Exotic pet laws in New Jersey

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.10(a); Division restricted species notice

Due to the difficulties in determining morphological differences among several species, the following may not be kept as pets or for hobby purposes, nor may they be sold in New Jersey: grey tree frogs (all species), larval salamanders, water dogs, dino dogs, mud puppies, axolotls.

The axolotl is named outright in the Division's restricted species notice, in the sentence that bans grey tree frogs, larval salamanders, water dogs, dino dogs, mud puppies and axolotls from being kept, held for hobby purposes or sold. The reason given is enforcement rather than the animal: a neotenic salamander cannot reliably be told from the larva of a protected native one by looking at it, and New Jersey has two listed Ambystoma of its own. There is a second and independent route to the same answer, since the notice treats an IUCN Red List entry as an endangered listing and Ambystoma mexicanum is Critically Endangered there, which 4.10(a) turns into a bar on issuing a permit. Note that the express ban lives in the notice and not in the rule text, which is the sort of thing that gets missed by reading the code alone.

How this rule works: The Division's restricted species notice. It reproduces the 4.8(a) table and then adds things that are nowhere in the rule text: that it treats an IUCN Red List entry as an endangered listing, that only nine named corn snake morphs may be kept, and that axolotls and larval salamanders may not be kept at all.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8(a); 7:25-4.9(a)3

Carnivora Canidae--Nondomestic dogs / Ursidae--Bears / Felidae--Nondomestic cats ... The potentially dangerous species shall not be kept as a pet, for hobby purposes or in situations, which, in the judgment of the Department, could adversely affect the health of the animal or which could constitute a hazard to the public.

The fennec is Vulpes zerda, a canid and not a domestic dog, so "Canidae--Nondomestic dogs" takes it whole. New Jersey draws no line by size or temperament here, which matters because the fennec is a three pound animal being handled by the same clause as a wolf. The permit at 4.8(b) is not a way in: 4.9(a)3 bars keeping a potentially dangerous species as a pet or for hobby purposes, and the Division's notice says such species may only be held on zoological holding, scientific holding and animal exhibitor permits.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8(a); 7:25-4.9(a)3

Rodentia Cynomys spp.--Prairie dogs / Spermophilus spp.--Ground Squirrels ... Also note: due to the possibility of Monkey Pox, a health warning restriction has been announced for the following species: prairie dog; and six types of African rodents: tree squirrels, rope squirrels, dormice, Gambian giant pouched rats, brush-tailed porcupines, and striped mice are not allowed to be possessed or sold for any reason.

Two separate bars land on the same animal. 4.8(a) puts Cynomys spp. in the potentially dangerous table on the disease limb of the definition, "a menace to the public health", and 4.9(a)3 then says a potentially dangerous species shall not be kept as a pet. On top of that the Division's notice carries the monkeypox restriction from the 2003 outbreak, which prairie dogs actually caused, and states the prairie dog and six African rodents "are not allowed to be possessed or sold for any reason". Either route alone would answer the question; together they leave no pet route at all.

How this rule works: The Division's restricted species notice. It reproduces the 4.8(a) table and then adds things that are nowhere in the rule text: that it treats an IUCN Red List entry as an endangered listing, that only nine named corn snake morphs may be kept, and that axolotls and larval salamanders may not be kept at all.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8(a); 7:25-4.9(a)3

Psittaciformes Psittaculis spp.--Ring-necked parakeets / Myiopsitta spp.--Monk parakeets / Cyanoliseus patagonus--Patagonian Conures ... The potentially dangerous species shall not be kept as a pet, for hobby purposes or in situations, which, in the judgment of the Department, could adversely affect the health of the animal or which could constitute a hazard to the public.

