Exotic pet laws in Delaware
Delaware bans 9 animals of the 82 checked here, the cobra, eastern gray squirrel and raccoon among them. 35 more need a permit.
Read against the published rules, verified October 1, 2026, for 58 of 82 animals; the other 24 last checked October 8, 2026. Every entry below quotes the statute or regulation it comes from and carries the date it was last checked.
The governing body of law here: Two regimes with a clean seam. Del. Code tit. 3 c. 72 and 3 Del. Admin. Code 903, run by the State Veterinarian, cover exotics, meaning live wild mammals, hybrids of wild mammals and reptiles not native to Delaware. Regulation 6.1 exempts a named list of pets outright, 6.2 requires a $25 Individual permit for everything else, and 4.7 names the only three animals that may not be permitted at all: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Non-native venomous snakes are banned by statute. Anything native to Delaware is not exotic and belongs to DNREC instead, which does not make native wildlife available as pets except for a captive-bred native snake in an aberrant color morph held under permit. Birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates are outside the exotic chapter entirely, because § 7201 names only mammals, their hybrids and reptiles.
How Delaware decides
Delaware runs two regimes with a clean seam between them. Title 3 chapter 72 and 3 Del. Admin. Code 903, administered by the State Veterinarian, cover exotics, and § 7201 defines those as live wild mammals, hybrids of wild mammals, and reptiles not native to Delaware. Anything native to Delaware is not an exotic and belongs to DNREC instead, whose wildlife rule bars possessing a native reptile or amphibian without a permit, apart from one each of a short named list. Birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates fall outside the exotic chapter altogether.
Inside that chapter the structure is simple and cheap. Regulation 6.1 exempts a named list of pets outright, 6.2 requires a $25 individual permit for everything else, and 4.7 names the only three animals that may not be permitted at all: the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. Non-native venomous snakes are barred by statute. Permit is the most common answer on this page because that $25 permit is the ordinary route rather than a hurdle.
Every ban outside the venomous snakes is a Delaware native, which is the seam doing its work. The tiger salamander is native and state endangered, so it is not an exotic, the permit route does not exist for it, and the endangered species rule bars possessing one. Three other natives come out conditional by the short list: 7 Del. Admin. Code 3900-15.2.2 lets one snapping turtle, one box turtle and one garter snake be collected and kept without a permit, and breeding any of them needs one. The corn snake, the milk snake and the hognose are not on that list, and what makes them conditional is narrower: a captive-bred native snake in an aberrant color morph may be held under permit.
What Delaware restricts
55 of 82, strictest first. Open one for the rule it comes from.
CobraBanned
Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, except for medical or psychological research or for display in any licensed zoological park or traveling circus, no person shall bring into this State, possess, sell or exhibit any poisonous snake not native to or generally found in Delaware where the venom of such snake poses a risk of serious injury or death to a human, and no permit for the same shall be issued by the Department of Agriculture.
The statute bars every venomous snake not native to Delaware outside research and licensed zoos and circuses, and says no permit shall issue. No pet route. The king cobra and the Asian Naja species are on CITES Appendix II, which governs import and export, not keeping.
How this rule works: §7201 requires a permit before bringing in, possessing, selling, or exhibiting any live wild mammal or reptile not native to Delaware; the California kingsnake, a Pacific coast species, falls under this permit requirement.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Eastern gray squirrelBanned
DNREC, The perils of wild pets; Del. Code tit. 7, ch. 7
"State regulations explicitly forbid Delawareans from owning" "native wildlife," "with an exception for wildlife rehabilitation experts, who must hold permits from DNREC to care for the animals."
The gray squirrel is native to Delaware. Native wildlife is DNREC's, not the Department of Agriculture's, so the exotic animal permit does not reach it, and DNREC says keeping native wildlife is not allowed outside its rehabilitation permits. The regulation DNREC refers to was not read here.
How this rule works: The enforcing agency's own reading. It says state regulations "explicitly forbid Delawareans from owning" native wildlife, with an exception for permitted rehabilitators, and that when asked about skunks from out-of-state breeders "the agency informs the inquirer this is not allowed".
