Is it legal to own a tiger or other big cat? A state-by-state guide
Rules read from each state's law on 10 November 2026. Not legal advice.
'Big cat' here covers tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars. The best documented are the two largest. Tigers weigh about 91 to 423 kg (200 to 932 pounds) as adults and are about 2 to 3.7 metres long. Lion males average about 189 kg and females about 126 kg. Tigers are native to Asia and lions to Africa, with a small Asiatic lion population in India. People ask about owning one because cubs are sometimes shown at roadside and petting attractions, which makes ownership seem more ordinary than it is.
Banned 35Banned for new owners 2Permit needed 8Depends 3No state restriction found 1Not verified yet 2
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 | Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs have no USDA licensed rabies vaccine, so Alabama makes owning them illegal except for grandfathered, neutered, registered animals. Cougars are also protected game animals.Grandfathered animals only | Ala. Code 3-8-1; Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.06 |
| Alaska | Banned | Big cats 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 | Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars are barred under the all-Carnivora restriction. No special license type is open to ordinary pet owners. | Ariz. Admin. Code R12-4-406(F)(3) |
| Arkansas | Banned | Tigers and lions are banned for individuals except animals held since 2005 under a sheriff's permit. Mountain lions, jaguars, leopards and snow leopards are prohibited. Cheetahs are unlisted, which also makes them prohibited until evaluated.Statute: personal possession permit only for animals held on or before 2005-08-12 (Ark. Code 20-19-504, FindLaw copy only). | AGFC Code 09.02(B)-(C); AGFC Addendum R1.03;... |
| California | Banned | All wild cats are restricted, including lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars. The only permits are for specified purposes such as exhibiting, breeding or research, so there is no pet permit. | 14 CCR 671(c)(2)(K)1 |
| Colorado | Banned | Colorado does not allow private pet possession of any animal that is not on its domestic or unregulated lists. CPW issues no licence for pet possession of other wildlife. | CPW Wildlife and Animal Possession page; C.R.... |
| Connecticut | Banned | All Felidae, including lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and pumas, are Category One. Private individuals may not import or possess them, with a narrow exemption for certified domestic cat breeds.Category One Wild Animal; no pet-owner route | Regs. Conn. State Agencies 26-55-6(a)(2), (b)(1) |
| Delaware | Permit needed | Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs are nonnative wild mammals and need a Delaware Individual Exotic Animal Permit, one per animal. The Department may inspect the premises. Cougar status is unclear, so ask the state.Individual Permit (Dept. of Agriculture), $25 fee; cougar status unclear | 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 | Banned | Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, snow leopards, cheetahs and cougars are Class I and cannot be kept as pets. Only animals held for personal use in 1980 were grandfathered.Class I; no new personal-use ownership | Fla. Admin. Code 68A-6.002(1)(a); 68A-6.003(6... |
| Georgia | Banned | All cats in the family Felidae, including tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars, are inherently dangerous wild animals needing a licence and insurance. Georgia wild animal licences go only to wild animal businesses and public exhibitors, so a pet owner cannot get one.Licence and liability insurance required; not issued to pet owners | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-8-.04; O.C.G.A. 27... |
| Hawaii | Banned | Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars are all on Hawaii's research and exhibition list only, so they are barred as pets.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 | Banned | Idaho lists tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs as deleterious exotic animals that must be kept at an AZA accredited facility, which excludes pet owners. Cougars are native big game with a separate Fish and Game licence rule.AZA accredited facility required; cougar (mountain lion) falls under Idaho Code 36-701(a) licensing instead | IDAPA 02.04.27.403 |
| Illinois | Banned | Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and mountain lions (cougars) are on the Illinois dangerous animal list. Private possession is barred except at zoos, licensed exhibits and similar sites. | 720 ILCS 5/48-10(a), (b) |
| Indiana | Permit needed | Wild cats not listed as Class II need an Indiana Class III wild animal possession permit, obtained before taking possession. It requires a six foot perimeter fence, a recapture plan and an inspection.Class III permit; perimeter fence at least 6 feet; recapture plan | 312 IAC 9-11-8 |
| Iowa | Banned for new owners | Iowa bans owning, breeding or importing lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, cheetahs and other cats 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)(3), 717F.3, 717F.4 |
