Exotic pet laws in Idaho

Idaho Code § 25-236(1), (3)

No person shall possess, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange or importation into the state of Idaho any fox, skunk or raccoon, except as provided in subsection (2) or (3) of this section.

"Any fox" carries no species or nativity limit, so it reaches the arctic fox as well as Idaho's own, and the deleterious exotic animal list separately takes all non-native canids. The only exceptions are fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit, so there is no pet route.

How this rule works: An Agriculture statute that bars anyone from possessing, selling, trading or importing "any fox, skunk or raccoon", with two exceptions: fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals, and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit. There is no pet exception and no species limit on "any fox". IDAPA 13.01.10.200.07(a) cross-references it.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

Idaho Code § 25-236(1), (3)

No person shall possess, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange or importation into the state of Idaho any fox, skunk or raccoon, except as provided in subsection (2) or (3) of this section.

"Any fox" carries no species or nativity limit, so it reaches the fennec, and the Department of Agriculture's deleterious exotic animal list separately takes all non-native canids. The statute comes first: its only exceptions are fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit, so there is no pet route for a deleterious exotic animal permit to open.

How this rule works: An Agriculture statute that bars anyone from possessing, selling, trading or importing "any fox, skunk or raccoon", with two exceptions: fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals, and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit. There is no pet exception and no species limit on "any fox". IDAPA 13.01.10.200.07(a) cross-references it.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 02.04.27.403.05; 100.01

All deleterious exotic Large Felidae must be possessed on a facility that is AZA accredited. ... 05. Lion (Panthera leo).

The lion is listed under large felidae, the group the rule confines to AZA-accredited facilities, so no private possession permit route exists. 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: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

Idaho Code § 25-236(1), (3)

No person shall possess, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange or importation into the state of Idaho any fox, skunk or raccoon, except as provided in subsection (2) or (3) of this section.

Idaho bans the raccoon by statute. Fish and Game's rule even points at it, saying the Department of Agriculture may restrict the possession of "fox, skunk, raccoon" under § 25-236. The raccoon is also predatory wildlife under Idaho Code § 36-201. The only exceptions are fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit, so there is no pet route.

How this rule works: An Agriculture statute that bars anyone from possessing, selling, trading or importing "any fox, skunk or raccoon", with two exceptions: fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals, and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit. There is no pet exception and no species limit on "any fox". IDAPA 13.01.10.200.07(a) cross-references it.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

Idaho Code § 25-236(1), (3)

No person shall possess, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange or importation into the state of Idaho any fox, skunk or raccoon, except as provided in subsection (2) or (3) of this section.

"Any fox" is named, and the red fox is also an Idaho native. The only exceptions are fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit, so there is no pet route.

How this rule works: An Agriculture statute that bars anyone from possessing, selling, trading or importing "any fox, skunk or raccoon", with two exceptions: fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals, and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit. There is no pet exception and no species limit on "any fox". IDAPA 13.01.10.200.07(a) cross-references it.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 02.04.27.407; 100.01

All non-human primates must be possessed on a facility that is AZA accredited. The following primate species are exempt from this rule: 01. Capuchin (Cebus spp). 02. Marmoset (Saimiri spp). 03. Spider Monkeys (Atleles spp). 04. Squirrel Monkeys (Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico spp).

Lemurs are not among the four exempt primate entries, so a ring-tailed lemur is a deleterious exotic animal that may be held only on an AZA-accredited facility under a possession permit from the Administrator. 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: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

Idaho Code § 25-236(1), (3)

No person shall possess, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange or importation into the state of Idaho any fox, skunk or raccoon, except as provided in subsection (2) or (3) of this section.

The skunk is named in the statute, and it is predatory wildlife under § 36-201. The only exceptions are fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit, so there is no pet route.

How this rule works: An Agriculture statute that bars anyone from possessing, selling, trading or importing "any fox, skunk or raccoon", with two exceptions: fur farms holding domestic fur-bearing animals, and public parks, zoos, museums and educational institutions with an Agriculture permit. There is no pet exception and no species limit on "any fox". IDAPA 13.01.10.200.07(a) cross-references it.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 02.04.27.403.06; 100.01

All deleterious exotic Large Felidae must be possessed on a facility that is AZA accredited. ... 06. Tiger (Panthera tigris). All tigers and tiger-hybrids.

