Is it legal to own a serval or savannah cat? A state-by-state guide
Rules read from each state's law on 10 November 2026. Not legal advice.
The serval is a slender, long-legged wild cat from Africa. It once ranged across much of the continent and now lives mainly in southern Africa, with small populations in the Atlas Mountains. Adult males weigh roughly 9 to 18 kg (about 20 to 40 pounds) and females 9 to 13 kg. Servals are solitary, territorial hunters of rats, mice and other small prey. A savannah cat is a hybrid of a serval and a domestic cat, first bred in 1986, which is why people ask about both. Early generations are the largest, and an F1 savannah is half serval.
Banned 12Banned for new owners 3Permit needed 6Depends 14No state restriction found 13Not verified yet 3
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 | Banned | Servals are felids with no USDA licensed rabies vaccine, so ownership is illegal in Alabama except for grandfathered, neutered, registered animals. The rule text does not address savannah cat hybrids, so ask the state about them.Grandfathered animals only; savannah hybrids not addressed | Ala. Code 3-8-1 |
| Alaska | Depends | Servals are not on Alaska's clean list and no pet permit is issued. Savannah cats are wild cat hybrids needing a permit, with a possession defense only if four or more generations from a wild ancestor with a registered pedigree.Savannah: permit needed; defense if licensed, four-generation registered pedigree, and at least four generations from a wild ancestor; serval itself prohibited | 5 AAC 92.029(a), (c); 5 AAC 92.030(c), (d), (e) |
| Arizona | Depends | Servals are prohibited for private pet owners as Carnivora. Savannah cats appear to fall outside the rule, because Arizona says offspring of a wildlife species and a domestic species are not wildlife. Confirm with the state.Serval prohibited; savannah cats (serval x domestic cat) not treated as wildlife under the hybrid definition | Ariz. Admin. Code R12-4-406(F)(3); R12-4-401 |
| Arkansas | Depends | Servals are on the permit-required list, which controls breeders, sellers and importers. A buyer must get one from a permitted dealer and keep records and a vet certificate. The lists read do not mention savannah cats or hybrids.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 | Depends | Servals are restricted and cannot be kept as pets. Domestic cats and their hybrids are expressly not restricted, so savannah cats are outside the state restricted list. The rule sets no generation cutoff.Serval itself prohibited; savannah (hybrid of a domestic cat) not restricted | 14 CCR 671(c)(2)(K)1 |
| Colorado | Depends | Servals are prohibited as pets. Savannah cats of any generation are treated as domestic cats, because the domestic cat exemption includes hybrids with wild felines, so no state licence is required for them.Serval prohibited; savannah (serval x domestic cat) hybrids exempt at state level, any generation | 2 CCR 406-11 #1103(A) |
| Connecticut | Depends | Servals are Felidae and barred for private owners. Savannah cats are hybrids of a wild cat, but the statute exempts people who keep a cat breed certified by TICA, CFA or ACFA. Confirm breed status with DEEP.Serval prohibited. Hybrid exempt only if a breed certified by TICA, CFA or ACFA | Conn. Gen. Stat. 26-40a(a)(1), (d); Regs. Con... |
| Delaware | Permit needed | A serval is a nonnative wild mammal and needs a Delaware Exotic Animal Permit. Savannah cats are serval hybrids, which the rule also treats as exotic, so they need the permit too.Individual Exotic Animal Permit; hybrid of a nonnative wild mammal also covered | 3 Del. C. 7201; 3 DE Admin. Code 903 sec. 3.0... |
| District of Columbia | Banned | A serval is barred under the general ban on living animals not on the exception list. Only domestic cats are excepted, and the statute names only ocelot and margay hybrids; how savannah cats are treated is unclear, so ask DC Health.Savannah (serval hybrid) status unclear: only ocelot and margay hybrids are named as excluded from domestic cats | D.C. Code 8-1808(j)(1) |
| Florida | Permit needed | Servals are Class II: a personal-use permit with a yearly fee, plus experience or an exam. Savannah cats indistinguishable from a serval are regulated as a serval; hybrids that look domestic are not covered by the hybrid rule.Class II permit, age 18+, experience or exam; hybrids regulated at wild parent's class only if indistinguishable from the wild animal | Fla. Admin. Code 68A-6.002(1)(b)15, (1)(d); 6... |
| Georgia | Banned | Servals are barred to pet owners as cats in the family Felidae, which need a licence pet owners cannot get. Savannah cats are serval hybrids, and every generation of a wild animal hybrid counts as a wild animal.All Felidae; hybrids of any generation are wild animals (savannah cats, F1 and later) | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-8-.04(1)(a)2(ii);... |