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
RaccoonBanned
Del. Code tit. 7 § 795
No live skunks or raccoons shall be sold or possessed in this State or transported into this State for any purpose without a permit from the Division.
The raccoon is a Delaware native, so it belongs to DNREC rather than to the Agriculture exotic animal permit. § 795 requires a Division permit to possess one for any purpose, and DNREC says state regulations forbid owning native wildlife, the exception being permitted rehabilitators. The permit exists in the statute and is not issued for a pet.
How this rule works: The DNREC statute that answers Delaware's native carnivores, which the Agriculture exotic animal chapter never reaches. § 789 bars selling, buying or possessing a live red fox, except at a State or local government animal exhibition; § 791 lets a holder of five or more foxhounds raise wild whelps under permit and release them by August 15th; § 795 bars selling or possessing a live skunk or raccoon "for any purpose without a permit from the Division".
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
RattlesnakeBanned
Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, except for medical or psychological research or for display in any licensed zoological park or traveling circus, no person shall bring into this State, possess, sell or exhibit any poisonous snake not native to or generally found in Delaware where the venom of such snake poses a risk of serious injury or death to a human, and no permit for the same shall be issued by the Department of Agriculture.
The statute itself bars every venomous snake not native to or generally found in Delaware, with exceptions only for medical or psychological research and licensed zoos and traveling circuses, and says no permit shall issue. It reaches every rattlesnake that is not native to or generally found in Delaware.
How this rule works: §7201 requires a permit before bringing in, possessing, selling, or exhibiting any live wild mammal or reptile not native to Delaware; the California kingsnake, a Pacific coast species, falls under this permit requirement.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Red foxBanned
Del. Code tit. 7 §§ 789, 791
No live red fox shall be sold, purchased, possessed or exposed for sale in this State, or shipped by freight or express, or otherwise, or taken from any place within this State to any place outside this State.
Delaware bars possessing a live red fox by statute, with no permit, and the only exceptions are a State or local government animal exhibition and the foxhound owner's seasonal permit in § 791 to raise wild whelps for chasing, which must be released by August 15th.
How this rule works: The DNREC statute that answers Delaware's native carnivores, which the Agriculture exotic animal chapter never reaches. § 789 bars selling, buying or possessing a live red fox, except at a State or local government animal exhibition; § 791 lets a holder of five or more foxhounds raise wild whelps under permit and release them by August 15th; § 795 bars selling or possessing a live skunk or raccoon "for any purpose without a permit from the Division".
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Striped skunkBanned
Del. Code tit. 7 § 795
No live skunks or raccoons shall be sold or possessed in this State or transported into this State for any purpose without a permit from the Division.
§ 795 requires a Division permit for a live skunk for any purpose, and DNREC says that when people ask about buying a skunk from an out-of-state breeder it tells them "this is not allowed". The permit is for rehabilitators, not keepers.
How this rule works: The DNREC statute that answers Delaware's native carnivores, which the Agriculture exotic animal chapter never reaches. § 789 bars selling, buying or possessing a live red fox, except at a State or local government animal exhibition; § 791 lets a holder of five or more foxhounds raise wild whelps under permit and release them by August 15th; § 795 bars selling or possessing a live skunk or raccoon "for any purpose without a permit from the Division".
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Tiger salamanderBanned
Del. Code tit. 7, c. 7
The eastern tiger salamander is native to Delaware and is state endangered there. Amphibians sit outside the Agriculture permit chapter, which names only mammals, their hybrids and reptiles, so DNREC's native wildlife rules are the whole answer and they do not make native wildlife available as pets. The barred tiger salamander sold in the trade is a western species and would fall outside the native rules, but it is also outside the Agriculture chapter, which is why the axolotl comes out legal here.
How this rule works: Delaware Code Online's game and fish possession chapter administered by DNREC, paired with a separate exotic species permit chapter at Del. Code tit. 3, c. 72.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Virginia opossumBanned
DNREC, The perils of wild pets; Del. Code tit. 7, ch. 7
"State regulations explicitly forbid Delawareans from owning" "native wildlife," "with an exception for wildlife rehabilitation experts, who must hold permits from DNREC to care for the animals."
