Is it legal to own a lemur? A state-by-state guide
Rules read from each state's law on 10 November 2026. Not legal advice.
Lemurs are primates found only on Madagascar. There are about 100 living species, from mouse lemurs of roughly 30 grams to indris of around 7 to 9 kg. A well-known one is the ring-tailed lemur, which weighs about 2.2 to 2.7 kg and keeps its striped tail raised like a flag when its group travels. People ask about owning one because lemurs look so appealing in videos. Rules differ by state, but whatever the answer, a lemur is a wild, long-lived primate and not a pet species.
Banned 26Banned for new owners 3Permit needed 4Depends 1No state restriction found 13Not verified yet 4
State by state
Tap a state name for every animal we cover there. The source link on each row goes to the rule itself.
| State | Status | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No state restriction found | No Alabama state wildlife rule read bans or requires a permit for lemurs. Check with the state wildlife agency before buying. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.26(1) |
| Alaska | Banned | Lemurs are not on Alaska's clean list, and the state issues no permit to keep game animals as pets. Private pet ownership is barred.Only clean list species may be kept; no permit is issued for pets | 5 AAC 92.029(a), (c) |
| Arizona | Banned | Lemurs are nonhuman primates (prosimians) and are barred. No special license type is open to ordinary pet owners. | Ariz. Admin. Code R12-4-406(F)(8) |
| Arkansas | Depends | Ring-tailed, brown and ruffed lemurs are on the permit-required list and must come from a permitted dealer. Other lemur species are not listed and are prohibited until evaluated. State primate rules on contact and tethering also apply.Listed species only. Buy from a Commission-permitted Wildlife Breeder/Dealer or import under a Wildlife Importation Permit; keep acquisition records; vet certificate of freedom from diseases and parasites; separate sexes or neuter (Code 09.02). | AGFC Code Addendum R1.02 (Permit Required Cap... |
| California | Banned | Lemurs are primates, and all nonhuman primates are restricted. The only permits are for specified purposes such as exhibiting, breeding or research, so there is no pet permit. | 14 CCR 671(c)(2)(A) |
| Colorado | Banned | Lemurs are primates, and Colorado bans all nonhuman primates as pets. Only federally licensed research facilities and exhibitors are exempt. | C.R.S. 35-80-108(1)(j); 2 CCR 406-0 #008(B)(19) |
| Connecticut | Banned for new owners | Lemurs are primates, which are Category Two and barred for private owners. Only a primate under 35 pounds at maturity that was legally held before October 1, 2003 may stay, registered with the state.Grandfathering only: under 35 lb at maturity, held before Oct 1 2003, registered with DEEP | Regs. Conn. State Agencies 26-55-6(a)(3)(B)(i... |
| Delaware | Permit needed | A lemur is a nonnative wild mammal, so it needs a Delaware Individual Exotic Animal Permit, one per animal, with a $25 fee. The Department may inspect the premises.Individual Permit (Dept. of Agriculture), $25 fee, valid 3 years, one per animal | 3 Del. C. 7201, 7202; 3 DE Admin. Code 903 se... |
| District of Columbia | Banned | DC bans possessing or giving as a household pet any living animal that is not on a short exception list, including captive-bred animals. This species is not on the list. | D.C. Code 8-1808(j)(1) |
| Florida | Permit needed | Most lemurs are Class III and need a no-cost personal-use permit. The indri, the largest lemur, is Class II with a fee and experience or exam.Class III permit; indri is Class II | Fla. Admin. Code 68A-6.003(8); 68A-6.002(1)(c... |
| Georgia | Banned | Georgia's primate rule covers every primate species, which includes lemurs, and the licence it requires is not available to pet owners.Wild animal licence required; not issued to pet owners | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-8-.05; O.C.G.A. 27... |
| Hawaii | Banned | Lemurs are primates (family Lemuridae) and Hawaii bars all primates for private and commercial use, apart from research, government zoos or approved primate sanctuaries.Primate sanctuary or research only | HAR 4-71-6.5(b)(3) |
| Idaho | Banned | Idaho requires non-human primates, and lemurs are not among the exempt species, to be kept at an AZA accredited facility. That excludes private pet owners.AZA accredited facility required | IDAPA 02.04.27.407 |
| Illinois | Banned | Lemurs are named in the Illinois definition of primate, and private possession of primates is banned except at zoos, licensed exhibits and similar sites. Only primates held and registered before 2011 are exempt.Grandfathered registered primates (pre-2011) only | 720 ILCS 5/48-10(a), (b) |
