Exotic PetLaws

Species

Per-species legal-status pages: which states allow, restrict, or ban each exotic pet.

5 entries 5 of these animals have a published row for all 51 jurisdictions.

  1. Monkey Legal States: Can You Own a Pet Monkey? (50-State Table, 2026)

    Which states allow pet monkeys? A statute-cited 50-state table: 11 states with no permit requirement, 11 permit states, 24 plus D.C. with no lawful route — and the federal rules every other list omits.

    24 min read

  2. Ferret Legal States: Where Are Ferrets Legal? (50-State Table, 2026)

    Ferrets are legal in 46 states and Washington DC, banned only in California and Hawaii, permit-only in New Jersey and Rhode Island, and banned citywide in New York City. Every row cited to the statute or rule we read.

    21 min read

  3. Can You Own a Pet Raccoon? Legal States, Permits & the Rabies Rule (2026)

    A pet raccoon is banned in 34 states plus D.C. and permit-only in 14 more; only Arkansas allows one with no permit. All 50 states, statute-cited, plus the rabies rule and captive-bred requirement.

    Updated 13 min read

  4. Skunk Legal States: Can You Have a Pet Skunk? (50-State Table)

    Where is it legal to own a pet skunk? A statute-cited 50-state table of skunk legality, plus the permit rules, the rabies gap, and the skunk-legal lists that get it wrong.

    18 min read

  5. Hedgehog Legal States: Where Are Hedgehogs Legal? (50-State Table)

    A pet hedgehog is legal with no permit in 45 states, banned in California, Georgia, Hawaii, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., and permit-only in New Jersey. Statute-cited 50-state + D.C. table.

    14 min read

The record

275
entries published from primary sources
113
legal without a state permit
44
permit or licence required
108
no lawful route to keep one
10
unclear — sources conflict or could not be read
796
not checked yet

Open the full record

Coverage by animal

How many of the 51 jurisdictions we have read for each animal, and which way each one came out. An animal with a short row is one we have not finished, not one with fewer rules.

Animal Read Legal Permit Banned Unclear
Ferret 51/51 AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY NJ, RI CA, HI
Hedgehog 51/51 AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, FL, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY NJ CA, DC, GA, HI, PA NY
Monkey 51/51 ID, KS, MI, NV, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI AR, DE, FL, GA, IN, MA, MS, MO, NH, NJ, ND AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, HI, IL, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MN, MT, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, WA, WV, WY, DC AL, NE, SD, UT, VT
Raccoon 51/51 AR FL, IL, IN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, OH, OK, SD, TN, UT, WI, WY AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, GA, HI, ID, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MT, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV DE
Skunk 51/51 SC, SD DE, FL, IN, KY, LA, MI, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OK, PA, TN, WI, WY AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, GA, HI, ID, IL, KS, ME, MD, MA, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, ND, OR, RI, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV AL, IA, NC
Axolotl 2/51 TX CA
Capybara 2/51 TX CA
Fennec fox 2/51 TX CA
Sugar glider 2/51 TX CA
Bear 1/51 TX
Chinchilla 1/51 CA
Coyote 1/51 TX
Degu 1/51 CA
Domestic rabbit 1/51 CA
Exotic venomous snakes 1/51 CA
Gerbil 1/51 CA
Guinea pig 1/51 CA
Kinkajou 1/51 TX
Monk parakeet 1/51 CA
Prairie dog 1/51 CA
Snapping turtle 1/51 CA

Counted against 51 jurisdictions.