The Virginia opossum is native to Delaware. Regulation 903-6.1.1 exempts "Possums" from the Agriculture permit, but that rule governs exotics, and DNREC says non-native wildlife is Agriculture's and native wildlife its own, so the exemption does not reach the native opossum. Native wildlife is DNREC's, not the Department of Agriculture's, so the exotic animal permit does not reach it, and DNREC says keeping native wildlife is not allowed outside its rehabilitation permits. The regulation DNREC refers to was not read here.
How this rule works: The enforcing agency's own reading. It says state regulations "explicitly forbid Delawareans from owning" native wildlife, with an exception for permitted rehabilitators, and that when asked about skunks from out-of-state breeders "the agency informs the inquirer this is not allowed".
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
White-tailed deerBanned
DNREC, The perils of wild pets; Del. Code tit. 7, ch. 7
"State regulations explicitly forbid Delawareans from owning" "native wildlife," "with an exception for wildlife rehabilitation experts, who must hold permits from DNREC to care for the animals."
The white-tailed deer is native to Delaware. Captive cervid and chronic wasting disease rules, which would govern a farmed herd, were not read here. Native wildlife is DNREC's, not the Department of Agriculture's, so the exotic animal permit does not reach it, and DNREC says keeping native wildlife is not allowed outside its rehabilitation permits. The regulation DNREC refers to was not read here.
How this rule works: The enforcing agency's own reading. It says state regulations "explicitly forbid Delawareans from owning" native wildlife, with an exception for permitted rehabilitators, and that when asked about skunks from out-of-state breeders "the agency informs the inquirer this is not allowed".
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Ackie monitorPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The ackie monitor is a live reptile not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit before anyone may bring one in, possess, sell or exhibit it. No monitor appears on the exempt list, and the Komodo dragon is the one varanid Delaware refuses to permit at all, so the family is treated with some care here. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
American alligatorPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
Delaware's reptile class expressly includes crocodilians and none is exempt, so an alligator needs an Individual Permit. Crocodilians appear otherwise only in 7.5.2.10, which bars Sales Permit holders from breeding them. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Arctic foxPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The arctic fox is a nonnative wild mammal not on the exempt list, so 6.2 requires an Individual permit, the fennec fox's position. The live red fox bar in tit. 7 § 789 names the red fox only. The $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture is issued where possession will be in the public interest, and Delaware's only outright refusals under 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances are the more likely obstacle.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Asian small-clawed otterPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
A nonnative wild mammal not on the exempt list, so 6.2 requires an Individual permit. Ferrets are the only mustelid exempted. CITES Appendix I since 2019 governs international trade separately. The $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture is issued where possession will be in the public interest, and Delaware's only outright refusals under 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances are the more likely obstacle.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Ball pythonPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-7.5.2.10, with 903-6.2
All giant snakes when average adult body length of the species is larger than 5 feet: Anacondas, Pythons and Boas
Corrected from banned. Pythons do appear in these regulations, but only at 7.5.2.10, which lists giant snakes over five feet among the animals a Sales Permit holder may not breed. That is a breeding restriction on one permit class, not a prohibition on possession, and it carries a size qualifier the previous entry read past. The only animals the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. A ball python is a non-native reptile on no exempt list, so it needs an Individual permit. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Bennett's wallabyPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
A wallaby is a live wild mammal not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so an Individual Permit is required. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Boa constrictorPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
Resolved from unclear. The question was whether Delaware's list reached Boidae generally, and the answer is that the list in question is a breeding restriction on Sales Permit holders at 7.5.2.10, not a possession ban, and the only outright refusals are the gila monster, beaded lizard and komodo dragon. The boa constrictor is simply a non-native reptile that no exemption covers, so an Individual permit is required. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Burmese pythonPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
All giant snakes when average adult body length of the species is larger than 5 feet: Anacondas, Pythons and Boas
The Burmese python is a non-native reptile and no snake is exempt in Delaware, so an Individual permit is required. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door. It is not banned here: pythons appear in these rules only at 7.5.2.10, which bars Sales Permit holders from breeding giant snakes over five feet, and that is a breeding restriction on a permit class rather than a prohibition on keeping one. Federally, the Burmese python has been injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act since 2012 (50 CFR 16.15(a)), which bars importing one into the country or shipping one to Hawaii or a territory; USARK v. Zinke (D.C. Cir. 2017) held it does not bar shipment between the continental states.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
California kingsnakePermit required
Del. Code tit. 3, c. 72
A live reptile not native to or generally found in Delaware needs a permit from the Department of Agriculture before it may be brought into the state, possessed, sold, or exhibited. The California kingsnake, a Pacific coast species, is exotic to Delaware.
