new owners	Wild red foxes cannot be kept in Virginia. Only domesticated red foxes with distinguishable coat colors that were held on July 1, 2017 and declared to the department may be kept, and they cannot be bred or sold without a permit.Grandfathered domesticated red foxes only; no breeding or sale without permit	4VAC15-20-50(A) and (B)
Fennec fox	Permit needed	Virginia lists all foxes as nonnative animals needing a special permit from the Department of Wildlife Resources to possess. Ask the agency whether a pet owner can get one.Special DWR permit; issuance is at the department's discretion	4VAC15-30-40(A)
Big cat	Permit needed	Virginia lists all cats (Felidae) as nonnative animals needing a special permit from the Department of Wildlife Resources to possess. Federal law is covered separately.Special DWR permit; issuance is at the department's discretion	4VAC15-30-40(A)
Prairie dog	Permit needed	Prairie dogs (Cynomys) are on Virginia's list of nonnative animals needing a special permit from the Department of Wildlife Resources to possess.Special DWR permit; issuance is at the department's discretion	4VAC15-30-40(A)
Kinkajou	Permit needed	Virginia lists raccoon relatives (Procyonidae), which include kinkajous, as nonnative animals needing a special permit from the Department of Wildlife Resources to possess.Special DWR permit; issuance is at the department's discretion	4VAC15-30-40(A)
Alligator or other crocodilian	Permit needed	Alligators, caimans, crocodiles and gavials need a special permit from the Department of Wildlife Resources to possess in Virginia.Special DWR permit; issuance is at the department's discretion	4VAC15-30-40(A)
Serval or savannah cat	Depends	Servals (all Felidae) need a special permit from the Department of Wildlife Resources. Savannah cats are treated differently: Virginia defines domestic cats to include hybrids with wild felines, which are exempt from the exotic rules.Serval: special DWR permit. Savannah cat: legally a domestic cat	4VAC15-30-40(A); 4VAC15-20-50(A)
Otter	Depends	Asian small-clawed otters fall under the weasel and relatives entry and need a special Department of Wildlife Resources permit. The native river otter is a wild animal that cannot be possessed unless specifically permitted by law.Asian small-clawed otter: special DWR permit. River otter: no pet route	4VAC15-30-40(A); Va. Code 29.1-521(A)(10)
Axolotl	No state restriction found	The Mexican axolotl is expressly excluded from Virginia's permit list of mole salamanders, so pet axolotls need no state permit. Other Ambystoma salamanders do need a special permit.Other Ambystoma species need a special permit	4VAC15-30-40(A)
Capybara	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for capybaras. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. The rodent entry covers only species native to Africa.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
African pygmy hedgehog	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for African pygmy hedgehogs. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Ferret	No state restriction found	Domestic ferrets are carved out of the weasel and relatives permit entry, so a pet ferret needs no state wildlife permit.	4VAC15-30-40(A)
Sugar glider	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for sugar gliders. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Wallaby	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for wallabies. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Chinchilla	No state restriction found	Virginia lists domesticated races of chinchillas as domestic animals, which are excluded from the exotic animal rules, so pet chinchillas need no state permit.	4VAC15-20-50(A)
Tarantula	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for tarantulas. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Pet monkey	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for pet monkeys or other nonhuman primates. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. Primates appear on no Virginia permit list. Check local rules and federal law.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Kangaroo	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for kangaroos. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Lemur	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for lemurs. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. Primates appear on no Virginia permit list. Check local rules and federal law.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Venomous snake	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for exotic venomous snakes. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. The only snake on the list is the brown tree snake. Native snakes follow a one-per-address limit.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Giant constrictor	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for giant constrictors such as Burmese pythons. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. No python or anaconda is on the list.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Tegu	No state restriction found	Virginia has no state ban or permit for tegus. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold.	4VAC15-30-40(H)
Wolfdog	No state restriction found	Virginia defines the domestic dog to include wolf hybrids, so wolfdogs are excluded from the exotic animal rules and need no state wildlife permit. Pure wolves need a special permit.Pure wolves need a special permit	4VAC15-20-50(A); 4VAC15-30-30

Who regulates exotic pets in Virginia

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is the agency to ask. Under Va. Code 29.1-521(A)(10) it is unlawful to possess any wild bird or wild animal except as permitted by law. 4VAC15-30-40(H) permits possession of nonnative animals not on the permit table, subject to all local, state and federal law. The older general ban at 4VAC15-30-10 was repealed effective 1 January 2026.

The main texts:

Before you buy in Virginia

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 Virginia.

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 Virginia?: Banned. Virginia treats raccoons as wild animals, and possessing one is unlawful unless specifically permitted by law. No pet permit route is offered. Exceptions exist for rehabilitators and similar permit holders.
Is it legal to own a monkey in Virginia?: No state restriction found. Virginia has no state ban or permit for pet monkeys or other nonhuman primates. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. Primates appear on no Virginia permit list. Check local rules and federal law.
Is it legal to own a fox in Virginia?: Banned for new owners. Wild red foxes cannot be kept in Virginia. Only domesticated red foxes with distinguishable coat colors that were held on July 1, 2017 and declared to the department may be kept, and they cannot be bred or sold without a permit.
Is it legal to own a skunk in Virginia?: Banned. Virginia treats skunks as wild animals, and possessing one is unlawful unless specifically permitted by law. No pet permit route is offered. Exceptions exist for rehabilitators and similar permit holders.
Is it legal to own a ferret in Virginia?: No state restriction found. Domestic ferrets are carved out of the weasel and relatives permit entry, so a pet ferret needs no state wildlife permit.
Is it legal to own a capybara in Virginia?: No state restriction found. Virginia has no state ban or permit for capybaras. Unlisted nonnative animals may be possessed, purchased and sold. The rodent entry covers only species native to Africa.
Who do I ask about exotic pets in Virginia?: Start with Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Then ask your county and city.