What are illegal pets in California?

According to the California Code of Regulations (CCR) 671, pet ownership of the following animals is also illegal without a special permit: Raccoons, skunks, alligators, lemurs, zebras, certain venomous reptiles, prairie dogs, wolf hybrids (wolf-dogs), big cats such as bobcats, servals, and cheetahs.

What weird pets are legal in California?

What cats are illegal in California?

They are illegal to have in California because they are an endangered species. Big Cats– Big Cats (Cheetahs, Cougars, Jaguars, Leopards, Lions, and Tigers) are illegal to own in California because they are large powerful animals capable of severely injuring or killing humans.

Is it illegal to own a pet in California?

Even though you can't have a monkey or ferret, there are still plenty of animals you can keep as pets in California. Dogs and cats are the obvious choices, but Zebras, a variety of lizards and snakes, and even toucans are all animals that are legal in California.

What small pets can you have in California?

If you like gerbils and want to consider other similar wild rodents as a pet, there are several that are legal in California, including hamsters, rats, mice, guinea pigs, and chinchillas.

Exotic Pets Legal in California (Mammals and Birds)

Are hamsters illegal in California?

Hamsters are popular pets, but they're illegal in some parts of the world. This includes California, which has some of the world's strictest pet laws. Some hamster species, such as the Chinese hamster, are banned in California to protect the native plants and wildlife.

Are bearded dragons legal in California?

Question: Are bearded dragons legal to own in California? Answer: Yes.

Are guinea pigs legal in California?

Certain races of dwarf hamsters, mice, golden hamsters, and guinea pigs are also legal as pets. However, gerbils are not legal as pets in California.

Is ferrets illegal in California?

Domesticated originally for vermin control, they now make extremely popular pets and are legal in all or parts of every state except California and Hawaii. Despite intensive lobbying to legalize ferrets in California, however, you cannot legally keep a ferret in California without a permit.

Are sugar gliders illegal in California?

Sugar gliders are illegal to own as pets in California. Unfortunately, people are enamored with these “pocket pets” and illegally acquire them. Regardless of their small size and cute appearance, sugar gliders do not make good pets.

Can you have a pet duck in California?

So, can you keep a pet duck in California? Ducks are legal as pets in California, but you should confirm if your town or city has any restrictions. Even if allowed, ducks require special care and nutrition. When keeping ducks, you should note that they're social and prefer the outdoors.

Are hedgehog legal in California?

Unfortunately, California is one of those states where it is illegal to own a hedgehog. As I understand it, a permit for a hedgehog might be issued in California for educational purposes, but it is seldom handed out. If you still want to pursue a permit, call the California Department of Fish and Game.

Can you own a sloth in California?

It is Illegal to Own a Sloth in California

While states like Nevada and Texas have extremely lenient rules about exotic pet ownership, the Golden State is known for its strict regulations relating to game and wildlife.

Are pet skunks legal in California?

Keeping wildlife is prohibited by Fish and Game laws (CCR title 14, section 671) and California health laws due to a high incidence of rabies in skunks in California. All wildlife, even skunks, belong to the citizens of California and cannot be held, domesticated…or have their scent glands surgically removed!

Are wolf dogs legal in California?

The California Department of Health Services (CDHS) requires that if an animal contains any wolf, even one percent, it must be considered a wolf hybrid and handled as an exotic animal. The California Department of Fish and Game, however, only requires a permit for the animal if it is fifty percent or more wolf.

Is it legal to own a fox?

This means that, in the US, the answer to whether you can own a fox is more than likely “no.” Only 15 states allow private individuals to own foxes as pets. Even in the states where foxes are legal, not all species of fox will be permitted.

Are gerbils illegal in California?

While gerbils are illegal in California, there are a few furry rodents that you could give your child, including domesticated golden hamsters, domesticated races of rats or mice (white or albino; trained, dancing or spinning, laboratory-reared), and domestic strains of guinea pigs.

Are otters legal in California?

Answer: Yes, but you would have to be granted a permit, which isn't easy. Question: Are otters legal pets in California? Answer: No.

Can you own an axolotl in California?

In the United States, axolotls are illegal to own in California, Maine, New Jersey, and D.C., while a permit is required in New Mexico and Hawaii.

Why are ferrets illegal California?

The old California law was put into place to protect local ecosystems. The primary reason pet ferrets are banned in California is “because they pose a threat to our native fish and wildlife, agriculture or public health and safety.” Other exotic animals are forbidden as pets for the same reason.

Are ferrets illegal?

There are two states where ferrets are completely illegal: California and Hawaii. That means they are legal in the remaining 48 states, but local laws (depending on city or county) can choose to follow their state guidelines or provide a stricter law.

Can I have a pet lynx?

Yes, you can have a lynx as a pet in the United States if you live in Alabama, Delaware, Oklahoma, Nevada, North Carolina, or Wisconsin. You can have a pet lynx in these six states because these states have no official ban on big (or medium-sized) cats as pets.

Can you own a penguin?

The laws regarding penguins are far stricter than with other exotic animals, not just in the US, but in the entire world. Suffice to say that penguins are definitely illegal to keep as pets in America.

Are rosy boas legal in California?

Although the desert rosy boa is strictly protected by California state law, poachers illegally hunt these animals for the pet trade, using crowbars to break open the crevices in which desert rosy boas live.

Why are hedgehogs illegal in CA?

All species are restricted from possession as pets in California primarily because they can become pests where introduced into the wild where they don't naturally occur.