How this rule works: §7201 requires a permit before bringing in, possessing, selling, or exhibiting any live wild mammal or reptile not native to Delaware; the California kingsnake, a Pacific coast species, falls under this permit requirement.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Canada lynxPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The Canada lynx is not a Delaware animal and is not on the exempt list, so it needs the Individual permit, the serval's position. It is federally threatened, which brings federal rules on interstate sale. The $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture is issued where possession will be in the public interest, and Delaware's only outright refusals under 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances are the more likely obstacle.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Capuchin monkeyPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
Delaware defines a primate as a mammal of the highest order "including monkeys and lemurs", makes primates a class of exotic, and exempts none, so a capuchin needs an Individual Permit, which the regulation writes for an exotic "kept as a pet". The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
CapybaraPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
Corrected from banned. The previous entry read a wild rodent prohibition into Delaware's rules; no such prohibition exists in chapter 903. The exempt mammal list simply does not reach the capybara, which leaves it a live wild mammal needing an Individual permit under 6.2. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Common marmosetPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
Primates are a class of exotic in Delaware and none is exempt, so a marmoset needs an Individual Permit, the permit the regulation writes for an exotic kept as a pet. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
CougarPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
The cougar is not generally found in Delaware, so it is an exotic wild mammal under § 7201 and needs an Individual Permit. No big cat is refused by name. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked. Federally, the Big Cat Public Safety Act of 2022 (16 U.S.C. § 3372(e)) bars any person outside a licensed exhibitor, sanctuary or state institution from breeding or possessing a cougar unless the animal was born before December 20, 2022, and registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within 180 days, so no new pet is lawful anywhere in the country whatever the state rule says. The Florida panther subspecies is also endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Fennec foxPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The fennec fox is a live wild mammal and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door. Delaware's outright refusals at 4.7 are only the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon, so no mammal is barred from permitting by name. County and municipal ordinances are the more likely obstacle for a cat or a canid of this size.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Flying squirrelPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The southern flying squirrel is a wild mammal and squirrels are not on the exempt list, which covers hamsters, gerbils, mice, Norway rats, guinea pigs, chinchillas, degus, rabbits, possums, ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders. A permit is therefore required. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door. Delaware's flying squirrel is also a native animal, so DNREC's native wildlife rules bear on taking one from the wild here regardless of the Agriculture permit.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Green anacondaPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
No snake is exempt in Delaware, so a green anaconda needs an Individual Permit. Anacondas appear in the rules only in 7.5.2.10's breeding limit on Sales Permit holders, not as a ban on keeping one. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked. Federally, the green anaconda has been injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act since 2015 (50 CFR 16.15(a)), which bars importing one into the country or shipping one to Hawaii or a territory; USARK v. Zinke (D.C. Cir. 2017) held it does not bar shipment between the continental states.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
KinkajouPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The kinkajou is a live wild mammal not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list at 6.1, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit, the fennec fox's position. The $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture is issued where possession will be in the public interest, and Delaware's only outright refusals under 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances are the more likely obstacle.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
LionPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
A lion is a live wild mammal not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so an Individual Permit is required. No big cat is refused by name. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked. Federally, the Big Cat Public Safety Act of 2022 (16 U.S.C. § 3372(e)) bars any person outside a licensed exhibitor, sanctuary or state institution from breeding or possessing a lion unless the animal was born before December 20, 2022, and registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within 180 days, so no new pet is lawful anywhere in the country whatever the state rule says.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Nile monitorPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The Nile monitor is a live reptile not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit before anyone may bring one in, possess, sell or exhibit it. No monitor appears on the exempt list. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Prairie dogPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
