Is It Legal to Own a Boa Constrictor? Federal Withdrawal and State Rules
The federal government proposed banning boa constrictor imports in 2010, then walked it back in 2015. That federal non-listing is the easy part. A handful of states, and one very specific New Jersey subspecies split, are where the real rules live.
Is It Legal to Own a Boa Constrictor? Federal Withdrawal and State Rules
Boa constrictors spent years in federal regulatory limbo alongside pythons and anacondas, then the government explicitly declined to restrict them. That decision, plus a small number of genuinely restrictive states, is the entire legal picture for this species.
The Federal History: Proposed, Then Withdrawn
FWS proposed listing nine large constrictor species, including the boa constrictor, as injurious wildlife back on March 12, 2010. In January 2012, the agency finalized a listing for four of those species, the Burmese and Indian python plus the Northern and Southern African python, but left the remaining five, including the boa constrictor, under continued consideration. After a 2014 comment period reopened for those five, FWS's March 2015 final rule listed the reticulated python and three anaconda species, and explicitly withdrew the boa constrictor from consideration entirely.
FWS's own stated reasoning is worth reading directly: although a boa "can be damaging to U.S. wildlife," the agency found that "the circumstances surrounding the species, which include widespread private ownership and domestic breeding, render importation and interstate transport prohibitions less effective." In other words, the boa constrictor was already too widely and legally established as a pet for a federal trade ban to meaningfully change anything, so FWS chose a cooperative approach with states, wildlife agencies, and the pet industry instead. As of 2026, the boa constrictor remains not federally listed as injurious wildlife.
FWS noted that boas had been found "on the loose" in 46 states by the time of its 2015 decision, an indicator of just how widespread private ownership already was, and part of why the agency concluded a federal ban would do little beyond inconveniencing existing legal owners.
Where States Actually Restrict Boa Constrictors
| State/City | Rule | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | Total ban | All snakes prohibited outright; possession is a class C felony with fines up to $200,000 and up to 3 years imprisonment |
| New Jersey | Permit required (subspecies-specific) | B. c. imperator and B. c. ortonii need a permit; true B. c. constrictor is exempt |
| Louisiana | Permit required | Any constrictor over 8 feet, genus Boa named directly |
| New York City | Banned (municipal) | NYC Health Code prohibits the entire family Boidae |
| New York State | Not restricted | State code lists only anacondas and specific pythons; genus Boa isn't named |
| Massachusetts | Not restricted | Boas and pythons are exempt from permitting except a few named large species |
| Connecticut, Ohio, Texas | Not restricted | None regulate boa constrictors at the state level |
The New Jersey Subspecies Split, Explained
This is the single most consequential detail for anyone buying a pet boa in New Jersey. Under the state's exotic species regulations, Boa constrictor imperator, the red-tail or Colombian boa that makes up the overwhelming majority of the pet trade, requires a permit, and so does B. c. ortonii. The "true" B. c. constrictor subspecies, less commonly sold as a pet, sits on New Jersey's exempt species list instead. Since most pet-trade boas are imperator, most New Jersey owners actually do need a permit even though "boa constrictors are legal in New Jersey" is technically true in a narrow sense. Check which subspecies you're actually buying before assuming either way.
Hawaii and New York City: The Two Outright Bans
Hawaii bans every snake species without exception, boas included, a felony-level offense carrying fines up to $200,000 and up to three years imprisonment, with an amnesty turn-in program for anyone who already has one. The reasoning is ecological rather than punitive: Hawaii's native bird populations evolved with no natural snake predators, and any established snake population would be devastating to the island ecosystem.
New York City separately bans the entire family Boidae under its health code, which on its plain language captures boa constrictors even though the code's own illustrative examples focus on anacondas. This is a municipal rule layered on top of New York State law, which does not restrict boas at all, meaning the same snake is legal an hour outside the city and illegal within it.
The Real Takeaway
The federal government looked at banning boa constrictors and decided against it, on the record, because the species was already too well established as a legal pet for a ban to accomplish much. That leaves state and local law as the only real barrier, and it's a short, specific list: Hawaii's total ban, New Jersey and Louisiana's permit requirements, and New York City's municipal ban layered over an otherwise permissive state. If you're in Florida specifically, verify current FWC rules directly rather than relying on secondary reporting, that detail hasn't been fully confirmed here. Everywhere else, boa constrictors are simply legal to own. See our exotic pet legal hub for how this compares to the federal and state patterns for other species, or our Ball Python legal guide for a similarly widely-legal snake with its own narrow exceptions.
For everything else about keeping this species, see our cost guide, our handling guide, our health issues guide, or our enclosure setup guide. Browse the rest of our Reptiles care guide category.
Sources & Further Reading
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Service Lists Four Nonnative Large Constrictor Snakes as Injurious Wildlife
- Federal Register, March 10, 2015 (80 FR 12702)
- N.J.A.C. 7:25-4 (New Jersey exotic species permit regulations)
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Written by Mike
Mike is the founder of Beastly Facts and a lifelong reptile enthusiast. He shares his home with Dex, a bearded dragon with strong opinions about crickets and basking schedules. Mike writes in-depth care guides, animal facts, and the occasional short story about life with exotic pets.
More about Mike →Comments
No comments yet - be the first!