Exotic pet laws in Nebraska

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2), (3)

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae.

Every member of Ursidae is banned by statute with no permit, and the fur-producer exception covers only the lynx and the bobcat. Exceptions are public and accredited zoos and pre-1986 animals.

Existing owners: A person legally holding such an animal on March 1, 1986, may keep it for its lifetime under § 37-477(3), and may not trade, sell or dispose of it without the commission's written permission.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 §§ 001.01B, 001.08A

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported:

The only otter Nebraska names is its native river otter, on the Captive Wildlife Permit list. This Asian otter is not on the closed import list, so it cannot lawfully be brought in except to an accredited or public zoo under § 001.08A1. CITES Appendix I since 2019 bars commercial international trade.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2)(c), (3); 166 NAC 8 § 001.01B

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae. This subsection shall not apply to ... (c) any person who holds a captive wildlife permit issued pursuant to section 37-479 and who raises Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) or bobcats (Lynx rufus) solely for the purpose of producing furs

Every felid is banned by statute. The bobcat appears on the Captive Wildlife Permit list, but asterisked "For commercial purposes only", because the statute's one exception is a permit holder raising bobcats solely for fur or for breeding stock sold to fur producers.

Existing owners: A person legally holding such an animal on March 1, 1986, may keep it for its lifetime under § 37-477(3), and may not trade, sell or dispose of it without the commission's written permission.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(1), (2)(c), (3)

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae. This subsection shall not apply to ... (c) any person who holds a captive wildlife permit issued pursuant to section 37-479 and who raises Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) or bobcats (Lynx rufus) solely for the purpose of producing furs

A felid, so banned by statute, with the fur-producer exception named for this species and the bobcat only. The Captive Wildlife Permit list marks the lynx "For commercial purposes only". It is also federally threatened, which § 37-477(1) separately puts under special permit.

Existing owners: A person legally holding such an animal on March 1, 1986, may keep it for its lifetime under § 37-477(3), and may not trade, sell or dispose of it without the commission's written permission.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.08A, A1; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-246

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported: Alpaca ... Chinchilla, Chinchilla spp. ... Coatimundi ... Degu, Octodon spp. ... Fox, Vulpes spp. ... Genet ... Gerbil, Gerbillus spp. ... Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus ... Eurasian Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp. ... Jerboa, greater ... Sugar Glider(s), Petaurus spp. ... Wallabies ... All Ratites, All Waterfowl, All Peafowl, All Game Birds, All Cage and Aviary Birds

A capuchin is not native, so it is not a wild mammal and the Captive Wildlife Permit scheme never reaches it, but Nebraska's importation list is closed and names no primate, so there is no lawful way to bring one into the state except to an accredited or public zoo under § 001.08A1, the kinkajou's position.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.08A; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-246

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported: Alpaca ... Chinchilla, Chinchilla spp. ... Coatimundi ... Degu, Octodon spp. ... Fox, Vulpes spp. ... Genet ... Gerbil, Gerbillus spp. ... Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus ... Eurasian Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp. ... Jerboa, greater ... Sugar Glider(s), Petaurus spp. ... Wallabies ... All Ratites, All Waterfowl, All Peafowl, All Game Birds, All Cage and Aviary Birds

Nebraska answers an exotic mammal by importation rather than by possession, and it takes two steps to see why. §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals as species native to, migrating through, or established in Nebraska, so the capybara is not a wild mammal and the Captive Wildlife Permit scheme in § 001.01B never reaches it. That would look like a clean yes, except that § 001.08A is a closed importation list and this animal is not on it. There is no lawful way to bring one into the state, and § 001.08E forecloses reading anything else in the chapter as authority to. The list does carry several South American mammals, the alpaca, the guanaco, the vicuna, the llama, the chinchilla and the degu, so the omission is not about the continent.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.08A, A1; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-246

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported: Alpaca ... Chinchilla, Chinchilla spp. ... Coatimundi ... Degu, Octodon spp. ... Fox, Vulpes spp. ... Genet ... Gerbil, Gerbillus spp. ... Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus ... Eurasian Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp. ... Jerboa, greater ... Sugar Glider(s), Petaurus spp. ... Wallabies ... All Ratites, All Waterfowl, All Peafowl, All Game Birds, All Cage and Aviary Birds

A marmoset is not native, so it is not a wild mammal and the Captive Wildlife Permit scheme never reaches it, but Nebraska's importation list is closed and names no primate, so there is no lawful way to bring one into the state except to an accredited or public zoo under § 001.08A1, the kinkajou's position.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2), (3)

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae.

