Texas’ Exotic Animal Laws

In the State of Texas, a person can legally possess an exotic animal if the person has obtained the proper license or certificate of registration. Exotic animal possession that requires this license are animals that are classified as danger wild animals. These are lions, ocelots, leopards, tigers, cougars, cheetahs, bobcats, jaguars, servals, lynxs, hyenas, caracals, coyotes, bears, baboons, jackals, orangutan, chimpanzee, gorilla or any hyrid cross offspring of these animals. The license needed to legally possess one of these exotic animals is issued by an animal registration agency which is either the local animal control board or the local sheriff’s office. These licenses are not transferrable and are only valid for one year after the date of issuance of the license. Fees may be charged for this license but may not exceed $50 per animal or $500 per person. Each license application must include the applicant’s name, address and telephone number, the species, sex, age and the description of any identifying marks of the animal being registered. Also, the application will contain the exact location where the animal being registered is to be housed and the applicant will sign a sworn statement that states that all information contained in the application is complete and accurate and that the applicant read the document and swears that the housing facility complies with all the requirements of the application. All applicantions must have a nonrefundable fee included, proof of liability insurance, a color picture of the animal that is being registered that is not older than 30 days and a picture along with dimensions of the housing facility to be used for the animal being registered. After being issued the certificate of registration, the applicant has 10 days to file a legible copy of the registration with the Texas Department of Health and the applicant must also display their registration at the location where the animal is housed.

Anyone possessing a registered dangerous animal in the State of Texas must keep a separate individaul written log for each exotic animal. This log is to be used to document such events as veterinary care needed and must identify the animal in question, identify the treatment date, describe the treatment and provide the name of the veterinarian providing the treatment.

Violating the Texas Exotic Animal Laws can prove to be costly. According to these laws each day a person is in violation is a separate offense and an offense occurs when a person sells or transfers ownership of a registered dangerous animal to another individual who they know does not have a certificate of registration for that animal. This offense is a Class C misdemeanor. Other penalties related to the Texas Exotic Animal Laws can range from fines of not less than $200 nor more than $2000 per animal per each day of the individual being in violation.

Reference:

• www.api4animals.org/b4a2_exotic_animals_summary.php