The quaker is Myiopsitta monachus and 4.8(a) puts Myiopsitta spp. in the potentially dangerous table, alongside the ring-necked parakeets and the Patagonian conure, on the agricultural pest limb of the definition rather than the dangerous animal limb. A permit exists for potentially dangerous species under 4.8(b), which is why this entry read "permit" before, but 4.9(a)3 says in terms that such a species "shall not be kept as a pet, for hobby purposes". The permit is real and it is simply not a pet permit, so for a keeper the practical answer is a ban. The Division states it flatly in its own notice: potentially dangerous species "may not be kept as pets or for hobby purposes for any reason".

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8(a); 7:25-4.9(a)3

Carnivora Canidae--Nondomestic dogs / Ursidae--Bears / Felidae--Nondomestic cats ... The potentially dangerous species shall not be kept as a pet, for hobby purposes or in situations, which, in the judgment of the Department, could adversely affect the health of the animal or which could constitute a hazard to the public.

Leptailurus serval is a nondomestic cat and 4.8(a) takes Felidae on that basis without naming a species. What turns the listing into a ban is 4.9(a)3, which says the potentially dangerous species "shall not be kept as a pet, for hobby purposes", so the permit at 4.8(b) exists for zoos, researchers and exhibitors and not for keepers. The Division puts the same point in one sentence in its notice: potentially dangerous species "may not be kept as pets or for hobby purposes for any reason".

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.13(b)3; 7:25-4.10(a); 7:25-4.15(b)

In accordance therewith, the following species are determined to be endangered: ... 3. Eastern Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum ... The animal may not be kept as a pet, for hobby purposes or in situations which, in the judgment of the Department, could adversely affect or provide no net benefit to the health of the animal or the welfare of the species.

The eastern tiger salamander is third on New Jersey's own endangered list at 4.13(b), which is a state listing and not a borrowed federal one. 4.10(a) then says no permit shall issue for a species designated endangered, and the narrow exception at 4.10(b) runs through 4.15, whose subsection (b) says the animal may not be kept as a pet or for hobby purposes. The Division's notice adds a second reason on top: larval salamanders, water dogs, dino dogs and mud puppies may not be kept at all, because they cannot be told apart from one another by sight at that stage.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.ix

Reptiles: ... ix. Monitor - Varanus spp.;

The ackie monitor is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. Varanus acanthurus is inside the genus entry "Monitor - Varanus spp.". The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7. The ackie is the monitor most often kept because it stays small, and New Jersey gives it the same answer as the Nile monitor, so the usual argument that a dwarf species should be treated differently has nothing to attach to in the text.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The Argentine black and white tegu appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. The near miss is worth flagging: 4.3(a)3.xi names Ameiva spp., which is the tegu's own family Teiidae, but the list takes that one genus rather than the family, so Salvator merianae is not on it and arrives at the same permit through 4.5 instead.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.i

Reptiles: i. Pythons - Family Pythonidae;

The ball python is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. The list takes the whole family, "Pythons - Family Pythonidae", so it does not matter that Python regius is never named. The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7. The contrast with the boa constrictor next door is the thing to hold on to: 4.4 exempts Boa constrictor by name while 4.3 puts every python on the permit list, so two snakes of similar size and temperament get opposite answers in the same state.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The bearded dragon appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. Agamidae is missing from 4.3, which does list the collared lizard, the chuckwalla, the alligator lizard, the skinks and the geckos, so Pogona vitticeps ends up in the catch-all rather than on the named list. It is the single most common pet lizard in the country and New Jersey requires a permit for it.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.x

Reptiles: ... x. Skinks - Family Scincidae;

The blue-tongue skink is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. The list takes the family whole, "Skinks - Family Scincidae", and Tiliqua scincoides is inside it. The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5; 7:25-4.17

Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene c. Carolina SC

The eastern box turtle is a New Jersey animal, listed as special concern on the nongame conservation status table at 4.17, which makes it a nongame species and not an exotic one. Either way it lands in the same place, because 4.4 exempts only two turtles, the eastern painted and the snapping turtle, and 4.5 requires a permit for any other nongame species. The separate point that matters more in practice is that a permit does not authorise going and getting one: the Division states that it is illegal to take any animal from the wild, so a lawful box turtle has to have a lawful captive origin.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.i