Nebraska bans the whole of Felidae by statute, so a cougar has no permit route. The exceptions are Felis domesticus, public and accredited zoos, and a captive wildlife permit holder raising Canada lynx or bobcats for fur, the serval'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.

Existing owners: A person legally holding such an animal on March 1, 1986, may keep it for its lifetime under § 37-477(3), and may not trade, sell or dispose of it without the commission's written permission.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.08A

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported: ... Coatimundi Nasua spp. ... Fox Vulpes spp. ... Genet Genetia spp.

Nebraska's import list is closed and names the coatimundi but not the kinkajou. A kinkajou is not native, so no Nebraska source can supply one, and it cannot lawfully be brought in except to an accredited or public zoo under § 001.08A1.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2), (3)

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae.

Nebraska bans the whole of Felidae by statute, so a lion has no permit route. The exceptions are Felis domesticus, public and accredited zoos, and a captive wildlife permit holder raising Canada lynx or bobcats for fur, the serval'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 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.

Existing owners: A person legally holding such an animal on March 1, 1986, may keep it for its lifetime under § 37-477(3), and may not trade, sell or dispose of it without the commission's written permission.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.01B; Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 37-246, 37-477(1)

It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to retain any wild birds or wild mammals (as defined in Nebraska revised statute 37-245 and 37-246) in captivity except the following species may be kept under authority of a Captive Wildlife Permit, a Controlled Shooting Area Permit, a Rehabilitation Permit or a Scientific Collectors Permit, issued by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission ... Badger ... Beaver ... Bobcat* ... Cottontail rabbit ... Squirrel - Fox, Gray, Flying (Glaucomys volans) ...

The black-tailed prairie dog is native to Nebraska, which makes it a wild mammal under § 37-246, which puts it inside the § 001.01B prohibition. What decides the answer is the list that follows: badger, beaver, bobcat, cottontail, crows, deer, ducks, foxes, geese, grouse, lynx, migratory birds, mink, muskrat, opossum, partridge, pheasant, quail, raccoon, river otter, bighorn sheep, fox and gray and flying squirrels, swans, turkey and long-tailed weasel. The prairie dog is not on it, and § 001.01B is written as a prohibition with the list as the only exception, so there is no permit to apply for. Nebraska is in the animal's core range and answers it with an omission.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8, definitions; § 001.08A

Cage and Aviary Birds - Means those captive-reared birds, not native to Nebraska, such as parrots, exotic finches, and canaries, which are adapted to live and breed in a cage. For purposes of this regulation, the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is not a cage and aviary bird.

Nebraska bans this bird by writing it out of a definition, which is the only instance of that technique on this map. The importation list ends with "All Cage and Aviary Birds", and the chapter defines that term as captive-reared birds not native to Nebraska, such as parrots, exotic finches and canaries, and then adds one sentence: "For purposes of this regulation, the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is not a cage and aviary bird." So every other pet parrot is importable and this one is not. The reason is agricultural rather than about the pet trade, since the monk parakeet is the species that builds communal stick nests on power infrastructure, and Nebraska also keeps a separate Nuisance Birds chapter at 166 NAC 7.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.08A, A1; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-246

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported: Alpaca ... Chinchilla, Chinchilla spp. ... Coatimundi ... Degu, Octodon spp. ... Fox, Vulpes spp. ... Genet ... Gerbil, Gerbillus spp. ... Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus ... Eurasian Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp. ... Jerboa, greater ... Sugar Glider(s), Petaurus spp. ... Wallabies ... All Ratites, All Waterfowl, All Peafowl, All Game Birds, All Cage and Aviary Birds