| Hawaii | Banned | Serval is on Hawaii's research and exhibition list only, so it is barred as a pet. Savannah cats, a serval hybrid, are also barred as hybrid cats with a restricted parent.Listed only on Part A (research and exhibition); not available for private pets | HAR 4-71-6.5(b)(2), Restricted Animal List Pa... |
| Idaho | Permit needed | The serval is a listed deleterious exotic small cat, so a possession permit from the State Department of Agriculture is required. The rules read do not say how serval hybrids such as savannah cats are treated.ISDA possession permit; proof of sterilization unless propagation approved; facility inspection; savannah (hybrid) status not addressed in the rules read | IDAPA 02.04.27.100(01), 02.04.27.404(04) |
| Illinois | No state restriction found | Serval is not on the Illinois dangerous animal list, which names specific cats only, so no state permit is needed. Savannah hybrids are not mentioned either. Local rules were not checked. | 720 ILCS 5/48-10; 520 ILCS 5/2.2 |
| Indiana | Depends | A serval needs an Indiana Class II wild animal possession permit. A hybrid of a serval with a domestic cat, such as a savannah cat, is exempt from that permit.Serval: Class II permit; hybrids with domestic cats exempt from permit | 312 IAC 9-11-7 |
| Iowa | Banned for new owners | Iowa bans owning, breeding or importing servals as a dangerous wild animal. Only people who already owned one on July 1, 2007 may keep it, so new buyers cannot. Savannah cats are exempt only from the fourth generation on.Grandfathered only: a person who already owned it on July 1, 2007 and meets registration, microchip, insurance and enclosure rules. Savannah cats: exempt only if fourth or later filial generation, each later generation born of a domestic cat; F1 to F3 are dangerous wild animals. | Iowa Code 717F.1(5)(a)(3), 717F.3, 717F.4 |
| Kansas | No state restriction found | The serval is not among the cats on the Kansas dangerous regulated animal list, so the exotic wildlife rule applies and no state permit is needed. Savannah cat hybrids are not addressed by any rule read.Legal origin required; must be confined; savannah cats not named in state rules | K.A.R. 115-20-3(a), (d); K.S.A. 32-1301(d) |
| Kentucky | Depends | Servals are not on Kentucky's prohibited lists (Panthera, cheetah, clouded leopard, snow leopard, lynx), and savannah cats are not addressed. A transportation permit is needed to receive one from out of state; ask Kentucky Fish and Wildlife about in-state purchases.Transportation permit for out-of-state shipments; in-state purchase unclear; savannah hybrid not named | 301 KAR 2:082 Sections 2, 4(2), 7, 10(5) |
| Louisiana | No state restriction found | Servals are not among the big exotic cats Louisiana bans (tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars and hybrids of those), so no state permit applies. Savannah cats are serval hybrids, which the ban does not name.Savannah cats: serval and domestic cat hybrid, not a banned hybrid | LAC 76:V.115(C)(1)(h) |
| Maine | Banned | All cats (Family Felidae), including servals, are Category 1 Restricted Species open only to exhibitors, rehabilitators and research facilities. Savannah cats are not addressed by name, so ask the department before buying.Savannah cat hybrids not named; ask the department | 09-137 CMR ch. 7, secs. 7.06(3)(A), 7.18(2)(F... |
| Maryland | Depends | Maryland bans servals as members of the cat family. A hybrid of a wild cat and a domestic cat is banned only if it weighs over 30 pounds, so lighter savannah cats are not covered by this ban.Serval banned; hybrid with domestic cat banned only if over 30 pounds | Md. Code, Criminal Law 10-621(b)(1)(iii) and... |
| Massachusetts | Banned | The serval is not on the state exempt or domestic lists, so a state licence is needed, and pet licences are denied. Savannah cats are wild felid hybrids, and M.G.L. c. 131 s. 77A bars possessing them.Savannah cat hybrids barred by s. 77A | 321 CMR 9.01(1); 2.12(9)(a); M.G.L. c. 131 s.... |
| Michigan | No state restriction found | Servals are not on Michigan's large carnivore list, which names only lions, leopards, jaguars, tigers, cougars, panthers, cheetahs and bears. Savannah cat hybrids are not named either. Local rules may differ.Savannah cats: serval hybrids are not named; the Large Carnivore Act covers only hybrids of the listed cats | MCL 287.1102(f), 287.1103 |