Reptiles: i. Pythons - Family Pythonidae;

The Burmese python is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. It is covered by the family entry "Pythons - Family Pythonidae". The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7. New Jersey does not put the giant constrictors in a separate tier the way many states now do, so the Burmese python and the ball python are read off the same line. The federal Lacey Act injurious listing still bars importing one across state lines, which is a separate question from whether New Jersey will permit one already here.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.iv

Reptiles: ... iv. King Snakes - Lampropeltis spp.;

This entry previously read legal, cited to 4.8(a), on the reasoning that an ordinary colubrid is not a potentially dangerous species. That is true and it is not the question. New Jersey does not work by a dangerous list with everything else free; 4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit and 4.4 is a short closed list of exemptions that does not include kingsnakes. Worse, the kingsnake is not even left to the 4.5 catch-all, because 4.3(a)3.iv names the genus outright as "King Snakes - Lampropeltis spp.". Lampropeltis californiae is squarely inside it.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The capybara appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. The rodent entries in 4.8(a) are Cynomys and Spermophilus, both burrowing ground squirrels flagged for disease, so the capybara is not swept in by size the way it is in states that use a weight threshold.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The chinchilla appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. It sits awkwardly next to the exempt list, which names the hamster, the gerbil, the guinea pig and laboratory mice and rats, all farmed pet rodents of the same kind. The chinchilla was simply not added, and 4.4 is closed, so the omission decides it.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

This entry previously read legal, cited to 4.8(a), because the potentially dangerous table lists three parrots and no cockatoo among them. That reads the rule backwards. The three parrots on 4.8(a), the ring-necked parakeets, Myiopsitta and the Patagonian conure, are there as escape-and-establish agricultural pests, and being off that table only means a bird is not banned. The exempt list at 4.4 is what decides whether a bird is free, and its nine entries are the budgerigar, cockatiel, peafowl, rock dove, canary, house sparrow, European starling, zebra finch and society finch. No cockatoo, so 4.5 requires a permit. One caveat on top: the Division treats an IUCN Red List entry as an endangered listing, and several cockatoos in the trade carry one, the umbrella cockatoo as Endangered and the Moluccan as Vulnerable, so the answer may be harder than a permit depending on species.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.xiv; 7:25-4.5

Reptiles: ... xiv. Geckos - Family Gekkonidae other than Tokay Gecko;

The crested gecko is Correlophus ciliatus, placed in Diplodactylidae under current taxonomy, so whether 4.3(a)3.xiv reaches it depends on reading Gekkonidae in the older broad sense that covered all geckos. It does not change the answer. If the entry reaches it, the permit comes from 4.3; if it does not, 4.4 has no crested gecko on it and 4.5 requires a permit for any other exotic reptile. Both roads end at the individual hobby permit under 4.6(a)1.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The degu appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)2.i

Mammals: i. Ferrets - Mustela pertorius furo;

The domestic ferret is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. It is the first mammal on the list, spelled "Mustela pertorius furo" for Mustela putorius furo. The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7. New Jersey is one of the states where the ferret is a permit animal rather than a banned one or a free one, so the answer is neither of the two extremes people expect from the ferret map.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)2.iv; 7:25-4.5

Mammals: ... iv. European hedgehog - Erinaceus europeaus;

The 4.3 permit list names one hedgehog, the European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus. The hedgehog kept as a pet is the African pygmy, Atelerix albiventris, which is not that animal and is not named anywhere in the subchapter. It reaches the same answer by the other road: 4.4 does not exempt it, so 4.5 requires a permit for it as an "other" exotic mammal. Worth saying plainly because the species mismatch invites the wrong conclusion in both directions, that the listing does not apply so the animal is free, or that the listing applies so the pet species is covered by it.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5; 7:25-4.17