A ring-tailed lemur is not native, so it is not a wild mammal and the Captive Wildlife Permit scheme never reaches it, but Nebraska's importation list is closed and names no primate, so there is no lawful way to bring one into the state except to an accredited or public zoo under § 001.08A1, the kinkajou's position. The lemur family is also federally endangered, which § 37-477(1) and § 37-806(1) put behind a captive permit as well. 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: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2)

(1) No person shall keep in captivity in this state any wild birds, any wild mammals, any nongame wildlife in need of conservation as determined by the commission under section 37-805, or any wildlife determined to be an endangered or threatened species ... without first having obtained a permit. (2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae. This subsection shall not apply to (a) the species Felis domesticus, (b) any zoo, park, refuge, wildlife area, or nature center owned or operated by a city, village, state, or federal agency or any zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums or the Zoological Association of America, or (c) any person who holds a captive wildlife permit ... and who raises Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) or bobcats (Lynx rufus) solely for the purpose of producing furs.

Nebraska bans the whole of Felidae by statute, not by regulation, and there is no permit behind it. The three exceptions are Felis domesticus, public and accredited zoos, and a captive wildlife permit holder raising Canada lynx or bobcats for fur, which is the only commercial route and does not reach a serval. This is one of the shortest routes to a no on this map: no list to check, no species name, just the family.

Existing owners: A person legally holding such an animal on March 1, 1986, may keep it for its lifetime under § 37-477(3), and may not trade, sell or dispose of it without the commission's written permission.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.08A, A1; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-246

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported: Alpaca ... Chinchilla, Chinchilla spp. ... Coatimundi ... Degu, Octodon spp. ... Fox, Vulpes spp. ... Genet ... Gerbil, Gerbillus spp. ... Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus ... Eurasian Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp. ... Jerboa, greater ... Sugar Glider(s), Petaurus spp. ... Wallabies ... All Ratites, All Waterfowl, All Peafowl, All Game Birds, All Cage and Aviary Birds

A squirrel monkey is not native, so it is not a wild mammal and the Captive Wildlife Permit scheme never reaches it, but Nebraska's importation list is closed and names no primate, so there is no lawful way to bring one into the state except to an accredited or public zoo under § 001.08A1, the kinkajou's position.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2), (3)

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae.

Nebraska names the skunk in the statute's flat ban, beside the wolf and every cat and bear, with no permit behind it. The exceptions are public and accredited zoos and pre-1986 animals.

Existing owners: A person legally holding such an animal on March 1, 1986, may keep it for its lifetime under § 37-477(3), and may not trade, sell or dispose of it without the commission's written permission.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2), (3)

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae.

Nebraska bans the whole of Felidae by statute, so a tiger has no permit route. The exceptions are Felis domesticus, public and accredited zoos, and a captive wildlife permit holder raising Canada lynx or bobcats for fur, the serval'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 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.

Existing owners: A person legally holding such an animal on March 1, 1986, may keep it for its lifetime under § 37-477(3), and may not trade, sell or dispose of it without the commission's written permission.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 10 § 001.03

001.03 Regulated Taking of Reptiles and Amphibians - The provisions of 001.03 apply to all species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians native to Nebraska except those legally designated as Game species, Nongame Species in Need of Conservation, and Threatened or Endangered species. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale, or ship any reptile or amphibian species defined in this section except as provided in 001.03A. ... 001.03A2 For those individual specimens or parts thereof legally obtained by purchase or consignment from outside of Nebraska, sale, offer of sale and associated transport, possession or processing will be permitted without regard to limits or numbers for the species listed below in 001.03A3 and 001.03A4, provided that such authority shall be contingent upon a persons ability to provide proof of legal acquisition including bill of sale or consignment.