The tiger is listed under large felidae, the group the rule confines to AZA-accredited facilities, so no private possession permit route exists. 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: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .03, .04

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

A black bear is Idaho big game, and the rule's own marking requirement for "All captive big game animals" shows the Department licenses them. A captive possession license is required, and § 200.03 lets the Department refuse one on public safety grounds, which for a bear is the likely answer.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01; .010.06; Idaho Code § 36-202(g)

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

Idaho Code § 36-202(g) defines wildlife as animal life "native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature", which an otter is, and the conventional pets list has no mustelid but the ferret, so a captive possession license from Fish and Game is required. It is not on the Agriculture deleterious exotic list. CITES Appendix I since 2019 governs international trade separately.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01; .010.06; Idaho Code § 36-202(g); IDAPA 02.04.27.406

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

Idaho Code § 36-202(g) defines wildlife as animal life "native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature", and the conventional pets list has no marsupial but the sugar glider, so a captive possession license from Fish and Game is required. The Agriculture deleterious list names only the brush-tailed possum among marsupials.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .03; .010.03, .010.06

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

The bobcat is Idaho wildlife and not a conventional pet, whose closed list stops at dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, rodents, harmless herps, non-poultry birds, hedgehogs, tenrecs and sugar gliders. So holding one needs a Fish and Game captive possession license, which the rule offers as an individual animal license at a private facility. § 200.03 lets the Department refuse any license that would threaten public safety or native wildlife.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .03

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

The Canada lynx is Idaho wildlife and not a conventional pet, so it needs a Fish and Game captive possession license. It is federally threatened and an Idaho native, and § 200.03 lets the Department refuse any license that would threaten native wildlife, which makes this a permit on paper more than a likely one. The deleterious exotic animal list names only the caracal among lynx-like cats.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 02.04.27.407.01; IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .02

All non-human primates must be possessed on a facility that is AZA accredited. The following primate species are exempt from this rule: 01. Capuchin (Cebus spp). 02. Marmoset (Saimiri spp). 03. Spider Monkeys (Atleles spp). 04. Squirrel Monkeys (Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico spp).

The capuchin is one of four primate entries exempt from the Department of Agriculture's AZA-only rule. The entry names Cebus only, so the robust capuchins now placed in Sapajus are covered only on the older usage. Idaho Code § 36-202(g) defines wildlife as animal life "native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature", and the conventional pets list in 13.01.10.010.06 has no primate, so Fish and Game's captive possession license under 13.01.10.200.01 is still required, and 200.02 adds compliance with city and county ordinances.

Cities and counties here can prohibit what state law permits, so check your local ordinance too.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ 410.08

South American Rodents. All South American rodents except guinea pigs and chinchillas.

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris is a South American rodent and is not excepted.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, 010.06, 261.02.e

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

A cobra is venomous and so outside the conventional pets definition, which exempts only "non-venomous or non-dangerous reptiles". Keeping one needs a Fish and Game captive possession license, and § 261.02.e requires venomous reptile enclosures with safety glass, double walls against fangs and locks. The Agriculture deleterious list has no reptile. The king cobra and the Asian Naja species are on CITES Appendix II, which governs import and export, not keeping.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 02.04.27.407.02, .04; IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .02

All non-human primates must be possessed on a facility that is AZA accredited. The following primate species are exempt from this rule: 01. Capuchin (Cebus spp). 02. Marmoset (Saimiri spp). 03. Spider Monkeys (Atleles spp). 04. Squirrel Monkeys (Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico spp).

The rule swaps its genera, filing Saimiri under "Marmoset" and Callithrix under "Squirrel Monkeys", but either way the common marmoset is exempt from the Department of Agriculture's AZA-only rule, by name in .02 and by genus in .04. Idaho Code § 36-202(g) defines wildlife as animal life "native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature", and the conventional pets list in 13.01.10.010.06 has no primate, so Fish and Game's captive possession license under 13.01.10.200.01 is still required, and 200.02 adds compliance with city and county ordinances.

Cities and counties here can prohibit what state law permits, so check your local ordinance too.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .03, .04; IDAPA 13.01.06.100.08

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

The mountain lion is Idaho big game under 13.01.06.100.08 and not on the Agriculture deleterious list, which covers only nonnative animals. Holding one needs a Fish and Game captive possession license, all captive big game must be marked, felid enclosures need an 8-foot chain link fence with a top under 13.01.10.261.01, and § 200.03 lets the Department refuse a license on public safety grounds, the black bear's position. 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: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ 410.08

South American Rodents. All South American rodents except guinea pigs and chinchillas.

Octodon degus is a Chilean rodent and is not one of the two exceptions, so it is a deleterious exotic animal needing a possession permit.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 02.04.27.409.02; 100.01

409. DELETERIOUS EXOTIC ANIMALS - MAMMALS: PROCYONIDAE. 01. Coatimundi. 02. Kinkajou.

Named on the deleterious exotic animal list, and § 100.01 bars possessing a listed animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Only the large felids and most primates carry the extra AZA-accredited facility requirement, so a route exists, the serval's position. § 25-236 names the raccoon only, not its relatives.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 410.07

Prairie Dogs (Cynomys).

