Is It Legal to Own a Giant African Millipede? State-by-State Guide
There was never a 2006 blanket import ban on giant African millipedes, despite what hobbyist forums repeat. The real rule is a standing USDA import permit, plus real state variation from Florida's named permit to Oregon's outright approval.
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Is It Legal to Own a Giant African Millipede? State-by-State Guide
Giant African millipedes are one of the most popular beginner invertebrates in the hobby, and also one of the most rumor-prone when it comes to legality. Search around and you'll run into a specific, oft-repeated claim about a 2006 import ban tied to agricultural mites. That story doesn't hold up. The real legal picture is both more mundane and more current than the myth. For everything else about keeping one, see our full Giant African Millipede care guide, and the Giant African Millipede encyclopedia profile for the species background behind the import rule.
Where Giant African Millipedes Actually Stand
| Where | Status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Federal law (import and interstate) | Permit required | USDA APHIS requires a PPQ 526 permit, since millipedes fall under the federal "plant pest" definition as potential carriers of agricultural pests |
| Florida | Permit required | 5B-57.004 makes it unlawful to possess any arthropod regulated by the USDA without a state permit, and the standard for issuing one is that the animal can be contained |
| Hawaii | Effectively prohibited | Not included on either state approved-species list, so it can't legally be introduced under Hawaii's default-prohibit system |
| Oregon | Legal, no permit | Explicitly listed as an approved pet species under state rule, provided the stock originates from the continental US |
| District of Columbia | Banned | No invertebrate category exists in the seven permitted ones, so every millipede is outside the list by omission |
| Montana | Banned | A white list state whose noncontrolled arachnid rule clears two scorpions and no myriapod, and the wildlife definition ends with "or other wild animal" |
| Rhode Island | Permit required | The blanket invertebrate exemption is written for the class Insecta. A millipede is a myriapod, so on the literal wording it stays inside the definition of an exotic animal |
| Idaho, Arkansas, New Mexico, New Jersey | Unclear | Four states whose rules could reach an invertebrate and never say so. Idaho's wildlife definition is any form of animal life with no myriapod on the conventional pets list; the other three name no myriapod anywhere |
| Most other states | Generally legal | No state-specific restriction found, though the federal import permit still applies to bringing one into the country |
Debunking the "2006 Ban"
A specific story circulates on hobbyist forums claiming all millipede imports were banned in 2006 over concerns about mites damaging cotton crops. We checked the exact Federal Register notice commonly cited for this claim, and it doesn't mention millipedes at all; it's an unrelated notice about grape imports from Namibia. What is real is a standing, ongoing USDA import permit requirement that has led to actual enforcement, including a live giant African millipede intercepted in a traveler's suitcase at the Atlanta airport, and twenty more seized at a West Coast airport after being mislabeled as toy car models in a shipment from Germany.
Florida, Hawaii, and Oregon Take Different Approaches
Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services names Archispirostreptus gigas directly in its 2025 invertebrate import guidelines, placing it in a conditional category that requires a permit and secure, locked or double-contained caging. Hawaii doesn't name the species at all; instead, it operates a default-prohibit system where only animals on an approved list may be introduced, and since giant African millipedes never appear on either of Hawaii's lists, they're effectively excluded by omission. Oregon goes the other direction entirely, explicitly listing the species as an approved pet under state rule, with no permit required, as long as the animal comes from continental US stock. Worth knowing why Oregon has an answer at all: its Department of Agriculture runs a closed list of approved invertebrates, and OAR 603-052-1320(3) bars possessing any live invertebrate that isn't on it without a permit. So the naming cuts both ways, and being listed is a permission rather than the absence of a rule.
The Secretion Myth Worth Correcting
This species is well known for producing a defensive liquid when handled roughly, and a common claim online describes it as containing hydrogen cyanide. A 1974 study that specifically analyzed this species identified the compounds as toluquinone and a related benzoquinone, not cyanide. The effect described in the scientific literature is skin and eye irritation and staining, not poisoning. Cyanide-producing defenses are real in some other millipede groups, just not in this one.
The Real Takeaway
The federal government does regulate bringing a giant African millipede into the country, through a standard invertebrate import permit, not a species-specific ban. State law varies more than people expect: Florida requires a named permit, Hawaii excludes it by omission from its approved list, and Oregon names it on an approved list of its own, which is a permission rather than silence. The "2006 ban" story that keeps circulating isn't backed by any document we could find, and shouldn't be treated as settled fact. See our exotic pet legal hub for how invertebrate import rules fit into the wider federal picture.
To see this at a glance, our interactive map of giant african millipede laws shades every state that restricts one, and clicking a state gives you the rule it comes from.
Sources & Further Reading
Last reviewed 23 Jul 2026 · 3 sources
- 7 CFR 330.200: Plant Pest Permits, Scope and General Restrictions
- Florida FDACS: Permits for Arthropods, Invertebrates and Plant Pests
- Oregon OAR 603-052-1320: Approved Species (Non-Regulated)
- Wood, W.F. (1974). Toluquinone and 2-Methoxy-3-methylbenzoquinone from the Defensive Secretions of Three African Millipedes. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 67(6): 988-989.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Were giant African millipedes banned from import in 2006?
No. This is a widely repeated hobbyist forum claim, but we could not find it in any primary government document, including the exact Federal Register notice sometimes cited for it, which turned out to be an unrelated grape-import rule. The real, ongoing requirement is a standard USDA import permit that has applied for years.
Is their defensive secretion actually cyanide?
No, that appears to be an overgeneralization from other millipede groups. A 1974 study of this specific species identified its defensive secretion as two benzoquinone compounds, which can irritate skin and eyes, not cyanide-based poisoning.
Can I legally own one in Florida?
Yes, but only with a permit from the Department of Agriculture, not from the wildlife agency. Rule 5B-57.004(1) makes it unlawful to possess any arthropod regulated by the Department or the USDA except under a state permit, unless a federal PPQ 526 has issued with the state's concurrence, and the department issues one only where it finds the animal can be contained to prevent escape.
Written by Michael Ryan
Mike keeps two rescued bearded dragons, Dex and Cera, and writes the care guides on BeastlyFacts from his own research and mistakes. He is not a veterinarian.
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