This one comes from an absence rather than a decision, and the mechanism is worth understanding because it will catch other native amphibians. 166 NAC 10 § 001.03 reaches every reptile and amphibian native to Nebraska that is not a game species, a nongame species in need of conservation, or threatened or endangered, and it makes it unlawful to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or ship any of them except as provided in § 001.03A. The exceptions are four closed lists: two bait frogs, sixteen species at ten each, seventeen at three each, and a scientific collectors permit. The tiger salamander is on none of them, and it is on none of the other three chapters either, so there is no exception available and no permit written for a pet. The out-of-state purchase route at § 001.03A2 does not help, because it is expressly limited to "the species listed below in 001.03A3 and 001.03A4". One caveat on the species: Nebraska's animal is the barred tiger salamander, treated as a subspecies of Ambystoma tigrinum under the lumping this rule's vintage reflects and often split off as A. mavortium now, and an argument that A. tigrinum sensu stricto is not native to Nebraska is the only visible way out of this.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.08A, A1; Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 37-246, 37-477(1)

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported: Alpaca ... Chinchilla, Chinchilla spp. ... Coatimundi ... Degu, Octodon spp. ... Fox, Vulpes spp. ... Genet ... Gerbil, Gerbillus spp. ... Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus ... Eurasian Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp. ... Jerboa, greater ... Sugar Glider(s), Petaurus spp. ... Wallabies ... All Ratites, All Waterfowl, All Peafowl, All Game Birds, All Cage and Aviary Birds

The bar is on bringing one in, not on keeping one. §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild mammals as species native to, migrating through or established in Nebraska, so a sloth is not a wild mammal, and neither two-toed sloth is a federally endangered or threatened species, so neither the § 37-477(1) captive permit nor the Captive Wildlife Permit scheme reaches it. What reaches it is § 001.08A, a closed importation list that names no sloth, so a sloth can lawfully come into Nebraska only to an accredited or public zoo or another facility § 001.08A1 names, the kinkajou's position. No Nebraska rule was found on possessing a sloth already in the state; banned here means no lawful way to get one here.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.07A, A2; § 001.01A, B

001.07A It shall be unlawful, except under provisions of 001.01A, for any person, partnership, association or corporation to import into the state, possess, retain in captivity, or release to the wild any of the species listed below, ... 001.07A2 White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) constitutes both economic and ecologic threat.

The white-tailed deer appears on the § 001.01B list only with a pointer to § 001.07, and § 001.07A makes it a restricted species that may not be imported, possessed or kept in captivity, the only exception being the commission's plans under § 001.01A for wild cervids found inside a captive cervine facility. The grandfather in § 001.07B covers mule deer and wild pigs, not whitetails. The Department of Agriculture's domesticated cervine law was not read.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.01B, 001.01D; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-479

It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to retain any wild birds or wild mammals (as defined in Nebraska revised statute 37-245 and 37-246) in captivity except the following species may be kept under authority of a Captive Wildlife Permit, a Controlled Shooting Area Permit, a Rehabilitation Permit or a Scientific Collectors Permit, issued by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission ... Squirrel - Fox (Sciurus niger) Gray (Sciurus carolinensis)

The gray squirrel is named on the § 001.01B list. A Captive Wildlife Permit expires December 31st of the year issued, with a fee of not more than $30 under § 37-479, and § 001.01D bars one for an animal taken from the wild, so the animal must come from a licensed breeder or another permittee, the flying squirrel's position.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.01B, § 001.03A; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-479

It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to retain any wild birds or wild mammals (as defined in Nebraska revised statute 37-245 and 37-246) in captivity except the following species may be kept under authority of a Captive Wildlife Permit, a Controlled Shooting Area Permit, a Rehabilitation Permit or a Scientific Collectors Permit, issued by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission ... Badger ... Beaver ... Bobcat* ... Cottontail rabbit ... Squirrel - Fox, Gray, Flying (Glaucomys volans) ...

The southern flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans, is named on the § 001.01B list, so unlike the prairie dog it has a route: a Captive Wildlife Permit, expiring December 31st of the year issued, with an annual report due by January 15th and a fee of not more than $30 under § 37-479. Two conditions bite harder than the fee. § 001.01D says a Captive Wildlife Permit shall not be issued for an animal taken or removed from the wild, and § 001.02A requires proof the animal came from a licensed nonresident breeder or another permittee, so the paperwork is about provenance rather than about the keeper.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 §§ 001.01B, 001.01D, 001.02A

001.01B It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to retain any wild birds or wild mammals (as defined in Nebraska revised statute 37-245 and 37-246) in captivity except the following species may be kept under authority of a Captive Wildlife Permit ... Raccoon - (Procyon lotor)