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

The two hognoses reach the permit from opposite directions. The eastern hognose, Heterodon platirhinos, is native to New Jersey and appears on the 4.17 nongame table as secure-stable, so it is a nongame species and 4.5 catches it. The western hognose, Heterodon nasicus, is not native, so it is an exotic reptile and 4.5 catches it too. Neither is on the closed exempt list at 4.4, whose only colubrids are the garter snake and the ribbon snake. For the native one there is the further point that taking it from the wild is separately illegal, so the permit has to sit on a captive-bred animal.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. Jackson's chameleon appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. Chamaeleonidae is absent from 4.3 altogether, so the chameleons all arrive through the catch-all rather than through a named family.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.xiv

Reptiles: ... xiv. Geckos - Family Gekkonidae other than Tokay Gecko;

The leopard gecko is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. The entry is "Geckos - Family Gekkonidae other than Tokay Gecko", which takes every gecko but one. The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7. Eublepharis macularius has since been moved to Eublepharidae, but the list is using Gekkonidae in the older broad sense that covered all geckos, which is the only reading on which the tokay carve-out makes sense, since the tokay would otherwise not need excluding.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.iv

Reptiles: ... iv. King Snakes - Lampropeltis spp.;

The milk snake is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. It is a Lampropeltis and the list takes the genus under the heading "King Snakes - Lampropeltis spp.", so the milk snake is covered even though the entry does not say milk snake. The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7. The eastern milk snake is also native to New Jersey and appears on the 4.17 nongame table, so a wild-caught one is separately off limits.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.ix

Reptiles: ... ix. Monitor - Varanus spp.;

The Nile monitor is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. It comes in through the genus entry "Monitor - Varanus spp.". The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7. New Jersey makes no distinction among monitors by adult size, so the Nile monitor and the ackie are on the same footing here even though one is a two foot animal and the other reaches six.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The red-eared slider appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. The federal four inch rule under 21 CFR 1240.62 sits on top of this and bars the sale of hatchlings anywhere in the country, which is a distinct restriction from New Jersey's permit.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The red-footed tortoise appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.iii

Reptiles: ... iii. Bosas- Family Boidae (other than Boa Constrictors)

The rosy boa is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. The entry reads "Bosas- Family Boidae (other than Boa Constrictors)", a typo for boas, and the parenthesis is doing the real work. The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7. The carve-out is the whole point of the line: the boa constrictor is exempt by name at 4.4(a)3.iii, so 4.3 has to exclude it when it takes the rest of the family. Lichanura trivirgata is in that rest.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The Russian tortoise appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. The only chelonians 4.4 exempts are the eastern painted turtle and the snapping turtle, so every tortoise sold as a pet in New Jersey is a permit animal.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)3.ix

Reptiles: ... ix. Monitor - Varanus spp.;

The savannah monitor is answered by name on the 4.3 permit list rather than by the catch-all. The list takes the genus whole, "Monitor - Varanus spp.", so every monitor is a permit animal without any of them being named. The list is written by family as often as by species, and 4.3 is open-ended, "include, but are not limited to", so being on it settles the permit question but not being on it settles nothing. The permit is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, subject to the general possession criteria at 4.7.

How this rule works: The Division's handout of the 4.3 permit list. It is open-ended, 'include, but are not limited to', and works by family as often as by species, so Pythonidae, Boidae, Lampropeltis, Varanus, Scincidae and Gekkonidae each answer several pet species at once.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The sugar glider appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The sulcata tortoise appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. 4.7 conditions the permit on housing that lets the animal "perform the normal behavior patterns of its species", which is a real question for an animal that reaches a hundred pounds and digs, rather than a formality.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.5

A permit shall be required for any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species not specifically exempted by N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.4.