Prairie dogs (Cynomys) are on the deleterious exotic animal list, and possessing one requires a permit from the Administrator.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 404.04

Serval (Felis serval).

Listed under small felidae. Only the large felidae and primate lists carry the extra requirement that the facility be AZA accredited.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 02.04.27.407.02, .04; IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .02

All non-human primates must be possessed on a facility that is AZA accredited. The following primate species are exempt from this rule: 01. Capuchin (Cebus spp). 02. Marmoset (Saimiri spp). 03. Spider Monkeys (Atleles spp). 04. Squirrel Monkeys (Callithrix, Cebuella, Callibella, and Mico spp).

The rule swaps its genera, filing Saimiri under "Marmoset" and the marmoset genera under "Squirrel Monkeys", but either way the squirrel monkey is exempt from the Department of Agriculture's AZA-only rule, by genus in .02 and by name in .04. Idaho Code § 36-202(g) defines wildlife as animal life "native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature", and the conventional pets list in 13.01.10.010.06 has no primate, so Fish and Game's captive possession license under 13.01.10.200.01 is still required, and 200.02 adds compliance with city and county ordinances.

Cities and counties here can prohibit what state law permits, so check your local ordinance too.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01; .010.06; Idaho Code § 36-202(g)

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

Idaho Code § 36-202(g) defines wildlife as animal life "native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature", and the conventional pets list has no sloth, so a captive possession license from Fish and Game is required. It is not on the Agriculture deleterious list.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 02.04.27.409.01; 100.01

409. DELETERIOUS EXOTIC ANIMALS - MAMMALS: PROCYONIDAE. 01. Coatimundi. 02. Kinkajou.

Named on the deleterious exotic animal list as the coatimundi, so a possession permit from the Administrator is required, with no AZA facility condition.

How this rule works: Section 100.01 bars possession of a deleterious exotic animal without a possession permit from the Administrator. Sections 401 to 412 are the list itself, by taxon.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .03, .04; IDAPA 13.01.06.100.11; Idaho Code § 25-3701

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession (individual animal license or multiple animal license at a private, commercial or rehabilitation facility), sale or release license/permit from the Department.

The white-tailed deer is Idaho big game under 13.01.06.100.11. § 25-3701 limits domestic cervidae, which the wildlife definition leaves out, to fallow deer, elk and reindeer, so a white-tailed deer stays wildlife and needs a Fish and Game captive possession license, with the marking all captive big game needs. Because of CWD, § 200.03 says the Department will not permit the import of any live cervid not regulated as a domestic cervid, so an animal from out of state is closed off and § 200.03 lets the Department refuse any license.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

Idaho Code § 36-201; IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .07.a, 010.06, 261.02.e

Wildlife classified as Unprotected Wildlife or Predatory Wildlife that are lawfully taken by a person licensed or authorized to hunt or trap in accordance with Chapter 4, Title 36, Idaho Code, may be exported, transported, possessed, or sold without additional permit from the Department,

Idaho Code § 36-201 lists "Rattlesnake" as predatory wildlife, so a native rattlesnake taken by someone holding an Idaho hunting or trapping license may be kept with no further Department permit. Any other rattlesnake is venomous and so outside the conventional pets definition, which needs a captive possession license under 200.01; § 261.02.e sets locked, double-walled enclosures with safety glass for venomous reptiles.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ 010.06

Privately owned companion animals not intended for research or resale that are not native wildlife captured from the wild in Idaho

Captive bred stock is a conventional pet. Ambystoma mavortium is native to Idaho, so one taken from the wild in the state is wildlife and falls outside the definition.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01, .07.a; IDAPA 13.01.06.250

Wildlife classified as Unprotected Wildlife or Predatory Wildlife that are lawfully taken by a person licensed or authorized to hunt or trap in accordance with Chapter 4, Title 36, Idaho Code, may be exported, transported, possessed, or sold without additional permit from the Department,

Idaho classifies no opossum, so it falls under unprotected wildlife, "all wildlife not classified in the preceding categories". One lawfully taken in Idaho by a licensed hunter or trapper may be kept with no further permit. A marsupial is not on the conventional pets list, so one acquired any other way needs a captive possession license under 200.01.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ 010.06; § 200.01

non-venomous or non-dangerous reptiles and amphibians

The American alligator is non-venomous, which on the literal wording makes it a conventional pet exempt from any permit, but "non-dangerous" is not defined and a crocodilian is hard to call that. If it is not a conventional pet, it needs a Fish and Game captive possession license. The Agriculture deleterious list has no reptile.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ 010.06

non-venomous or non-dangerous reptiles and amphibians

Non-dangerous is not defined anywhere in the rule. A Burmese python is non-venomous, which on the literal wording is enough, but a giant constrictor is exactly the animal the qualifier appears aimed at. Ask Idaho Fish and Game before relying on this.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01

No person may import into Idaho... possess or otherwise hold in captivity... any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding... captive possession... license/permit from the Department.