The raccoon is a Nebraska native and on the list of wild mammals that may be kept under a Captive Wildlife Permit, obtained before acquisition. The permit is not for wild-caught animals: § 001.01D bars issuing one for an animal taken from the wild, and § 001.02A requires proof it came from a licensed breeder or permittee.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 §§ 001.01B, 001.01D

001.01B It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to retain any wild birds or wild mammals (as defined in Nebraska revised statute 37-245 and 37-246) in captivity except the following species may be kept under authority of a Captive Wildlife Permit ... Fox-Gray - (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) Red - (Vulpes vulpes)

Named on the Captive Wildlife Permit list by binomial. Unlike the bobcat and lynx it carries no "commercial purposes only" asterisk, so it is a pet permit, for a captive-bred animal only.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.01B, 001.01D; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-479

It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to retain any wild birds or wild mammals (as defined in Nebraska revised statute 37-245 and 37-246) in captivity except the following species may be kept under authority of a Captive Wildlife Permit, a Controlled Shooting Area Permit, a Rehabilitation Permit or a Scientific Collectors Permit, issued by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission ... Opossum - (Didelphis virginiana)

The opossum is named on the § 001.01B list. A Captive Wildlife Permit expires December 31st of the year issued, with a fee of not more than $30 under § 37-479, and § 001.01D bars one for an animal taken from the wild, so the animal must come from a licensed breeder or another permittee, the flying squirrel's position.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2)(a)

(1) No person shall keep in captivity in this state any wild birds, any wild mammals, any nongame wildlife in need of conservation as determined by the commission under section 37-805, or any wildlife determined to be an endangered or threatened species ... without first having obtained a permit. (2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae. This subsection shall not apply to (a) the species Felis domesticus, (b) any zoo, park, refuge, wildlife area, or nature center owned or operated by a city, village, state, or federal agency or any zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums or the Zoological Association of America, or (c) any person who holds a captive wildlife permit ... and who raises Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) or bobcats (Lynx rufus) solely for the purpose of producing furs.

The eleventh Bengal answer on this map, and it turns on two words with no generation rule attached. Nebraska bans every member of Felidae and then excepts "the species Felis domesticus". A late-generation Bengal registered and sold as a domestic cat is Felis catus and clears it. An early-generation animal is a hybrid rather than a member of that species, and nothing in the statute or in 166 NAC 8 says where the line falls: the chapter defines a hybrid as "an animal produced by crossing species or subspecies" and then never uses the definition to answer this. So the condition is real and its threshold is not written down anywhere, which is a different problem from the states that pick a filial number and stick to it.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 10 § 001.03, § 001.03A4

001.03 Regulated Taking of Reptiles and Amphibians - The provisions of 001.03 apply to all species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians native to Nebraska except those legally designated as Game species, Nongame Species in Need of Conservation, and Threatened or Endangered species. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale, or ship any reptile or amphibian species defined in this section except as provided in 001.03A. ... 001.03A2 For those individual specimens or parts thereof legally obtained by purchase or consignment from outside of Nebraska, sale, offer of sale and associated transport, possession or processing will be permitted without regard to limits or numbers for the species listed below in 001.03A3 and 001.03A4, provided that such authority shall be contingent upon a persons ability to provide proof of legal acquisition including bill of sale or consignment.

The ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata, is on the three-per-species list at § 001.03A4. It is the box turtle that occurs in Nebraska; the eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina, does not, which puts it outside 166 NAC 10 altogether since the chapter reaches only species native to Nebraska. So the answer depends on which box turtle, and for the one Nebraska has the number is three. The route that matters for a pet is § 001.03A2: an animal legally bought or consigned from outside Nebraska may be possessed without regard to numbers, provided the keeper can produce proof of lawful acquisition, a bill of sale or a consignment record. So the cap is on collecting, and the receipt is what lifts it.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 10 § 001.03, § 001.03A3

001.03 Regulated Taking of Reptiles and Amphibians - The provisions of 001.03 apply to all species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians native to Nebraska except those legally designated as Game species, Nongame Species in Need of Conservation, and Threatened or Endangered species. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale, or ship any reptile or amphibian species defined in this section except as provided in 001.03A. ... 001.03A2 For those individual specimens or parts thereof legally obtained by purchase or consignment from outside of Nebraska, sale, offer of sale and associated transport, possession or processing will be permitted without regard to limits or numbers for the species listed below in 001.03A3 and 001.03A4, provided that such authority shall be contingent upon a persons ability to provide proof of legal acquisition including bill of sale or consignment.