| Kansas | Banned | Kansas makes it unlawful to possess or acquire lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and mountain lions or hybrids. Narrow exceptions exist for USDA licensees, so a new pet owner cannot lawfully get one.Narrow USDA licensee exception; K.A.R. 115-20-4 permit for black bear and mountain lion is superseded for ordinary owners by K.S.A. 32-1302 | K.S.A. 32-1301(d)(1); K.S.A. 32-1302 |
| Kentucky | Banned | Kentucky bars lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, clouded and snow leopards, lynx and cougars. Only zoos and approved institutions are exempt, plus owners grandfathered before July 13, 2005 (April 4, 2023 for cougars).Grandfathered holders only (2005 for exotic cats) | 301 KAR 2:082 Section 4(2); 301 KAR 2:081 Sec... |
| Louisiana | Banned | Louisiana bans importing, possessing, buying or selling tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, their subspecies and hybrids. Only grandfathered permit holders, zoos and similar institutions are exempt.Grandfathered permit holders only | LAC 76:V.115(C)(1)(h) |
| Maine | Banned | All cats (Family Felidae), including tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars, are Category 1 Restricted Species open only to exhibitors, rehabilitators and 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 member of the cat family other than the domestic cat, so tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars are covered. 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)(iii) |
| Massachusetts | Banned | Big cats 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 | Banned | Michigan bans owning or possessing a lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cougar, panther or cheetah, including hybrids. Only owners holding the animal on 7 July 2000 with a local permit may keep it.Grandfathered individual animals only; permit not transferable; no breeding or transfer | MCL 287.1102(f)(i), 287.1103, 287.1104(1) |
| Minnesota | Banned | All wild members of the cat family, including lions, tigers, cougars and leopards, are regulated animals. Possession is unlawful, except for animals held since 2005 by registered owners and certain licensed holders. New private pet big cats cannot be acquired.Grandfathered animals only (held and registered since 2005) | Minn. Stat. 346.155 subd. 1(e)(1), 2 |
| Mississippi | Banned | Mississippi lists lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars as inherently dangerous and issues no new permits for them. Only existing permit holders may keep them, so a new pet owner cannot.Existing permit holders only; no new permits | 40 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2, Rule 8.3(A)(1)(b) |
| Missouri | Permit needed | Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and mountain lions are dangerous wild animals. Outside a zoo or similar facility they must be registered with county law enforcement. New mountain lion permits are closed.Registration with local law enforcement; mountain lions only if held under a Class II permit before Aug 30, 2021 | RSMo 578.023 |
| Montana | Permit needed | Montana issues a wild animal menagerie permit for bears or large cats (lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars) kept for purposes other than exhibition, capped at 10 animals. Federal law is covered separately.Wild animal menagerie permit; maximum 10 animals; captive-bred stock from licensed sources | MCA 87-4-801(3), 87-4-803(1)(a), 87-4-804(4),(6) |
| Nebraska | Banned | Nebraska bars keeping any member of the cat family (Felidae), which includes tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars, except domestic cats, accredited zoos and fur producers.grandfathered only for animals held March 1, 1986 | 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, so lions, tigers and leopards need no state license. Mountain lions and bobcats do need one.No NDOW license for felines other than mountain lions and bobcats | NAC 503.140(1)(q) |
| New Hampshire | 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... |
| New Jersey | Banned | Big cats are on New Jersey's potentially dangerous species list. A permit is possible only for experienced keepers, and the rule says these animals may not be kept as a pet or hobby animal.Potentially dangerous species; permit criteria bar pet or hobby keeping | N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8(a); 7:25-4.9(a)3 |
| New Mexico | Banned | The tiger, jaguar, leopard, cheetah and cougar are named in group IV of the Director's Species Importation List. Only the Asiatic lion is named, so other lions default to group IV. Group IV is closed to the general public.Group IV; permits only for science, zoos, qualified experts; only Panthera leo persica named, other lions default to group IV (19.35.7.10(A)(5)) | Director's Species Importation List, group IV... |
| New York | Banned | All cats in the family Felidae except domestic cats are banned, including captive-bred animals and hybrids. Licences are not issued for pets. | 6 NYCRR 180.1(b)(8), (c) |
| North Carolina | Depends | The cougar is native, and a captivity licence is barred for it except to zoos, research bodies, certain pre-1977 owners and natural-habitat holders. Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs are not native or named, so state captivity rules do not cover them.cougar barred for ordinary pet owners; non-native big cats not named | N.C.G.S. 113-272.5(e); 15A NCAC 10H .1401(b) |