| Indiana | No state restriction found | Indiana does not name the lemur. Mammals not named in the rules are exempted wild animals and no state permit is listed for it. Lemurs are not in the primate families the exotic mammal rule lists. | 312 IAC 9-3-20 |
| Iowa | Banned for new owners | Iowa bans owning, breeding or importing lemurs and other primates as a dangerous wild animal. Only people who already owned one on July 1, 2007 may keep it, so new buyers cannot.Grandfathered only: a person who already owned it on July 1, 2007 and meets registration, microchip, insurance and enclosure rules. | Iowa Code 717F.1(5)(a)(7), 717F.3, 717F.4 |
| Kansas | No state restriction found | Kansas treats the lemur as exotic wildlife, which may be possessed and bought without a state permit if legally obtained where it came from and kept confined.Legal origin required; must be confined at all times | K.A.R. 115-20-3(a), (d) |
| Kentucky | Banned | Lemurs are nonhuman primates, which Kentucky bars from import and possession. Only people who legally held one before July 13, 2005 may keep it for life.Grandfathered holders before 2005-07-13 only | 301 KAR 2:082 Section 4(2) |
| Louisiana | Banned | Louisiana's ban on all non-human primates covers lemurs, which are primates. Only grandfathered permit holders, zoos and similar institutions are exempt.Grandfathered permit holders only | LAC 76:V.115(C)(1)(g) |
| Maine | Banned | All primates, including lemurs, are Category 1 Restricted Species held only by exhibitors, rehabilitators, laboratories or research facilities. | 09-137 CMR ch. 7, secs. 7.06(3)(A), 7.18(2)(F... |
| Maryland | Banned | Maryland bans possessing, selling or importing any nonhuman primate, and lemurs are named in the list. Exemptions are narrow, such as DNR licence holders, and animals held before May 31, 2006 were grandfathered. | Md. Code, Criminal Law 10-621(b)(1)(vii) |
| Massachusetts | Banned | Lemurs are not on the state exempt or domestic lists, so a state licence is needed, and licence applications to keep animals as pets are denied. Ordinary owners cannot keep them. | 321 CMR 9.01(1); 9.02(2)(c); 2.12(9)(a); M.G.... |
| Michigan | No state restriction found | Michigan has no state ban or permit for pet lemurs that I found in the wildlife, large carnivore or exotic animal rules I read. Local rules may differ. | MCL 324.41301(1)(k) and (o) (Part 413 lists);... |
| Minnesota | Banned | Lemurs are named nonhuman primates and so are regulated animals. Possession is unlawful, except for animals held since 2005 by registered owners and certain licensed holders. New private pet lemurs cannot be acquired.Grandfathered animals only (held and registered since 2005) | Minn. Stat. 346.155 subd. 1(e)(3), 2 |
| Mississippi | No state restriction found | Lemurs are not on the Mississippi dangerous-animal list, which names only apes, macaques, baboons, mandrills, drills and geladas among primates. No state ownership permit is listed for them. Imports need a permit and health certificate.Import: entry permit and veterinary health certificate | 40 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2, Rule 8.3(A)(5)(a) |
| Missouri | Permit needed | Missouri lists nonhuman primates as dangerous wild animals. A lemur may be kept outside a zoo or similar facility only if registered with the county law enforcement agency.Registration with local law enforcement in the county | RSMo 578.023 |
| Montana | Banned | Lemurs are not named on Montana's noncontrolled list, and nonnative wildlife not authorized by law or rule may not be possessed. No pet permit route exists. | MCA 87-5-705(1); ARM 12.6.2205 |
| Nebraska | Not verified yet | We could not confirm Nebraska's rule for this animal yet. Ask Nebraska Game and Parks Commission before you buy. | |
| Nevada | No state restriction found | Nevada lets people keep monkeys and other primates, which includes lemurs, without an NDOW license. Primates are not on the prohibited list. State rules do not override federal law or local ordinances.No NDOW license needed; animals may not be released into the wild | NAC 503.140(1)(m) |
| New Hampshire | 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... |
| New Jersey | Not verified yet | We could not confirm New Jersey's rule for this animal yet. Ask New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Permits Unit before you buy. | Agency page |