| Minnesota | Banned | The serval is a regulated animal, and possessing one is unlawful except for animals held since 2005 or by specific licensed holders. Hybrids with domestic cats are also covered, but the exemption for registered domestic breeds leaves savannah cats unclear.Grandfathered animals only; savannah cat status unclear (hybrid rule versus domestic-breed exemption) | Minn. Stat. 346.155 subd. 1(e), 2 |
| Mississippi | No state restriction found | The serval is not named in the Mississippi dangerous-animal list, which covers only lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs and cougars. Savannah cats are not mentioned in the rules I read. Imports need a permit and health certificate.Import: entry permit and veterinary health certificate | 40 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2, Rules 8.3 and 8.4 |
| Missouri | No state restriction found | Missouri lets people keep a serval without a state permit because it is not native to Missouri and is not on the prohibited species list. Not named in the dangerous animal law. Savannah cats: no Missouri hybrid rule found. | 3 CSR 10-9.110(2) |
| Montana | Not verified yet | We could not confirm Montana's rule for this animal yet. Ask Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks before you buy. | Agency page |
| Nebraska | Banned | Nebraska bars keeping any member of the cat family (Felidae), which includes servals, except domestic cats, accredited zoos and fur producers. Savannah hybrids are not addressed in the statute, so ask the Commission.Savannah cat (serval hybrid) status not addressed; domestic cat Felis domesticus is exempt | Neb. Rev. Stat. 37-477(2) |
| Nevada | No state restriction found | Nevada lets people keep all felines except mountain lions and bobcats without an NDOW license, which covers the serval. The rule does not mention savannah cat hybrids. Ask NDOW about hybrids.No NDOW license needed for the serval; savannah hybrids not addressed | NAC 503.140(1)(q) |
| New Hampshire | 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... |
| New Jersey | Banned | The serval is a nondomestic cat and is on the potentially dangerous species list, which may not be kept as a pet. The rules do not say how savannah cat hybrids are treated, so ask the Division.Savannah hybrids: not addressed by name; ask the Division | N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8(a); 7:25-4.9(a)3 |
| New Mexico | Banned | The serval is in group IV of the Director's Species Importation List, closed to the general public. The list does not name savannah cats; it lists house cats and hybrids in group I, so ask the department about savannahs.Group IV; savannah cat hybrids not named | Director's Species Importation List, group IV... |
| New York | Depends | Servals and all other wild cats are banned. Savannah cats are banned too unless registered by ACFA or TICA with at least five generations free of wild felid parentage, which excludes early generations (F1 to F4).serval prohibited; savannah only if registered with 5+ generations from any wild cat | 6 NYCRR 180.1(b)(8) |
| North Carolina | No state restriction found | North Carolina has no rule naming servals or savannah cats. The state captivity licence rule covers only native wild animals, and servals are not native. A separate import permit rule for live wild animals may apply to out-of-state purchases; ask the Commission.no savannah cat hybrid rule found | 15A NCAC 10H .1401(b), (d)(13), (d)(16) |
| North Dakota | Permit needed | Servals are nondomestic cats not listed in Category 3, so they are Category 2 and need a state license. Category 2 covers these species and their hybrids, so savannah cats appear covered. Ask the State Veterinarian about generations.Needs a nontraditional livestock license from the State Board of Animal Health, with inspected facilities, fencing and a quarantine plan. Hybrid generation rules are not stated | N.D. Admin. Code 48.1-09-01-02(2)(b), 48.1-09... |
| Ohio | Banned for new owners | Servals are dangerous wild animals in Ohio and cannot be newly acquired. Savannah cats, serval and domestic cat hybrids, are expressly excluded from that definition, so the state list does not bar them.Serval prohibited (grandfathered only); savannah cat hybrids excluded from the list | ORC 935.01(C)(7)(e), 935.02 |
| Oklahoma | No state restriction found | Oklahoma exempts cats other than native cats and bears from wildlife permits and breeder licences, and a serval is not native. I found no separate rule on savannah hybrids.Savannah cats: no hybrid rule found | OAC 800:25-25-3(a) |
| Oregon | Banned for new owners | Servals are exotic felines in Oregon, kept only by holders of a pre-2010 permit or exempt facilities, so a new owner cannot get one. A savannah cat, a serval and domestic cat cross, is regulated as a domestic animal.Serval: existing animals only, no new acquisition (pre-2010 ODA permit or exempt facility; Class 3 feline). Savannah hybrid: treated as domestic, no exotic permit | ORS 609.305(1); ORS 609.341; ORS 609.351; OAR... |