Same gap as the tarantula. The venom test in the conventional pets definition is attached to reptiles and amphibians, so it says nothing either way about a scorpion, and no invertebrate category exists to fall into.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01

No person may import into Idaho... possess or otherwise hold in captivity... any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding... captive possession... license/permit from the Department.

A millipede is animal life and is not on the conventional pets list, so the same literal reading applies. Idaho's deleterious exotic animal rules at IDAPA 02.04.27 do not mention myriapods either, so nothing prohibits one outright.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 010.06

non-venomous or non-dangerous reptiles and amphibians

The green anaconda is non-venomous, which on the literal wording makes it a conventional pet exempt from any permit, but "non-dangerous" is not defined and a giant constrictor is the animal it appears aimed at. Same reading as the Burmese python. Ask Idaho Fish and Game before relying on it. 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: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ 36-202(g); IDAPA 13.01.10.010.06 and .200

"Wildlife" means any form of animal life, native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature provided that domestic cervidae as defined in section 25-3701, Idaho Code, shall not be classified as wildlife.

Two readings, both textual, and Idaho has published nothing that chooses between them. Read one way an insect is a form of animal life and therefore wildlife, IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01 bars possessing live wildlife without a Department license, and the conventional pets definition at 010.06 is a closed enumeration naming mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians and no invertebrate, so an imported cockroach would need a captive possession license. Read the other way the commission's scheme never reaches a terrestrial invertebrate at all: the eight classes at Idaho Code § 36-201 are vertebrate groups, IDAPA 13.01.06 classifies no invertebrate anywhere, and chapter 13.01.10 opens by excluding crustaceans from its own use of the word. The agriculture side is clean either way, because the invasive insect list at IDAPA 02.06.09.146 is a closed list of three forest pests and names no cockroach. Recorded unclear rather than guessed, on the same footing as New Jersey and New Mexico.

How this rule works: § 36-202(g) defines wildlife as "any form of animal life, native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature", excluding only domestic cervidae. § 36-201 then lists the eight classes the commission may sort wildlife into, all of them vertebrate groups, with predatory wildlife fixed by statute at seven named animals. IDAPA 13.01.06.250 sweeps up the remainder: "Unprotected Wildlife includes all wildlife not classified in the preceding categories."

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 010.06

non-venomous or non-dangerous reptiles and amphibians

Same undefined non-dangerous qualifier. A two meter monitor with a serious bite sits on the line.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

§ 010.06

non-venomous or non-dangerous reptiles and amphibians

The reticulated python is non-venomous, which on the literal wording makes it a conventional pet exempt from any permit, but "non-dangerous" is not defined and a giant constrictor is the animal it appears aimed at. Same reading as the Burmese python. Ask Idaho Fish and Game before relying on it. 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: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

§ 010.06; § 200.01

non-venomous or non-dangerous reptiles and amphibians

The spectacled caiman is non-venomous, which on the literal wording makes it a conventional pet exempt from any permit, but "non-dangerous" is not defined and a crocodilian is hard to call that. If it is not a conventional pet, it needs a Fish and Game captive possession license. The Agriculture deleterious list has no reptile.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

IDAPA 13.01.10.200.01

No person may import into Idaho, export from Idaho, transport, possess or otherwise hold in captivity, propagate, sell or release into the wild any live wildlife, except those animals exempted by Idaho Code or these rules, without a corresponding import, export, transport, captive possession... license/permit from the Department.

Idaho Code § 36-202(g) defines wildlife as any form of animal life, native or exotic, generally living in a state of nature, which on its face reaches an invertebrate. The conventional pets exemption is a closed list that names no invertebrate, and the contrast is deliberate: the agricultural animals definition two lines above says include but are not limited to, while this one does not. Read literally that means a captive possession license, which is almost certainly not how the Department treats a pet shop tarantula. Worth a phone call rather than an assumption.

How this rule works: Section 010.06 defines conventional pets, which sit outside the wildlife permit regime. Unusually explicit: it names ferrets, hedgehogs and sugar gliders in the rule text.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.