Exotic pet laws in the District of Columbia

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories, the same finding already documented for the savannah monitor.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 27 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes

The reptile category is snakes, fish and turtles. Lizards are simply absent from the entire permitted list, so every lizard is barred in the District by omission rather than by any decision about tegus.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following

The seven permitted categories are dogs, cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes, fish and turtles, ferrets and racing pigeons. No amphibian fits any of them, so the axolotl is barred by omission.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals; (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds, including chickens; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets; and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements.

The reptile category at (E) is "Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles" and no lizard appears anywhere in the seven, which is what bars the bearded dragon, the green iguana and the veiled chameleon alike in the District. The clause is a bar with seven exceptions and no permit behind it: subsections (j)(2) to (j)(5) reach public zoos, federally licensed exhibitors, rehabilitators, veterinarians, shelters, and goats and sheep brought in to eat grass. There is no route for a private keeper.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals; (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds, including chickens; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets; and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements.

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories. The clause is a bar with seven exceptions and no permit behind it: subsections (j)(2) to (j)(5) reach public zoos, federally licensed exhibitors, rehabilitators, veterinarians, shelters, and goats and sheep brought in to eat grass. There is no route for a private keeper.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)

no person shall keep any living member of the animal kingdom as a household pet except

DC works from a closed list of seven permitted categories, one of which is domesticated rodents and rabbits. A capybara is a rodent but not a domesticated one, so it fits no category and is barred by default rather than by name.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals; (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds, including chickens; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets; and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements.

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories. The clause is a bar with seven exceptions and no permit behind it: subsections (j)(2) to (j)(5) reach public zoos, federally licensed exhibitors, rehabilitators, veterinarians, shelters, and goats and sheep brought in to eat grass. There is no route for a private keeper.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Domesticated rodents and rabbits

The rodent category is limited to domesticated ones. A degu is a wild species bred in captivity rather than a domesticated one, which puts it in the same position as the capybara and outside the category.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

a person shall not import into the District, possess... any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following

No invertebrate category exists in the permitted list.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)

no person shall keep any living member of the animal kingdom as a household pet except

None of the seven permitted categories covers a wild canid. DC bans by omission from a closed list, so nothing has to name the fennec fox.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals; (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds, including chickens; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets; and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements.

The rodent category at (C) is qualified: "Domesticated rodents and rabbits". A southern flying squirrel is a rodent and is not domesticated, so it falls outside the exception the guinea pig and the hamster sit inside. This is the same qualifier that decides the rabbit the other way in the same clause. The clause is a bar with seven exceptions and no permit behind it: subsections (j)(2) to (j)(5) reach public zoos, federally licensed exhibitors, rehabilitators, veterinarians, shelters, and goats and sheep brought in to eat grass. There is no route for a private keeper.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

a person shall not import into the District, possess... any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following

No invertebrate category exists in the permitted list, so every millipede, spider and scorpion is outside it. DC bans by omission rather than by name.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals; (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds, including chickens; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets; and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements.

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories. The green anole is barred in the District for the same reason the leopard gecko is, and unlike New York City the District never has to reach a taxonomic question about the family Iguanidae, because it lists what is allowed rather than what is not. The clause is a bar with seven exceptions and no permit behind it: subsections (j)(2) to (j)(5) reach public zoos, federally licensed exhibitors, rehabilitators, veterinarians, shelters, and goats and sheep brought in to eat grass. There is no route for a private keeper.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories, so DC bars the green iguana without ever having listed it as invasive the way Florida and Louisiana did.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Closed list permits 'domesticated rodents and rabbits'. Hedgehogs are Eulipotyphla, not rodents, so no category fits.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals; (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds, including chickens; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets; and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements.

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories, which is already why the veiled chameleon is banned here. The clause is a bar with seven exceptions and no permit behind it: subsections (j)(2) to (j)(5) reach public zoos, federally licensed exhibitors, rehabilitators, veterinarians, shelters, and goats and sheep brought in to eat grass. There is no route for a private keeper.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals; (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds, including chickens; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets; and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements.

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories. The District bans by omission rather than by naming a species, so nothing about the animal being small, captive-bred or unable to survive a Washington winter changes the answer. The clause is a bar with seven exceptions and no permit behind it: subsections (j)(2) to (j)(5) reach public zoos, federally licensed exhibitors, rehabilitators, veterinarians, shelters, and goats and sheep brought in to eat grass. There is no route for a private keeper.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals; (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds, including chickens; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets; and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements.

The seven permitted categories contain no invertebrate, which is what already bars the tarantula and the giant millipede here, and (j)(1) reaches "any living member of the animal kingdom" in terms. The clause is a bar with seven exceptions and no permit behind it: subsections (j)(2) to (j)(5) reach public zoos, federally licensed exhibitors, rehabilitators, veterinarians, shelters, and goats and sheep brought in to eat grass. There is no route for a private keeper.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

A rodent, but not a domesticated one.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)

no person shall keep any living member of the animal kingdom as a household pet except

The permitted list covers domesticated dogs and cats. A serval is neither, and there is no permit route in the section.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.

A marsupial, so the 'domesticated rodents and rabbits' category does not reach it.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

a person shall not import into the District, possess... any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following

Same gap as the millipede. The seven permitted categories contain no invertebrate.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following

Amphibians appear nowhere in the permitted list, so the salamander is barred alongside the axolotl.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)

Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes

No lizard fits any of the seven permitted categories.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 5 August 2026.

§ 8-1808(j)(1)(E)

Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles

Lizards are absent from the permitted list entirely.

How this rule works: A closed list and one of the shortest in the country. Subsection (j)(1) bars importing, possessing, displaying, selling, trading or giving as a household pet "any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity", except seven categories: domestic dogs, domestic cats, domesticated rodents and rabbits, captive-bred common cage birds, non-venomous snakes and fish and turtles, ferrets, and racing pigeons. No lizard, no amphibian and no invertebrate fits any of them. Read from the D.C. Code rather than from a reproduction: the seven categories and their exact wording are what every cell in this jurisdiction turns on.

Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.