| Pennsylvania | Banned | Pennsylvania bars possessing any cat species except house cats, and crossbreeds that look similar. A serval is covered. A savannah cat is a serval hybrid, so it is likely covered too. No pet route for servals was found.Savannah cats: hybrid rule covers crossbreeds similar in appearance; no generation cutoff stated. Exotic wildlife permit route not confirmed for servals | 58 Pa. Code 137.1(a)(1) |
| Rhode Island | Banned | The serval is a Carnivora with no USDA licensed rabies vaccine, so DEM may not permit private persons. The rule also covers hybrids of domestic and wild animals with no licensed vaccine, which can include savannah cats. Ask DEM about a specific cat.Savannah cat generations are not addressed in the rule; the hybrid definition in 3.6(A)(13) turns on whether a USDA licensed rabies vaccine exists | 250-RICR-40-05-3 3.6(A)(13), 3.7(A), 3.9(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 | Serval is not in the Class I cat list (lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars), so it is Class III with no TWRA permit. Savannah hybrids with a Class III parent are also Class III.Class III; no TWRA permit; hybrid with domestic cat treated by the least restrictive class involved | Tenn. Code 70-4-403(3) |
| Texas | Permit needed | Serval is a dangerous wild animal, and so is any hybrid of one, which covers savannah cats of every generation as the law reads. A certificate of registration from the local animal registration agency is required.Certificate of registration; liability insurance $100,000; hybrids covered by 822.101(4)(T) with no generation cutoff | Tex. Health & Safety Code 822.101(4), 822.103(a) |
| Utah | Depends | Servals are not listed, so they are presumed prohibited. Savannah cats are domestic only if they belong to a cat breed recognized by The International Cat Association. Early-generation hybrids are unclear, so ask the Division.Serval prohibited; Savannah cats only as a TICA-recognized breed, generation limits not stated | Utah Admin. Code R657-3b-7 and Table 3b-1 |
| Vermont | Depends | The serval is not on Vermont's lists, so it is treated as Restricted, and no captivity permit is issued except for scientific or educational use. Savannah cats of F4 generation or later are Unrestricted. Earlier generations are not listed.Serval barred for pets. Savannah F4 or later unrestricted. Earlier generations treated as Restricted. | Vermont F&W Unrestricted Wild Animal List (Ju... |
| Virginia | 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) |
| Washington | No state restriction found | Servals are not among the cats the dangerous wild animal law names (lions, tigers, cougars and similar), and no other state list names them. State law does not address savannah cat hybrids.No hybrid generation rules found in state law | RCW 16.30.010(2)(a)(i)(A) |
| West Virginia | 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 |
| Wisconsin | No state restriction found | The serval 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. No hybrid-specific rule was found for savannah cats; the cougar is the only wild cat on the harmful list. | Wis. Stat. 169.04(4)(b) |
| Wyoming | Permit needed | A serval is not domestic in Wyoming, so a discretionary Game and Fish permit is required. The rule's wildlife definition includes hybrids of wildlife and domestic animals, so a savannah cat is likely covered, but generations are not addressed. Ask the Department.Chapter 10 permit, discretionary; rule does not address hybrid generation | Wyo. Game & Fish Comm'n Ch. 10, Sections 2(z)... |
Federal law
- Big Cat Public Safety Act. The Act covers lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars and their hybrids. Servals are not on that list, so a serval or a savannah cat (serval hybrid) is not covered by this law. State law decides. 16 U.S.C. 3371(h), 3372(e)
- CITES. The serval is covered by CITES Appendix II through the family listing for Felidae. This matters to importers and exporters, not to ordinary keepers. 50 CFR 23.13; CITES Appendices
Why states regulate it
Places that restrict wild cats usually cite a similar set of worries. A serval keeps its predatory and territorial instincts even when captive-born, which can endanger people and other pets. Wildlife agencies also warn that wild animals can carry diseases that spread to people, and that hand-raised animals can still injure their owners. Welfare is the other big concern. Servals are solitary animals that need a large, secure space, and their natural diet of small mammals, birds and insects is costly and hard to copy at home. Cramped housing can cause stress and behavioural problems.
