Is it legal to own a raccoon in West Virginia?

Permit needed. The raccoon is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.

Is it legal to own a monkey in West Virginia?

Banned. Nonhuman primates are on the dangerous wild animal list, so new pet monkeys are barred. A few small species are excluded, such as some tamarins and night monkeys. Only owners who legally held one before the rules took effect can get a board permit.

Is it legal to own a fox in West Virginia?

Permit needed. The red fox is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.

Is it legal to own a skunk in West Virginia?

Permit needed. The skunk is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.

Is it legal to own a ferret in West Virginia?

No state restriction found. Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required. The domestic ferret is not native.

Is it legal to own a capybara in West Virginia?

No state restriction found. Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.

Exotic pet laws in West Virginia

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

The table lists every animal we cover and what West 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 West Virginia

Animal	Status	What it means	Source
Pet monkey	Banned	Nonhuman primates are on the dangerous wild animal list, so new pet monkeys are barred. A few small species are excluded, such as some tamarins and night monkeys. Only owners who legally held one before the rules took effect can get a board permit.Excluded: lemurs, several tamarins, night, titi, spider, woolly and howler monkeys and others; grandfathered permit only	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 19-34-4
Big cat	Banned	Lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, cheetahs and cougars are all on the dangerous wild animal list and may not be kept as pets. Only owners who legally held one before the rules took effect can get a board permit.Grandfathered permit only	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 19-34-4
Raccoon	Permit needed	The raccoon is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.Pet permit, W. Va. Code 20-2-51; bill of sale from licensed dealer; no sale or breeding	W. Va. Code 20-2-51; 20-2-4; 58 CSR 64 7.6
Red fox	Permit needed	The red fox is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.Pet permit, W. Va. Code 20-2-51; bill of sale from licensed dealer; no sale or breeding	W. Va. Code 20-2-51; 20-2-4; 58 CSR 64 7.6
Skunk	Permit needed	The skunk is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.Pet permit, W. Va. Code 20-2-51; bill of sale from licensed dealer; no sale or breeding	W. Va. Code 20-2-51; 20-2-4; 58 CSR 64 7.6
Bobcat	Permit needed	The bobcat is native wildlife, so it falls under Natural Resources rules, not the dangerous animal list. A DNR pet permit is required, with the animal from a licensed commercial dealer or taken in open season.Pet permit, W. Va. Code 20-2-51; confirm availability with DNR	W. Va. Code 20-2-51; 20-1-2
Otter	Permit needed	The river otter is native wildlife and a fur-bearing animal, so a DNR pet permit is required, with the animal from a licensed dealer or taken in open season. The Asian small-clawed otter is not on the list.Pet permit, W. Va. Code 20-2-51 (river otter); Asian small-clawed otter not covered by the list	W. Va. Code 20-2-51; 20-1-2
Bear	Permit needed	Black bears native to the state are excluded from the dangerous wild animal list and fall under wildlife law. A DNR pet permit is required, with the animal from a licensed dealer or open season. Other bears are barred.DNR pet permit, W. Va. Code 20-2-51; all other bear species on dangerous list; confirm availability with DNR	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3, 3.1.h; W. Va. Code 20-...
Venomous snake	Depends	Only the Komodo dragon is a listed reptile, so nonnative venomous snakes are not on the state list. Native venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes and copperheads may not be taken or kept without DNR authorization.Nonnative species not listed; native species barred unless authorized	58 CSR 73 1.1; W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3
Axolotl	No state restriction found	West Virginia's herp rule covers only native species, and the state dangerous wild animal list names no amphibians. No state permit is needed for an axolotl.	58 CSR 73 (DNR FAQ); W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3
Capybara	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
African pygmy hedgehog	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Ferret	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required. The domestic ferret is not native.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Sugar glider	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Fennec fox	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required. Only gray wolves are named among wild canids.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Serval or savannah cat	No state restriction found	The serval is not on the list, which names cheetahs, lynxes, cougars and caracals. Savannah cats are serval hybrids, and the list covers hybrids only of the listed cats, so no state permit is needed.Serval hybrids (savannah cats) not named; list covers hybrids only of the listed cats	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3
Wallaby	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Chinchilla	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Tarantula	No state restriction found	The dangerous wild animal law covers only mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and aquatic animals, so tarantulas are outside it. No state permit is needed.	W. Va. Code 19-34-2(2)
Kangaroo	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Prairie dog	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required. Prairie dogs are not native to West Virginia.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Kinkajou	No state restriction found	Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; W. Va. Code 20-1-2
Lemur	No state restriction found	Lemurs are expressly excluded from the nonhuman primate entry on the dangerous wild animal list, and they are not native, so no state permit is required.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3, 3.1.o.1
Alligator or other crocodilian	No state restriction found	Alligators and other crocodilians are not on the dangerous wild animal list, and the native reptile rule does not apply to nonnative reptiles. No state permit is needed.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; 58 CSR 73 (DNR FAQ)
Giant constrictor	No state restriction found	Giant constrictors are not on the dangerous wild animal list, and the native reptile rule does not apply to nonnative snakes. No state permit is needed.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; 58 CSR 73 (DNR FAQ)
Tegu	No state restriction found	Tegus are not on the dangerous wild animal list, and the native reptile rule does not apply to nonnative lizards. No state permit is needed.	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3; 58 CSR 73 (DNR FAQ)
Wolfdog	No state restriction found	The dangerous wild animal list names gray wolves but expressly excludes hybrids, so wolf-dog hybrids are not on the list. Pure wolves are barred.Pure gray wolves prohibited; hybrids excluded from list	W. Va. Code R. 74-1-3, 3.1.b

Who regulates exotic pets in West Virginia

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (native wildlife) and Dangerous Wild Animal Board (list) is the agency to ask. Native mammals are wild animals and it is unlawful to keep live wildlife except as the chapter allows. A DNR pet permit (20-2-51) can cover native wild animals from a licensed dealer or taken in open season. Native reptiles and amphibians not listed in 58 CSR 73 may not be kept.

The main texts:

Before you buy in West 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 West 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 West Virginia?: Permit needed. The raccoon is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.
Is it legal to own a monkey in West Virginia?: Banned. Nonhuman primates are on the dangerous wild animal list, so new pet monkeys are barred. A few small species are excluded, such as some tamarins and night monkeys. Only owners who legally held one before the rules took effect can get a board permit.
Is it legal to own a fox in West Virginia?: Permit needed. The red fox is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.
Is it legal to own a skunk in West Virginia?: Permit needed. The skunk is native wildlife. A Division of Natural Resources pet permit is required, and the animal must come from a licensed commercial dealer or be taken in open season.
Is it legal to own a ferret in West Virginia?: No state restriction found. Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required. The domestic ferret is not native.
Is it legal to own a capybara in West Virginia?: No state restriction found. Not on West Virginia's dangerous wild animal list, and not a native mammal under the wildlife possession law, so no state permit is required.
Who do I ask about exotic pets in West Virginia?: Start with West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (native wildlife) and Dangerous Wild Animal Board (list). Then ask your county and city.