| New Mexico | Banned | Lemurs are in group IV of the Director's Species Importation List. Group IV is closed to the general public, and possessing a group IV animal needs a department permit that pet owners cannot get.Group IV; permits only for science, zoos, qualified experts | Director's Species Importation List, group IV... |
| New York | Banned | Lemurs are prosimians, and all non-human primates and prosimians are banned, including captive-bred ones. No pet licence exists. | 6 NYCRR 180.1(b)(9) |
| North Carolina | No state restriction found | North Carolina has no rule naming lemurs or primates. The state captivity licence rule covers only native wild animals, and lemurs are not native. A separate import permit rule for live wild animals may apply to out-of-state purchases; ask the Commission. | 15A NCAC 10H .1401(b), (d)(13), (d)(16) |
| North Dakota | Banned | Lemurs are primates, which are Category 3. The state license also requires a USDA exhibitor's license, which ordinary pet owners generally cannot get, so a pet lemur is effectively barred.State license plus USDA exhibitor license required | N.D. Admin. Code 48.1-09-06-01(6)(f); 48.1-09... |
| Ohio | Permit needed | Ohio does not list lemurs as dangerous wild animals, but anyone who possesses a lemur must register it with the Department of Agriculture, including a microchip implant. Check the process with the department before buying.Registration with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and microchip (ORC 935.041, 935.04(D)); lemurs excluded from the primate ban | ORC 935.01(C)(19), 935.041, 935.04 |
| Oklahoma | No state restriction found | Oklahoma names primates in its list of animals exempt from wildlife import permits and breeder licences, so no state permit is needed to keep one. Check the Wildlife Department for any other rule. | OAC 800:25-25-3(a) |
| Oregon | Banned for new owners | Lemurs are nonhuman primates, so Oregon treats them as exotic animals. Agriculture permits only people who held one before 2010 or exempt facilities, so a new pet owner cannot get one.Existing animals only, no new acquisition: pre-2010 ODA permit holders and exempt facilities; Class 3 primate (prosimian); no new permits since the 2010 window (ORS 609.351) | ORS 609.305(2); ORS 609.341; ORS 609.351; OAR... |
| Pennsylvania | Banned | Lemurs are nonhuman primates, and Pennsylvania bars importing or possessing all nonhuman primates. No pet permit route was found. | 58 Pa. Code 137.1(a)(7) |
| Rhode Island | Banned | Lemurs are primates. Primate possession is limited to researchers, USDA licensed exhibitors and AZA certified facilities, so private pet owners are not eligible. | 250-RICR-40-05-3 3.7(B) |
| South Carolina | Not verified yet | We could not confirm South Carolina's rule for this animal yet. Ask South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) before you buy. | Agency page |
| South Dakota | Not verified yet | We could not confirm South Dakota's rule for this animal yet. Ask South Dakota Animal Industry Board (captive nondomestic animals) before you buy. | Agency page |
| Tennessee | No state restriction found | Lemurs are not in the Class I primate list, so they are primates not otherwise listed in Class III, which needs no TWRA permit.Class III; no TWRA permit | Tenn. Code 70-4-403(3)(M) |
| Texas | No state restriction found | Lemurs are not named in Texas state possession rules, which list only baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas among primates. No state permit applies. | Tex. Health & Safety Code 822.101(4); Tex. Pa... |
| Utah | Banned | Utah prohibits all non-human primates, which includes lemurs. Personal possession will not be authorized. | Utah Admin. Code R657-3b-7 and Table 3b-1 |
| Vermont | Banned | The lemur is not on Vermont's Domestic, Unrestricted or Restricted lists, so it is treated as Restricted. The wildlife rule says no permit is issued to keep a wild animal in captivity except for scientific or educational purposes.Permit only for bona fide scientific or educational purposes (10 V.S.A. 4152) | 10 App. V.S.A. 18 sections 4.1 and 5.1(a) |
| Virginia | 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) |
| Washington | Banned | Lemurs are nonhuman primates, so Washington bans private possession. Grandfathered only: an animal lawfully held before July 22, 2007 may be kept for life.Grandfathered animals only (pre July 22, 2007) | RCW 16.30.010(2)(a)(iii); RCW 16.30.030 |
| West Virginia | 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 |
| Wisconsin | No state restriction found | The lemur is a nonnative wild animal that is not on Wisconsin's harmful list, so state law requires no licence to keep one as a pet. | Wis. Stat. 169.04(4)(b) |