| North Dakota | Permit needed | Big cats are Category 3. A private owner needs a state license with inspected enclosures, a perimeter fence and a veterinary import permit. Cougars, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs are all named.Needs a nontraditional livestock license from the State Board of Animal Health, with inspected facilities, fencing and a quarantine plan; large cat housing rules | N.D. Admin. Code 48.1-09-01-02(3)(b)(2); 48.1... |
| Ohio | Not verified yet | We could not confirm Ohio's rule for this animal yet. Ask Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife (native wildlife); Ohio Department of Agriculture (dangerous wild animals and restricted snakes) before you buy. | Agency page |
| Oklahoma | Depends | Oklahoma requires a commercial wildlife breeder licence for a native cat that will reach 50 pounds, such as a cougar. Nonnative cats such as tigers and lions are exempt from state import permits and breeder licences.Cougar needs commercial wildlife breeders licence; nonnative cats exempt from state permits | 29 O.S. 4-107(E); OAC 800:25-25-3(a)(4) |
| Oregon | Banned for new owners | Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs are exotic felines kept only by pre-2010 permit holders or exempt facilities. Cougars are limited to grandfathered pets, zoos and exhibitors, so new buyers cannot get any.Existing animals only, no new acquisition. Non-native big cats: pre-2010 ODA permit or exempt facility. Cougar: pets legally held before 20 Jan 2017; new cougars only at AZA zoos or exhibitor/sanctuary facilities | ORS 609.305(1); ORS 609.341; ORS 609.351; OAR... |
| Pennsylvania | Permit needed | Pennsylvania bars possessing lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars unless you hold a Game Commission exotic wildlife possession permit. New applicants need two years of hands-on experience with the species at an approved facility, and each animal needs its own permit.Exotic wildlife possession permit; 2 years documented hands-on experience; separate permit per animal. Federal law covered separately | 34 Pa.C.S. 2961, 2963; 58 Pa. Code 137.1(a)(1... |
| Rhode Island | Banned | Big cats are Carnivora with no USDA licensed rabies vaccine, so DEM may not permit private persons. The mountain lion is also named as a native animal prohibited as a pet. | 250-RICR-40-05-3 3.7(A), 3.9(B) |
| South Carolina | Banned | State law bars private individuals from owning lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cougars, cheetahs and hybrids. Only animals owned before 2018 and registered with local animal control are grandfathered. USDA licensees are exempt.grandfathered pre-2018 animals only; USDA licensee exemption | S.C. Code 47-2-10(2)(a); 47-2-30 |
| 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 | Banned | Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars are Class I, only for zoos, circuses and commercial propagators. Personal permits cover only animals owned before June 25, 1991, and no new animals.Personal possession permit only for animals held before 25 June 1991 | Tenn. Code 70-4-403(1)(A)(ii)(c), 70-4-404(c)(1) |
| Texas | Permit needed | Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars are dangerous wild animals. Texas allows them only with a certificate of registration from the local animal registration agency, plus insurance and enclosure rules.Certificate of registration from the local animal registration agency, with $100,000 liability insurance and enclosure rules | Tex. Health & Safety Code 822.101(4), 822.103(a) |
| Utah | Banned | Lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, snow leopards and cougars, and their hybrids, are on Utah's prohibited list. Personal possession will not be authorized. | Utah Admin. Code R657-3b-7 and Table 3b-1 |
| Vermont | Banned | Big cats are not on Vermont's Domestic, Unrestricted or Restricted lists, so they are 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 | 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) |
| Washington | Banned | Washington bans private possession of lions, tigers, captive-bred cougars, jaguars, cheetahs and leopards, including hybrids. Grandfathered only: an animal lawfully held before July 22, 2007 may be kept for life.Grandfathered animals only (pre July 22, 2007); breeding banned | RCW 16.30.010(2)(a)(i)(A); RCW 16.30.030 |
| West Virginia | 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 |
| Wisconsin | Depends | The cougar is a harmful wild animal that may be kept only with DNR authorisation. Lions, tigers and leopards are nonnative and not on the harmful list, so no state licence applies. Ask the DNR about any species listed as endangered.Cougar needs DNR licence (local zoning assurance for new harmful-animal applications); lions, tigers, leopards not covered | Wis. Stat. 169.11(1)(a), (b); Wis. Stat. 169.... |
| Wyoming | Banned | Wyoming bars private ownership of mountain lions (trophy game) and will not permit federally listed wildlife, which covers tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars and cheetahs. Private individuals cannot keep these cats. | Wyo. Game & Fish Comm'n Ch. 10, Section 11(a)... |
Federal law
- Big Cat Public Safety Act. Since December 2022 it is unlawful to breed or possess lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars or hybrids, with limited exceptions. A private person cannot lawfully acquire one for a pet. 16 U.S.C. 3372(e)(1)