Corrected from banned. The previous entry read a wild rodent prohibition into Delaware's rules; no such prohibition exists in chapter 903. The exempt mammal list simply does not reach the prairie dog, which leaves it a live wild mammal needing an Individual permit under 6.2. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Red-eared sliderPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The red-eared slider is a live reptile not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit before anyone may bring one in, possess, sell or exhibit it. Delaware exempts no chelonian of any kind. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Red-footed tortoisePermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The red-footed tortoise is a live reptile not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit before anyone may bring one in, possess, sell or exhibit it. Delaware exempts no chelonian of any kind. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Reticulated pythonPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
No snake is exempt in Delaware, so a reticulated python needs an Individual Permit. Pythons appear in the rules only at 7.5.2.10, which bars Sales Permit holders from breeding "All giant snakes when average adult body length of the species is larger than 5 feet", a breeding limit on one permit class rather than a ban on keeping one, the Burmese python's answer. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked. Federally, the reticulated python has been injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act since 2015 (50 CFR 16.15(a)), which bars importing one into the country or shipping one to Hawaii or a territory; USARK v. Zinke (D.C. Cir. 2017) held it does not bar shipment between the continental states.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Ring-tailed lemurPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
Delaware's definition of primate names lemurs, and none is exempt, so a lemur needs an Individual Permit, the permit the regulation writes for an exotic kept as a pet. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked. Lemur catta is on CITES Appendix I, which bars commercial international trade, so a pet lemur here can only come from captive breeding inside the country, and the whole family Lemuridae is listed endangered under the Endangered Species Act (50 CFR 17.11).
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Rosy boaPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
Resolved from unclear. The question was whether Delaware's list reached Boidae generally, and the answer is that the list in question is a breeding restriction on Sales Permit holders at 7.5.2.10, not a possession ban, and the only outright refusals are the gila monster, beaded lizard and komodo dragon. The rosy boa is simply a non-native reptile that no exemption covers, so an Individual permit is required. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Russian tortoisePermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The Russian tortoise is a live reptile not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit before anyone may bring one in, possess, sell or exhibit it. Delaware exempts no chelonian of any kind. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Savannah monitorPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The savannah monitor is a live reptile not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit before anyone may bring one in, possess, sell or exhibit it. Varanidae is absent from the exempt reptile list, which runs to anoles, agamas, water dragons, basilisks, bearded dragons, chameleons, geckos, iguanas, skinks, swifts and tegus. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
ServalPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The serval is a live wild mammal and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door. Delaware's outright refusals at 4.7 are only the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon, so no mammal is barred from permitting by name. County and municipal ordinances are the more likely obstacle for a cat or a canid of this size.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Spectacled caimanPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
Delaware's reptile class expressly includes crocodilians and none is exempt, so a caiman needs an Individual Permit. Caimans are named in 7.5.2.10 only as animals Sales Permit holders may not breed. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Squirrel monkeyPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
Primates are a class of exotic in Delaware and none is exempt, so a squirrel monkey needs an Individual Permit, the permit the regulation writes for an exotic kept as a pet. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Sulcata tortoisePermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The sulcata is a live reptile not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so regulation 6.2 requires an Individual permit before anyone may bring one in, possess, sell or exhibit it. Delaware exempts no chelonian of any kind. Note that giant tortoises, meaning Aldabras and Galapagos, are barred from being bred by Sales Permit holders under 7.5.2.10, but a sulcata is neither and the restriction is on breeding by permit holders rather than on possession. The permit is a $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture, issued where possession will be in the public interest, so this is a real route rather than a closed door.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
TigerPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
A tiger is a live wild mammal not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so § 7201 and regulation 6.2 require a permit, and 7.1.1 makes it the Individual Permit for a pet. No big cat is refused by name. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked. Federally, the Big Cat Public Safety Act of 2022 (16 U.S.C. § 3372(e)) bars any person outside a licensed exhibitor, sanctuary or state institution from breeding or possessing a tiger unless the animal was born before December 20, 2022, and registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within 180 days, so no new pet is lawful anywhere in the country whatever the state rule says.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Two-toed slothPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, 7.1.1, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
When an exotic is kept as a pet, the owner or custodian of the exotic must apply to the Department for an Individual Permit on a form supplied by the Department.