| Wyoming | Banned | Lemurs are nonhuman primates, and Wyoming will not issue a permit for any nonhuman primate. Lemurs are also federally listed. Private individuals cannot keep one. | Wyo. Game & Fish Comm'n Ch. 10, Section 11(b)... |
Federal law
- CDC nonhuman primate import rule. Lemurs are nonhuman primates. The CDC bars accepting, selling or keeping imported primates as pets, and the bar covers their offspring. 42 CFR 71.53(d)(3)
- Endangered Species Act. The lemur family (Lemuridae, including ring-tailed lemurs) is listed as endangered. Selling a listed lemur across state lines is unlawful, except under a captive-bred registration for conservation breeding. 50 CFR 17.11(h); 50 CFR 17.21(f), (g)
- CITES. Ring-tailed lemurs and the rest of the lemur family are in CITES Appendix I. This matters to importers and exporters, not to ordinary keepers. 50 CFR 23.13; CITES Appendices
Why states regulate it
Restrictions on lemurs and other primates usually rest on a few ideas. The Duke Lemur Center says pet lemurs are liable to sudden and unpredictable aggression and can pass illnesses to people. Few vets are comfortable treating non-human primates, and many pet lemurs have serious nutritional problems from inappropriate diets. On the conservation side, the IUCN considers lemurs the world's most endangered mammals, and the ring-tailed lemur is listed as Endangered. The Duke Lemur Center is against all trade in pet primates, including captive-bred animals.
Before you buy
- Ring-tailed lemurs can live about 30 years, and the Duke Lemur Center puts care for one at roughly $222,000 over its life, so this is a decades-long financial commitment.
- In Madagascar, ring-tails live in groups of up to 30 with one dominant female. A single lemur in a living room is missing the social world it evolved for.
- Infants sold as pets are removed from their mothers at birth and raised in isolation, which the Duke Lemur Center says leads to highly abnormal social behavior.
- Ask who the vet will be before you buy. Very few vets work on non-human primates, and many pet lemurs suffer from inappropriate diets.
- The Duke Lemur Center says pet lemurs are more often than not ultimately abandoned, so this is not an animal to try out and return.
Sources for the facts about the animal: en.wikipedia.org, lemur.duke.edu, lemur.duke.edu.
Check your own state
The legality checker shows one animal in one state with its source, and exotic pet laws by state lists every state we cover. Related guides: pet monkey, kinkajou, sugar glider.
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 lemur in California?
- Banned. Lemurs are primates, and all nonhuman primates are restricted. The only permits are for specified purposes such as exhibiting, breeding or research, so there is no pet permit.
- Is it legal to own a lemur in Texas?
- No state restriction found. Lemurs are not named in Texas state possession rules, which list only baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas among primates. No state permit applies.
- Is it legal to own a lemur in Florida?
- Permit needed. Most lemurs are Class III and need a no-cost personal-use permit. The indri, the largest lemur, is Class II with a fee and experience or exam.
- Is it legal to own a lemur in New York?
- Banned. Lemurs are prosimians, and all non-human primates and prosimians are banned, including captive-bred ones. No pet licence exists.
- Is it legal to own a lemur in Pennsylvania?
- Banned. Lemurs are nonhuman primates, and Pennsylvania bars importing or possessing all nonhuman primates. No pet permit route was found.
- Is it legal to own a lemur in Illinois?
- Banned. Lemurs are named in the Illinois definition of primate, and private possession of primates is banned except at zoos, licensed exhibits and similar sites. Only primates held and registered before 2011 are exempt.
- Is it legal to own a lemur in Ohio?
- Permit needed. Ohio does not list lemurs as dangerous wild animals, but anyone who possesses a lemur must register it with the Department of Agriculture, including a microchip implant. Check the process with the department before buying.
- Is it legal to own a lemur in Georgia?
- Banned. Georgia's primate rule covers every primate species, which includes lemurs, and the licence it requires is not available to pet owners.
- Is lemur legal in every state?
- No. In our data it is banned in 26 states and needs a permit in 4. The table above shows each state.
- Does 'no state restriction found' mean I can buy one?
- No. It means the state rule we read does not ban it or require a state permit. County and city rules, federal law, sale and import rules and your landlord can still stop you.