Before you buy
- Ask whether you are being offered a serval or a savannah. Early-generation savannahs can weigh 4.5 to 11 kg, and some F1 cats reach 18 kg or more.
- Savannahs are more prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy than other breeds. Ask a breeder for heart screening results, plus screening for progressive retinal atrophy and pyruvate kinase deficiency.
- Earlier generations can show wild or territorial behaviour, and males can be aggressive and mark territory. Litter box problems are a common reason owners hand savannahs over to rescues.
- A serval is not a beginner animal. It is a solitary, territorial hunter by nature and needs a large, secure enclosure and a diet of small prey, not a bag of kibble.
- Rules differ by state, so find out what applies to you before you speak to any seller, and be wary of one who skips that conversation.
Sources for the facts about the animal: animaldiversity.org, en.wikipedia.org, carolinatigerrescue.org, dnrec.delaware.gov.
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: bobcat, big cat, fennec fox.
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 serval or savannah cat in California?
- Depends. Servals are restricted and cannot be kept as pets. Domestic cats and their hybrids are expressly not restricted, so savannah cats are outside the state restricted list. The rule sets no generation cutoff.
- Is it legal to own a serval or savannah cat in Texas?
- Permit needed. Serval is a dangerous wild animal, and so is any hybrid of one, which covers savannah cats of every generation as the law reads. A certificate of registration from the local animal registration agency is required.
- Is it legal to own a serval or savannah cat in Florida?
- Permit needed. Servals are Class II: a personal-use permit with a yearly fee, plus experience or an exam. Savannah cats indistinguishable from a serval are regulated as a serval; hybrids that look domestic are not covered by the hybrid rule.
- Is it legal to own a serval or savannah cat in New York?
- Depends. Servals and all other wild cats are banned. Savannah cats are banned too unless registered by ACFA or TICA with at least five generations free of wild felid parentage, which excludes early generations (F1 to F4).
- Is it legal to own a serval or savannah cat in Pennsylvania?
- Banned. Pennsylvania bars possessing any cat species except house cats, and crossbreeds that look similar. A serval is covered. A savannah cat is a serval hybrid, so it is likely covered too. No pet route for servals was found.
- Is it legal to own a serval or savannah cat in Illinois?
- No state restriction found. Serval is not on the Illinois dangerous animal list, which names specific cats only, so no state permit is needed. Savannah hybrids are not mentioned either. Local rules were not checked.
- Is it legal to own a serval or savannah cat in Ohio?
- Banned for new owners. Servals are dangerous wild animals in Ohio and cannot be newly acquired. Savannah cats, serval and domestic cat hybrids, are expressly excluded from that definition, so the state list does not bar them.
- Is it legal to own a serval or savannah cat in Georgia?
- Banned. Servals are barred to pet owners as cats in the family Felidae, which need a licence pet owners cannot get. Savannah cats are serval hybrids, and every generation of a wild animal hybrid counts as a wild animal.
- Is serval or savannah cat legal in every state?
- No. In our data it is banned in 12 states and needs a permit in 6. 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.