A sloth is a live wild mammal not native to Delaware and is not on the exempt list, so an Individual Permit is required. The Individual Permit is issued per animal for three years, after the Department is satisfied the animal will be held in a sturdy, escape-proof primary enclosure inside a secondary enclosure that keeps the public out, and a background check may be run. Delaware's only outright refusals at 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances were not checked.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
White-nosed coatiPermit required
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-6.2, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
Unless specifically exempt from the permitting requirement as presented in regulation 6.1, all persons who would own or have custody of an exotic animal must first obtain a permit issued by the Department.
The coati is a nonnative wild mammal not on the exempt list, so it needs the Individual permit under 6.2. The $25 Individual permit from the Department of Agriculture is issued where possession will be in the public interest, and Delaware's only outright refusals under 4.7 are the gila monster, the beaded lizard and the komodo dragon. County and municipal ordinances are the more likely obstacle.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Bengal catConditions apply
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-3.0, 903-6.1, 903-6.2; Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
"Hybrid of a wild mammal" means a mammal whose parents are different varieties of the same species or belong to different but closely allied species, one parent being a wild mammal not native to or generally found in Delaware and the other parent being a domestic mammal native to or generally found in Delaware.
Delaware's statute requires a permit before anyone possesses a "hybrid of a wild mammal", and the regulation defines the term by the animal's parents: one a non-native wild mammal, the other a domestic mammal. An F1 Bengal, an Asian leopard cat crossed with a domestic cat, is exactly that animal and needs the $25 Individual permit under regulation 6.2, since no cat is on the exempt list at 6.1. A later-generation Bengal has a Bengal parent rather than a leopard cat, so on the regulation's own words it is not a hybrid of a wild mammal and falls outside the permit requirement. The statute leaves the term undefined, so the F2 line is the regulation's reading rather than a filial rule anyone wrote down.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Box turtleConditions apply
7 DE Admin. Code 3900-15.2.1, 15.2.2, 15.3.1
Notwithstanding subsection 15.2.1 of this section, 1 individual of each of the following species of reptiles and amphibians or parts thereof from the following reptiles, may be collected and possessed without a permit ... Turtle, Eastern Box (Terrapene carolina)
The condition is one. DNREC's wildlife regulation makes it unlawful to take or possess any native reptile without a permit, then lists the species of which one individual may be collected and possessed without one, and the eastern box turtle is on that list despite being a species of greatest conservation need. Breeding needs a permit under 15.3.1, and a turtle held more than 30 days may not be released back to the wild. A Terrapene that is not a Delaware native would instead need an Individual permit from Agriculture as a non-native reptile.
How this rule works: An exotic animal is 'ecologically foreign to Delaware, but allowed for possession, sale, and exhibition if a permit has been issued by the Department', covering live wild mammals, hybrids of wild mammals, and live reptiles not native to the state. A prohibited sublist sits on top, barred to everyone outside parks, zoos, aquariums, museums and research facilities. Administered by the State Veterinarian.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Corn snakeConditions apply
Del. Code tit. 7, c. 7
Corrected from legal. The previous entry cleared this snake against a banned list that does not exist in the form described. The real point is that the corn snake is native to Delaware, so it is not exotic, the Agriculture permit chapter does not reach it, and DNREC's native wildlife rules do. Those rules do not make native wildlife available as pets, with one carve-out that matters here: a captive-bred native snake in an aberrant color morph may be held under permit. Since the pet trade in this species is almost entirely captive-bred color morphs, most animals offered for sale can qualify where a wild-type one cannot. Hence conditional rather than banned, which is where the garter snake sits.
