Is It Legal to Own a Corn Snake? State-by-State Guide
Corn snakes are the classic pet-store starter snake almost everywhere, except Georgia, where the state's own wildlife agency lists them as a native species that can't be kept as a pet at all, captive-bred or not. New Jersey, South Carolina, Illinois, Minnesota, and Tennessee all attach their own conditions too.
Is It Legal to Own a Corn Snake? State-by-State Guide
Corn snakes are one of the most common first snakes in the pet trade, sold in pet stores everywhere and recommended constantly to first-time keepers. So it comes as a genuine surprise that Georgia's own wildlife agency puts them on a list of pets you simply cannot keep, not because they're dangerous or invasive, but because they're native to the state. For everything else about keeping one, see our full Corn Snake care guide, and the Corn Snake encyclopedia profile for the range across the southeastern and central US that explains why a handful of states treat this species differently than the rest of the country does.
Where Corn Snakes Actually Stand
| Where | Status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Illegal as a pet | DNR's own Guide to Legal Pets names corn snake among native species that "may not be held as a pet regardless of its origin or morphology" |
| New Jersey | Permit required; wild NJ animals separately endangered | A captive-bred or non-New Jersey animal needs a possession permit under 7:25-4.5; a wild-collected New Jersey corn snake is a state Endangered Species Act violation instead |
| South Carolina | Legal, captive-bred under 20 inches only | Act 177's native-reptile law carves out captive-bred corn snakes under 20 inches total length as the one allowed pet-trade exception |
| Illinois | Legal, capped at 4 without a permit | The Herptiles-Herps Act caps native-species possession at 4 per species without a $50 Herpetoculture Permit |
| Minnesota | Legal, breeder-sourced only | Since August 2021, a pet snake must come from a permitted breeder or have been possessed before that date |
| Tennessee | Legal, proof of sourcing required | Corn snake is Tennessee native, so keepers are expected to hold documentation of the supplier and acquisition date |
| Everywhere else | Generally legal | No state-level ban; most states' venomous or large-constrictor rules don't reach a small native colubrid like this one |
Georgia's Blanket Native-Species Ban
Georgia's Department of Natural Resources maintains a list of native species that cannot be kept as pets under any circumstances, and corn snake is on it by name. The DNR's own guidance states plainly that this applies "regardless of its origin or morphology," meaning a captive-bred corn snake from an out-of-state breeder is treated exactly the same as one caught in a Georgia backyard. The rule traces back to Georgia's wild animal statute, O.C.G.A. § 27-5-4 and § 27-5-5; we couldn't pin down a numbered administrative subrule any more specific than that, but the DNR guidance page itself leaves no ambiguity.
Corn snakes are about as close to a "starter snake" as the pet trade gets, sold in big-box pet stores and recommended in beginner care guides everywhere. Georgia is the outlier: because the species is native to the state, its wildlife law treats it the same as any other wild animal a resident can't legally keep, captive-bred pet-store stock included. It's the same rule, and the same DNR guidance page, that also bans keeping a native milk snake in Georgia.
New Jersey's Two Different Rules, Don't Mix Them Up
New Jersey is worth reading carefully, because it runs two separate legal regimes for the same species. A captive-bred corn snake, or one that isn't from New Jersey's wild population, falls under N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5, which requires a possession permit since corn snake isn't on the state's exempted-species list of reptiles (that list names Boa constrictor, garter snakes, and ribbon snakes, but not corn snake). A wild-collected New Jersey corn snake is a different problem entirely: the species was decimated by habitat loss and poaching before being listed as a state Endangered species in 1984, since its native range barely reaches southern New Jersey. New Jersey Fish & Wildlife's own species account states that collecting or possessing a wild corn snake is prohibited under the state's Endangered Species Act and is punishable by fines or imprisonment. A permit application and a wildlife violation aren't the same problem, so don't conflate the two.
Possession Caps and Sourcing Rules
A handful of other states allow corn snakes but attach a condition. South Carolina's 2021 native-reptile law generally bars possessing native reptiles, but carves out captive-bred corn snakes under 20 inches total length as an allowed exception. Illinois caps how many native herptiles, corn snake included, a keeper can hold without a permit: 4 per species, 8 total, though a $50 Herpetoculture Permit lifts the cap. Minnesota has required any pet snake to come from a permitted breeder, or be grandfathered in from before August 1, 2021, and the rule isn't limited to native species. Tennessee doesn't require a permit for a nonpoisonous reptile like this one, but because corn snake is Tennessee native, keepers are expected to be able to document who they got the animal from and when, to separate lawfully-sourced pets from wild-collected ones.
Pennsylvania Is Genuinely Unclear
Corn snake isn't Pennsylvania native, so the Fish and Boat Commission's native-species possession-limit rule doesn't apply to it. What we couldn't pin down is whether the Game Commission's separate Exotic Wildlife Possession Permit framework carries a clear exemption for a small non-venomous colubrid like this one. Rather than guess, we're leaving this open: if you're in Pennsylvania, confirm directly with the Game Commission before assuming either way.
The Real Takeaway
Outside of Georgia's blanket native-species ban, a corn snake is legal to keep almost everywhere in the US, which fits its reputation as one of the most common beginner pet snakes around. The catch is that several states attach real conditions rather than an outright ban: New Jersey splits captive-bred possession from wild collection into two different legal problems, South Carolina and Illinois cap what you can have, and Minnesota and Tennessee both care where the animal came from. For the federal and state framework behind rules like this, see our exotic pet legal hub.
To see this at a glance, our interactive map of corn snake laws shades every state that restricts one, and clicking a state gives you the rule it comes from.
Sources & Further Reading
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is a corn snake actually banned in Georgia?
Yes. Georgia DNR's own Guide to Legal Pets lists corn snake among native species that "may not be held as a pet regardless of its origin or morphology," so even a captive-bred corn snake from an out-of-state breeder is treated the same as a wild-caught one. The rule is grounded in Georgia's wild animal statute, O.C.G.A. § 27-5-4 and § 27-5-5.
Can I own a captive-bred corn snake in New Jersey?
You can, but you need a permit. New Jersey's exempted-species list under N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4 doesn't include corn snake, so a captive-bred or non-New Jersey animal requires a possession permit under 7:25-4.5. That's separate from New Jersey's rule on wild corn snakes, which are a state Endangered species and cannot legally be collected or possessed from the wild at all.
Is there a size limit on corn snakes in South Carolina?
Yes, for the specific exception that makes them legal at all. South Carolina's Act 177 generally bars possessing native reptiles, but allows corn snakes that are captive-bred and under 20 inches in total length as the one pet-trade exception to that rule.
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!