The common gartersnake, Thamnophis sirtalis, is on the ten-per-species list at § 001.03A3, the more generous of Nebraska's two collecting tiers. Two other Nebraska garter snakes are not there: the plains gartersnake is on the same ten list, but the western terrestrial gartersnake and the western ribbon snake are nongame species in need of conservation at § 001.02, where possession is unlawful without a scientific collection permit. Three garter snakes, two very different answers. The route that matters for a pet is § 001.03A2: an animal legally bought or consigned from outside Nebraska may be possessed without regard to numbers, provided the keeper can produce proof of lawful acquisition, a bill of sale or a consignment record. So the cap is on collecting, and the receipt is what lifts it.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 10 § 001.03, § 001.03A4

001.03 Regulated Taking of Reptiles and Amphibians - The provisions of 001.03 apply to all species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians native to Nebraska except those legally designated as Game species, Nongame Species in Need of Conservation, and Threatened or Endangered species. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale, or ship any reptile or amphibian species defined in this section except as provided in 001.03A. ... 001.03A2 For those individual specimens or parts thereof legally obtained by purchase or consignment from outside of Nebraska, sale, offer of sale and associated transport, possession or processing will be permitted without regard to limits or numbers for the species listed below in 001.03A3 and 001.03A4, provided that such authority shall be contingent upon a persons ability to provide proof of legal acquisition including bill of sale or consignment.

Both Nebraska hognose species are on the three-per-species list at § 001.03A4, the plains hognose Heterodon nasicus and the eastern hognose H. platirhinos. That is unusually even-handed: most states on this map treat the two differently, because the eastern is the one that tends to be listed. Nebraska caps them identically. The route that matters for a pet is § 001.03A2: an animal legally bought or consigned from outside Nebraska may be possessed without regard to numbers, provided the keeper can produce proof of lawful acquisition, a bill of sale or a consignment record. So the cap is on collecting, and the receipt is what lifts it.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 10 § 001.03, § 001.03A4

001.03 Regulated Taking of Reptiles and Amphibians - The provisions of 001.03 apply to all species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians native to Nebraska except those legally designated as Game species, Nongame Species in Need of Conservation, and Threatened or Endangered species. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale, or ship any reptile or amphibian species defined in this section except as provided in 001.03A. ... 001.03A2 For those individual specimens or parts thereof legally obtained by purchase or consignment from outside of Nebraska, sale, offer of sale and associated transport, possession or processing will be permitted without regard to limits or numbers for the species listed below in 001.03A3 and 001.03A4, provided that such authority shall be contingent upon a persons ability to provide proof of legal acquisition including bill of sale or consignment.

The species named on the three-per-species list is the western milksnake, Lampropeltis gentilis, which is the Nebraska animal and which was split out of Lampropeltis triangulum in 2014. An eastern milksnake, L. triangulum proper, is not native to Nebraska and so falls outside 166 NAC 10 entirely. Which animal a keeper actually has therefore decides whether the cap applies at all, and a pet-trade "milk snake" can be either. The route that matters for a pet is § 001.03A2: an animal legally bought or consigned from outside Nebraska may be possessed without regard to numbers, provided the keeper can produce proof of lawful acquisition, a bill of sale or a consignment record. So the cap is on collecting, and the receipt is what lifts it.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 10 §§ 001.02, 001.03, 001.03A2, A3

001.03A3 Take of individuals from the wild within Nebraska and associated in-state transport, possession, or processing will be permitted with a bag and possession limit of ten (10) individuals per species, or products derived from ten (10) individuals per species. Species with Take Up to 10 Individuals: ... Prairie Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis

Nebraska regulates reptiles only where they are its own. The prairie rattlesnake is on the take-ten list, so up to ten may be taken and kept, and one bought outside Nebraska may be held without limit with proof of legal acquisition under § 001.03A2. The timber rattlesnake is a nongame species in need of conservation under § 001.02 and may not be possessed. A rattlesnake not native to Nebraska is outside the chapter entirely.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

166 NAC 10 § 001.03, § 001.03A4

001.03 Regulated Taking of Reptiles and Amphibians - The provisions of 001.03 apply to all species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians native to Nebraska except those legally designated as Game species, Nongame Species in Need of Conservation, and Threatened or Endangered species. It shall be unlawful for any person to take, possess, transport, export, process, sell or offer for sale, or ship any reptile or amphibian species defined in this section except as provided in 001.03A. ... 001.03A2 For those individual specimens or parts thereof legally obtained by purchase or consignment from outside of Nebraska, sale, offer of sale and associated transport, possession or processing will be permitted without regard to limits or numbers for the species listed below in 001.03A3 and 001.03A4, provided that such authority shall be contingent upon a persons ability to provide proof of legal acquisition including bill of sale or consignment.

Trachemys scripta is on the three-per-species list at § 001.03A4, which is a mild answer by the standards of this row: several states ban the slider outright as an establishment risk, and Nebraska, where it is native, treats it as an ordinary collectible native. The route that matters for a pet is § 001.03A2: an animal legally bought or consigned from outside Nebraska may be possessed without regard to numbers, provided the keeper can produce proof of lawful acquisition, a bill of sale or a consignment record. So the cap is on collecting, and the receipt is what lifts it. The federal four-inch rule under 21 C.F.R. 1240.62 still applies to hatchlings and is untouched by any of this.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 37-477(2)(a)

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae. This subsection shall not apply to (a) the species Felis domesticus,

The same two words decide the Savannah as the Bengal. Nebraska bans every member of Felidae by statute, with no permit behind it, and excepts "the species Felis domesticus". An early-generation Savannah is a serval hybrid rather than a member of that species; a late-generation cat registered and sold as a domestic cat has the better claim to be one; and nothing in the statute or in 166 NAC 8 says where the line falls. The serval itself is plainly banned, and § 37-477(3) protects only animals held on March 1, 1986.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

164 NAC 6 § 003.01, § 003.05; 166 NAC 10 § 001.03

003.05 SNAPPING TURTLES: 003.05A It shall be unlawful to take snapping turtles except by hand, hand net, hook and line, bow and arrow or gaff. 003.05B It shall be unlawful to sell, offer for sale, trade or barter for any snapping turtle. ... 003.05E The take of any turtle(s) exceeding the daily bag limits shall be released immediately.

Nebraska answers this animal in its fishing regulations rather than its wildlife ones, which is why it is easy to miss. 166 NAC 10 excludes game species from its herp rules, and the snapping turtle is handled at 164 NAC 6 alongside fish, bullfrogs and mussels, with a daily bag limit and a possession limit set annually by the Commission, take restricted to hand, hand net, hook and line, bow or gaff, and a fishing permit behind all of it. The clause that matters most to a keeper is § 003.05B: it is unlawful to sell, offer for sale, trade or barter any snapping turtle, so there is no lawful in-state commerce in one at any number.

How this rule works: Snapping turtles are handled with fish, bullfrogs and mussels: taken only by hand, hand net, hook and line, bow and arrow or gaff, never sold, offered for sale, traded or bartered, and anything over the daily bag released immediately. Chapter 6 effective January 3, 2026.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 37-477(1), 37-806(1); 166 NAC 10 § 001.03

(1) No person shall keep in captivity in this state any wild birds, any wild mammals, any nongame wildlife in need of conservation as determined by the commission under section 37-805, or any wildlife determined to be an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act or section 37-806 without first having obtained a permit to do so as provided by section 37-478 or 37-479.