How this rule works: Delaware Code Online's game and fish possession chapter administered by DNREC, paired with a separate exotic species permit chapter at Del. Code tit. 3, c. 72.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Garter snakeConditions apply
7 DE Admin. Code 3900-15.2.1, 15.2.2, 15.3.1
Notwithstanding subsection 15.2.1 of this section, 1 individual of each of the following species of reptiles and amphibians or parts thereof from the following reptiles, may be collected and possessed without a permit ... Gartersnake, Common (Thamnophis sirtalis)
The condition is one. DNREC's wildlife regulation makes it unlawful to take or possess any native reptile without a permit, then lists the species of which one individual may be collected and possessed without one, and the common garter snake is on that list. Breeding any native species needs a permit under 15.3.1, and an animal held more than 30 days may not be released back to the wild. The Department of Agriculture's exotic animal page says native species cannot be kept as pets at all; the regulation is the binding text and it allows one.
How this rule works: An exotic animal is 'ecologically foreign to Delaware, but allowed for possession, sale, and exhibition if a permit has been issued by the Department', covering live wild mammals, hybrids of wild mammals, and live reptiles not native to the state. A prohibited sublist sits on top, barred to everyone outside parks, zoos, aquariums, museums and research facilities. Administered by the State Veterinarian.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Hognose snakeConditions apply
Del. Code tit. 7, c. 7, with Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
The condition is which hognose. The eastern hognose is native to Delaware, so it is DNREC's and native reptiles are not available for private ownership, subject only to the captive-bred aberrant color morph carve-out held under permit. The western hognose that dominates the pet trade is not a Delaware species, which makes it a non-native reptile needing an Individual permit from Agriculture instead. Neither route is simply open, but they are different routes.
How this rule works: Delaware Code Online's game and fish possession chapter administered by DNREC, paired with a separate exotic species permit chapter at Del. Code tit. 3, c. 72.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Milk snakeConditions apply
Del. Code tit. 7, c. 7
Corrected from legal. The previous entry cleared this snake against a banned list that does not exist in the form described. The real point is that the eastern milk snake is native to Delaware, so it is not exotic, the Agriculture permit chapter does not reach it, and DNREC's native wildlife rules do. Those rules do not make native wildlife available as pets, with one carve-out that matters here: a captive-bred native snake in an aberrant color morph may be held under permit. Since the pet trade in this species is almost entirely captive-bred color morphs, most animals offered for sale can qualify where a wild-type one cannot. Hence conditional rather than banned, which is where the garter snake sits.
How this rule works: Delaware Code Online's game and fish possession chapter administered by DNREC, paired with a separate exotic species permit chapter at Del. Code tit. 3, c. 72.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
Savannah catConditions apply
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-3.0, 903-6.1, 903-6.2; Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
"Hybrid of a wild mammal" means a mammal whose parents are different varieties of the same species or belong to different but closely allied species, one parent being a wild mammal not native to or generally found in Delaware and the other parent being a domestic mammal native to or generally found in Delaware.
Delaware's statute requires a permit before anyone possesses a "hybrid of a wild mammal", and the regulation defines the term by the animal's parents: one a non-native wild mammal, the other a domestic mammal. An F1 Savannah, a serval crossed with a domestic cat, is exactly that animal and needs the $25 Individual permit under regulation 6.2, since no cat is on the exempt list at 6.1. A later-generation Savannah has a Savannah parent rather than a serval, so on the regulation's own words it is not a hybrid of a wild mammal and falls outside the permit requirement. The statute leaves the term undefined, so the F2 line is the regulation's reading rather than a filial rule anyone wrote down.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
Snapping turtleConditions apply
7 DE Admin. Code 3900-15.2.1, 15.2.2, 15.3.1
Notwithstanding subsection 15.2.1 of this section, 1 individual of each of the following species of reptiles and amphibians or parts thereof from the following reptiles, may be collected and possessed without a permit ... Turtle, Snapping (Chelydra serpentina)
The condition is one. DNREC's wildlife regulation makes it unlawful to take or possess any native reptile without a permit, then lists the species of which one individual may be collected and possessed without one, and the snapping turtle is on that list. Breeding needs a permit under 15.3.1, and a turtle held more than 30 days may not be released back to the wild. The Department of Agriculture's exotic animal page says native species cannot be kept as pets at all; the regulation is the binding text and it allows one.
