Coyotes, wolves, tigers, lions, non-native bears, and great apes are prohibited by South Carolina law, except for those owned or registered before January 2018. You will need a permit to own bison, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, beavers and deer. You do not need a permit to own monkeys, reptiles, amphibians, parrots, tropical fish, rabbits or small rodents such as gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and mice. In the absence of a federal law on monkey acolytes, state laws prevail. So whether it`s legal or illegal to have monkeys as pets depends on where you want to keep the monkeys. If you live in California, you may be out of luck. If an animal is not banned or requires a permit, it can be kept as a pet. However, no one can own more than 6 animals of any kind and no more than 25 wild animals without game at any given time. Coatis bred in captivity can be kept as pets, but proof of legal acquisition is required. No permits are required in any county west of the Pecos River with a population of less than 25,000.
If you live in a state where pet monkeys are legal or restricted with proper permits, it`s important to understand that monkeys are wild animals, no matter how tame they may seem. Some states have not completely banned monkeys as pets. These states have some kind of law or restriction that those who want to keep monkeys as pets must abide by. At the time of this 2012 letter, Arizona, Indiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee all have partial bans on monkey property. These prohibitions make it illegal to own monkeys, but not monkeys. Tennesseans can have any type of monkey except a baboon, and monkeys are not allowed. In Arizona, all monkeys are allowed, but not monkeys. In Indiana, you can have monkeys and great apes, but you must have a permit for monkeys. Mississippi allows all monkeys except baboons and macaques and prohibits all types of monkeys. Florida and Texas allow some species of monkeys but ban others. These laws are evolving, so check your own state`s statutes if you plan to have a monkey as a pet.
Permits are required to own or raise wildlife in Maine. You are not allowed to own wild deer, bears, moose or turkeys. Other prohibited animals include lion, cheetah, wolf, monkey, camel, alligator, monk parakeet and humpback swan. If you have permits, you can keep emus, domestic ferrets, sugar gliders and chinchillas. Arizona`s administrative code states that it is illegal to own non-domestic dogs and cats, primates (except non-infant primates free of zoonoses), alligators, crocodiles, venomous snakes, and many others. Special permits may be granted to certain persons or groups to keep these animals if the application falls under the categories of education, public health, commercial photography, wildlife rehabilitation or wildlife management. Large carnivores such as lions, tigers and bears belong illegally, as do monkeys, baboons and macaques. There is also a limit of six animals per owner for bobcats, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, quails, opossums, coyotes, deer, red foxes and grey foxes. If you acquired an animal in another state, you must prove that it was acquired legally. Some states also require a minimum age to adopt a monkey, or a certain number of volunteer hours alongside monkeys to be able to keep a monkey as a pet.
It follows that these animals require special care. Even states that allow monkeys may have detailed welfare checks, lengthy requests, and expensive fees and fines required to legally keep a monkey as a pet. Delaware state law requires permits for most wild mammals and hybrids. Pets that do not need a permit include chinchillas, hedgehogs, ferrets, opossums, rabbits, sugar gliders, etc. Many lizards are allowed, including anoles, water dragons, basilisks, bearded dragons, chameleons, geckos, iguanas, etc. Non-native venomous snakes are illegal to possess. This condition restricts potentially dangerous animals. Bears, big cats, wolves and primates are included in the list of illegal animals belonging to this state. If you had a primate under 35 pounds before october 1, 2010 at maturity, you can keep ownership of that animal.
Maybe you`ve always wanted to own a monkey, or you`re wondering if it`s legal for your neighbor to have this puma in their garden. Fortunately for your curiosity, every state has exotic animal laws that allow, restrict, or prohibit the possession of certain animal species. The following article describes in detail some of these state laws. For the most part, exotic animals are illegal in Hawaii. These include bears, big cats, wild dogs, hybrids of wild cats and wild dogs, kangaroos, wild cattle and deer, birds of prey, alligators, geckos and most lizards, hedgehogs, gerbils, hamsters and ferrets. Pets allowed include guinea pigs, chinchillas, domesticated mice and rats, parakeets and pigeons. Although Vermont`s Wildlife Import Act does not apply specifically to primates, it deals with the importation and possession of „live wild birds or animals of any kind” (10 SEES § 4709). In contrast, government regulations refer directly to non-human primates and define a non-human primate as „any non-human member of the highest order of mammals, including prosimians, monkeys, and apes” (administration code VT 2-4-300: 1.1).
Michigan does not allow large cats, bears and wolf hybrids. Animals that are not classified as large carnivores or hybrids of wolves, such as monkeys, skunks, emus, alpacas and llamas, must obtain a permit. Lemurs, marmosets, squirrel monkeys and capuchins must be registered. No license or permit is required to possess exotic animals, including lions, tigers, monkeys or bears.
