State laws vary on which animals can be kept as pets, and can change at any time; over the years many states have added to their list of banned animals. Game and fish commissions, departments of fish and wildlife or conservation, and other state divisions usually dictate these regulations in state statutes and regulations, which may be difficult for some people to decipher due to being written in legalese.
To discover state exotic animal laws, it is a good idea to browse the websites for various state departments, divisions, and commissions as well as contact your state’s Department of Natural Resources. In order to be certain you’re in the correct location and have access to up-to-date information when searching online, state websites usually end in either.gov or.state – although this isn’t always the case! You can find summaries of each state’s exotic animal laws below with links leading directly into more details for each state when clicking its respective name below!