- Big Cat Public Safety Act. Among private individuals, only someone who possessed a big cat born before December 20, 2022 and registered it with FWS within 180 days keeps an exemption. That owner may not breed, acquire or sell more, or allow direct public contact. 16 U.S.C. 3372(e)(2)(E)
- Big Cat Public Safety Act (penalties). A knowing violation of the possession and breeding ban is punishable by a fine of up to $20,000, up to five years in prison, or both. A civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation also exists. 16 U.S.C. 3373(d)(4), 3373(a)(1)
- Endangered Species Act. Tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, lions and leopards are listed, most as endangered, as is the Florida panther cougar. Selling a listed cat 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. Tigers, jaguars, leopards and cheetahs are in CITES Appendix I. Lions are Appendix I (India) and II. Cougars are Appendix II, with Costa Rica and Panama in I. This matters to importers and exporters, not to ordinary keepers. 50 CFR 23.13; CITES Appendices
- Animal Welfare Act. The Animal Welfare Act licenses dealers and exhibitors who handle exotic cats. It does not license people who simply keep an animal at home, and the Big Cat Public Safety Act now bars private possession. 7 U.S.C. 2131 ff.; 9 CFR 1.1
Why states regulate it
Public safety comes first. A 2021 New York City Bar report, citing Humane Society data, counted 306 incidents involving big cats in 44 states from 1990 to 2012, including 20 human deaths and 244 injuries, and said the true number is likely higher. It adds that experts estimate up to 90 percent of privately owned tigers die within their first two years. The report also argues that private ownership does not help conservation, since captive big cats have never been successfully released, and links captive breeding facilities to tiger-part seizures.
Before you buy
- Be realistic about size and lifespan. An adult tiger can weigh 91 to 423 kg, and captive tigers typically live 16 to 18 years, with some reaching 26.
- A 2021 report put food and basic medical care for one adult tiger at a minimum of $10,000 a year, though a source it cites says $5,000 to $7,500. That is before enclosure costs.
- This is not an animal for a private household. The same report says former roadside zoo employees described little to no training in handling big cats, which raised their injury risk.
- Cubs at roadside and petting attractions are often separated from their mothers, which the report says causes long-term harm. Avoid anything that sells cub contact, and ask where any animal came from.
- Rules differ by state, and a cub grows into an animal far more dangerous than it first looks, so read the state table before you go further.
Sources for the facts about the animal: animaldiversity.org, animaldiversity.org, nycbar.org.
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, serval or savannah cat, bear.
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 tiger or other big cat in California?
- Banned. All wild cats are restricted, including lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars. 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 tiger or other big cat in Texas?
- Permit needed. Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars are dangerous wild animals. Texas allows them only with a certificate of registration from the local animal registration agency, plus insurance and enclosure rules.
- Is it legal to own a tiger or other big cat in Florida?
- Banned. Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, snow leopards, cheetahs and cougars are Class I and cannot be kept as pets. Only animals held for personal use in 1980 were grandfathered.
- Is it legal to own a tiger or other big cat in New York?
- Banned. All cats in the family Felidae except domestic cats are banned, including captive-bred animals and hybrids. Licences are not issued for pets.
- Is it legal to own a tiger or other big cat in Pennsylvania?
- Permit needed. Pennsylvania bars possessing lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars unless you hold a Game Commission exotic wildlife possession permit. New applicants need two years of hands-on experience with the species at an approved facility, and each animal needs its own permit.
- Is it legal to own a tiger or other big cat in Illinois?
- Banned. Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and mountain lions (cougars) are on the Illinois dangerous animal list. Private possession is barred except at zoos, licensed exhibits and similar sites.
- Is it legal to own a tiger or other big cat in Ohio?
- We could not confirm Ohio's rule yet. Ask the state wildlife agency before you buy.
- Is it legal to own a tiger or other big cat in Georgia?
- Banned. All cats in the family Felidae, including tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and cougars, are inherently dangerous wild animals needing a licence and insurance. Georgia wild animal licences go only to wild animal businesses and public exhibitors, so a pet owner cannot get one.
- Is big cat legal in every state?
- No. In our data it is banned in 35 states and needs a permit in 8. 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.