How this rule works: An exotic animal is 'ecologically foreign to Delaware, but allowed for possession, sale, and exhibition if a permit has been issued by the Department', covering live wild mammals, hybrids of wild mammals, and live reptiles not native to the state. A prohibited sublist sits on top, barred to everyone outside parks, zoos, aquariums, museums and research facilities. Administered by the State Veterinarian.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
WolfdogConditions apply
3 Del. Admin. Code 903-3.0, 903-6.2; Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201
"Hybrid of a wild mammal" means a mammal whose parents are different varieties of the same species or belong to different but closely allied species, one parent being a wild mammal not native to or generally found in Delaware and the other parent being a domestic mammal native to or generally found in Delaware.
Delaware defines a hybrid by its parents, so the Savannah cat's answer applies. A first-generation wolf by dog cross is a hybrid of a wild mammal and needs the $25 Individual permit under 6.2. A later generation has a wolfdog parent rather than a wolf, so on the regulation's words it is outside the permit requirement. The statute leaves "hybrid" undefined, so the F2 line is the regulation's reading rather than a filial rule anyone wrote.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.
American black bearUnclear
Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201; tit. 7 ch. 7
No person shall bring into this State, possess, sell or exhibit any live wild mammal or hybrid of a wild mammal or live reptile not native to or generally found in Delaware without first securing a permit under this chapter.
The same question as the bobcat. The black bear is historically native to Delaware and has no resident population now. Treated as native, it is DNREC's, and DNREC says native wildlife may not be owned. Treated as not generally found here, it is an Agriculture exotic that needs the Individual permit, and nothing in 903 refuses a bear by name. Neither agency has said which.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
BobcatUnclear
Del. Code tit. 3 § 7201; tit. 7 ch. 7
No person shall bring into this State, possess, sell or exhibit any live wild mammal or hybrid of a wild mammal or live reptile not native to or generally found in Delaware without first securing a permit under this chapter.
Which agency answers the bobcat depends on whether it is "native to or generally found in Delaware". It is historically native and was long gone from the state, with only occasional records now. If it counts as native, it belongs to DNREC, which says state regulations forbid owning native wildlife, and the answer is no. If not, it is an exotic under the Agriculture chapter and needs the $25 Individual permit, like the serval. Neither agency has published which.
How this rule works: The regulation that actually decides Delaware, and it is much narrower than the list circulating in secondary sources. § 7201 requires a permit before anyone brings in, possesses, sells or exhibits a live wild mammal, a hybrid of a wild mammal, or a live reptile not native to Delaware, and bans non-native venomous snakes outright with no permit available. Regulation 6.1 then exempts a named list of pets from the permit entirely, and 6.2 says everything else needs one. The only species the State Veterinarian may not permit at all are at 4.7: gila monsters, beaded lizards and komodo dragons. Pythons, anacondas and boas appear only at 7.5.2.10, a restriction on what Sales Permit holders may breed, not a possession ban. This was read from a full reproduction and cross-checked against the Department of Agriculture's own exotic animals page.
Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.
No restriction found in Delaware
27 of 82. Each was read against the same body of law as the entries above and nothing in it reaches them. Local ordinances and tenancy terms still apply and are not on this map.
- African grey parrot
- Argentine black and white tegu
- Axolotl
- Bearded dragon
- Blue-tongue skink
- Chinchilla
- Cockatoo
- Crested gecko
- Degu
- Emperor scorpion
- Ferret
- Gerbil
- Giant African millipede
- Green anole
- Green iguana
- Guinea pig
- Hamster
- Hedgehog
- Jackson's chameleon
- Leopard gecko
- Madagascar hissing cockroach
- Quaker parakeet
- Rabbit
- Sugar glider
- Tarantula
- Tokay gecko
- Veiled chameleon
Cite this page
Every entry here is quoted from the statute or regulation it comes from, with the date it was last read against the published text.
Before you rely on this
This page covers state law only. Cities and counties routinely prohibit what Delaware allows, and a lease or HOA agreement can bar an animal that every level of government permits. Check all three, and check them in that order, because the one most likely to stop you is the one closest to your front door.