The reptile rule reaches only Nebraska natives, which would leave a alligator free, but 50 CFR 17.11 lists the American alligator as threatened by similarity of appearance, § 37-806(1) makes every federally threatened species threatened in Nebraska, and § 37-477(1) requires a captive permit for any such wildlife. The captive wildlife rules name no reptile, so whether and how that permit would issue for a pet is not settled.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

166 NAC 8 § 001.08A

001.08A Importation: the following wildlife may be imported: Alpaca ... Chinchilla, Chinchilla spp. ... Coatimundi ... Degu, Octodon spp. ... Fox, Vulpes spp. ... Genet ... Gerbil, Gerbillus spp. ... Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus ... Eurasian Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp. ... Jerboa, greater ... Sugar Glider(s), Petaurus spp. ... Wallabies ... All Ratites, All Waterfowl, All Peafowl, All Game Birds, All Cage and Aviary Birds

The importation list reads "Eurasian Hedgehogs, Erinaceus spp." and the pet is the African pygmy hedgehog, Atelerix albiventris, which is neither Eurasian nor an Erinaceus under current taxonomy. Read strictly, the pet hedgehog cannot be imported into Nebraska. There is a real argument the other way, and it is a drafting-vintage argument rather than a wishful one: this species was classified as Erinaceus albiventris for decades, and Massachusetts still writes it that way in its own exemption list, as "Four-toed (African pygmy) hedgehog (Erinaceus albiventris) (= Atelerix pruneri)". So a list written when Nebraska's was may well have meant the pet. Recorded unclear because the common name in the entry, "Eurasian", cuts against the reading that would save it, and nothing published by the Commission resolves it.

How this rule works: Nebraska renumbered its Game and Parks regulations: what used to be 163 NAC ch. 4 is now Title 166, and captive wildlife has its own chapter 8 rather than a subsection. Anything on this map citing "163 NAC ch. 4, § 008" is pointing at a title that is now called ADMINISTRATION. Chapter 8 has three operative parts. § 001.01B bars retaining any WILD BIRD or WILD MAMMAL in captivity except a listed set of Nebraska natives under a Captive Wildlife Permit. § 001.07A prohibits six species outright, none of them a pet: the Asian raccoon dog, white-tailed and mule deer, red deer, wild pigs and bighorn or thinhorn sheep. And § 001.08A is a closed importation list, which is what actually answers most exotic mammals here, because they are not wild mammals and so the permit scheme never reaches them. Chapter 10 does the same job for reptiles and amphibians and is limited to species native to Nebraska.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 37-477(1), 37-806(1); 166 NAC 10 § 001.03

(1) No person shall keep in captivity in this state any wild birds, any wild mammals, any nongame wildlife in need of conservation as determined by the commission under section 37-805, or any wildlife determined to be an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act or section 37-806 without first having obtained a permit to do so as provided by section 37-478 or 37-479.

The reptile rule reaches only Nebraska natives, which would leave a caiman free, but 50 CFR 17.11 lists the common caiman, Caiman crocodilus crocodilus, as threatened by similarity of appearance, § 37-806(1) makes every federally threatened species threatened in Nebraska, and § 37-477(1) requires a captive permit for any such wildlife. The captive wildlife rules name no reptile, so whether and how that permit would issue for a pet is not settled.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 8, 2026.

Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 37-247, 37-477(2)

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae.

The statute bans "any wolf" and says nothing about hybrids, while § 37-247 defines wildlife as a member of a "nondomesticated species", which a dog cross arguably is not. 166 NAC 8 defines a hybrid but never applies the definition to wolves. Whether a wolfdog is a "wolf" for § 37-477(2) is not settled by any text read, and a high-content animal is where enforcement would be most likely.

How this rule works: The statute does two things the regulation does not. § 37-477(2) is a flat ban with no permit behind it: "no person shall keep in captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae and Ursidae", excepting only Felis domesticus, accredited zoos and public facilities, and lynx or bobcat fur producers. And §§ 37-245 and 37-246 define wild birds and wild mammals by geography rather than by wildness, as species "native to, migrating to or through, or having established free-ranging populations in the State of Nebraska". That definition is the hinge of the whole state: a Nebraska native is caught by the captive wildlife scheme and an exotic is not, which sends the exotic question to the importation list instead. § 37-247 defines wildlife far more broadly, reaching every arthropod and invertebrate, and that breadth sits awkwardly with an importation list containing only mammals and birds.

Checked against the published text on October 1, 2026.