Last Updated on April 8, 2025
In other states like Nevada or Oklahoma, owning an animal such as a tiger may not be a wise choice, but it’s perfectly legal. But California takes the protection of its native wildlife very seriously, which is why owning exotic pets is largely against the law, whether the animal in question is as large and dangerous as a tiger or as cute and small as a hedgehog. There are no permits to have these wild animals as private pets. In fact, the only state with more strict regulations regarding the possession of unusual pets is Hawaii.
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What Animals Can’t be Pets in California?
In fact, the California Fish and Game Code prohibits having any animal that is endangered, an animal that is considered a threat to public health and safety, or any animal that could present a threat to the health and safety of the state’s native fish, wildlife or plant life.
It’s relatively easy to understand what animals are illegal under the endangered and threat to public health and safety provisions. You obviously can’t just adopt a ring tailed lemur no matter how cute it is because these animals are endangered. Similarly, owning a bear is illegal because no matter how tame he seems, he could easily maul your next door neighbor.
That being said, the endangered animal aspect of the law can be a little confusing since some animals are endangered in the wild, but commonly kept as pets that were bred in captivity. A good example would be chinchillas, who are endangered in their native range in Peru, but are common pets and legal to own in California.
In fact, the “threat” to public health and safety doesn’t have to be a threat like those presented by big cats or bears. Even native Californian squirrels are against the law to have as pets because they have a tendency to bite and claw, even when they are fond of someone -and they may carry disease as well. It’s worth noting that it’s also illegal to feed squirrels and other California wildlife and that although tickets are rarely issued, they can cost up to $1,000.
Exotic Animals That Threaten Native Wildlife and Plants
The law can become fairly confusing when it comes to the last category of prohibited exotic pets who are banned due to the threat they present to local fish, wildlife and flora. In fact, this is the reason ferrets are illegal in California even though they are legal in all other states besides Hawaii: should a breeding pair escape and successfully breed in the wild, they could decimate local populations of birds and small mammals.This is the same reason gerbils are illegal.
Hedgehogs are illegal in California for largely the same reason, though they also are considered to present a public health risk since they can spread salmonella.
So What Exotic Pets Are Legal In CA?
If you want an unusual animal as a pet in California, you’re not entirely out of luck. You can own any hybrid cat, which includes Bengals, Savannah cats and the jungle hybrid cat. That being said, if these hybrids are within four generations of their wild ancestor, you cannot legally declaw them.
Similarly, you can have a wolf hybrid, but only if it is separated from its wolf ancestor by at least two generations —meaning the animal has one wolf as a grandparent.
If you want something more exotic than a horse, you won’t be able to get a zebra, but you can adopt a camel to ride around and spoil.
Laws on Exotic Reptiles
California’s laws aren’t quite as strict about lizards as they are about mammals, so if you like cold-blooded pets, you could get a monitor lizard of any size -which is certain to get a lot of attention. While the state isn’t too strict about what lizards you can or cannot own, alligators, crocodiles, and Gila monsters cannot be owned as pets because they obviously present a threat to public health and safety.
Like reptiles, snakes are not as closely regulated in California as mammals, which is why Burmese pythons are legal here although they have become quite a threat to native species in Florida. You can also own just about any other type of non-venomous snake.
Exotic Birds as Pets
Birds are similarly less regulated, which is why you can own most birds. Exceptions include Quaker parrots, larks, cuckoos, blackbirds, owls, starlings, crows, ravens, birds of prey (such as falcons and hawks), and vultures. Even very large, potentially dangerous ostriches, rheas and emus can be pets if you have the space.
Exotic Insect Collections
Perhaps the least regulated type of creature you can have as a pet in California are invertebrates. If you want something truly unique and entirely legal, this means you could have a tarantula, scorpion, or centipede as a pet if you so desire.
Penalties for Owning Illegal Pets
So what happens if you ignore the law and adopt an illegal pet anyway? Well, if you get caught, you’re certain to lose custody of the animal, which can be a serious disappointment if you’ve developed a close connection to the creature. You can also face a fine of up to $10,000 plus the costs to remove the animal from your care, take care of it until it is relocated to a suitable care facility and transportation to the new facility. And, while it’s rare for people to face criminal charges for owning an illegal pet, you could be sentenced to up to $1,000 and six months in jail.
It’s also worth noting that importing exotic animals into the United States (a crime people are often arrested for at the border and international airports) is a federal crime with substantial federal criminal penalties. Similarly, possessing a big cat is illegal throughout the US as of 2022. Importing animals that are illegal in California but legal in the rest of the US is a misdemeanor punishable by 6 months in jail.
A Real Life Example
These types of stories often pop up in the San Diego news since we’re home to one of the largest border crossings in America. One of the most notorious examples was the tiger cub seized by law enforcement as it was trafficked across the Otay Mesa Border crossing. The cub was eventually rehoused at the San Diego Zoo.
Local Regulations May Apply as Well
Of course, it’s important to remember that some counties and cities may have their own specific regulations about what pets you can or cannot own. For example, some areas are more strict about wolf hybrids. If you have any questions, it may be best to contact a lawyer before adopting an exotic pet. Please call attorney Peter M. Liss at (760) 643-4050 to schedule a free initial consultation.