New Jersey is a closed-list state in the strict sense. 7:25-4.2(a) bars possession of any exotic or nongame species without a permit, 4.4 then names the handful that may be kept without one, and 4.5 sweeps everything else back in. The veiled chameleon appears on none of the Division's three lists, so it is not exempt under 4.4, not one of the families singled out in 4.3, and not potentially dangerous under 4.8. That leaves 4.5, and the permit it points to is the individual hobby permit at 4.6(a)1, which 4.7 conditions on diet, caging that prevents escape, lawful acquisition, veterinary care and freedom from disease. The Division's own handout tells readers to phone the permits office for anything the lists do not name, which is a fair signal that the catch-all is where these end up rather than an oversight. Chamaeleonidae is absent from 4.3, which does reach a long run of lizard families, so the chameleons are one of the groups that only 4.5 answers.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.13(b)7; Division restricted species notice

Wild phase corn snakes are classified as endangered in the State of New Jersey and may not be possessed as pets or for hobby purposes, nor may they be sold, for any reason. The only corn snake color morphs that are legal to possess as pets and/or sold in New Jersey include the following: red albino (amelanistic), butter, blizzard, candy cane, creamsicle, lavender, pearl, snow, and sun glow.

New Jersey is the state where the corn snake is endangered. 4.13(b)7 lists the corn snake, Elaphe guttata guttata, on the state endangered list, which under 4.10(a) means no permit may issue for it and under 4.15(b) means it may not be kept as a pet. The Division then carves out captive colour morphs, because a morph is visibly not a wild phase animal and so cannot be laundered from the Pine Barrens population. Its notice names nine that may be kept and sold: red albino, butter, blizzard, candy cane, creamsicle, lavender, pearl, snow and sun glow. That makes this conditional rather than a permit: a normal-looking corn snake is barred outright, one of the nine named morphs is allowed, and anything else in a trade that has produced hundreds of morph names is not addressed by the list. Previously recorded here as a plain permit under 4.5, which missed the endangered listing entirely.

How this rule works: The Division's restricted species notice. It reproduces the 4.8(a) table and then adds things that are nowhere in the rule text: that it treats an IUCN Red List entry as an endangered listing, that only nine named corn snake morphs may be kept, and that axolotls and larval salamanders may not be kept at all.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3(a)1.vi; Division restricted species notice

Birds: ... vi. African gray parrot - Psittacus erithacus; ... NJ Fish & Wildlife classifies any animal as endangered when it is listed on any relevant State or Federal endangered species list, including but not limited to the US Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species List, IUCN Red List, and the New Jersey Endangered Species List.

Two documents the Division publishes point opposite ways at this one bird. The 4.3 permit list names the African gray parrot, Psittacus erithacus, as a species a permit may be issued for, which would make it an ordinary permit animal. The restricted species notice then says the Division classifies any animal as endangered when it appears on the IUCN Red List, and Psittacus erithacus has been Endangered there since the 2016 assessment, which would put it under the notice's rule that endangered species may not be kept as pets for any reason. The 4.3 list is old enough to still call macaws permit species "except endangered forms", so the tension looks like a list that was never revisited rather than a deliberate exception. Recorded as unresolved because a keeper cannot tell from the published documents which one the permits office applies.

How this rule works: The Division's restricted species notice. It reproduces the 4.8(a) table and then adds things that are nowhere in the rule text: that it treats an IUCN Red List entry as an endangered listing, that only nine named corn snake morphs may be kept, and that axolotls and larval salamanders may not be kept at all.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8(a)

Carnivora Canidae--Nondomestic dogs / Ursidae--Bears / Felidae--Nondomestic cats

New Jersey writes the cat line as "Felidae--Nondomestic cats" and stops there. There is no hybrid provision anywhere in subchapter 4, no generation count of the sort New York and Massachusetts use, and no filial cutoff in the Division's published notice, so the whole question is carried by the word "nondomestic" doing work the rule never defines. A Bengal is Felis catus crossed to Prionailurus bengalensis, which makes it half of each category the line distinguishes. The statute above the rule does not help either, because N.J.S.A. 23:4-63.3(j) excludes "domesticated companion animals ... as defined by the Fish and Game Council" and the Council has not defined that term by rule. Recorded as unread rather than guessed, because the two available guesses are a free pet and a species that may not be kept at all.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.1, 4.5; N.J.S.A. 23:4-63.3(j)

"Nongame species" means any wildlife for which a legal hunting or trapping season has not been established in New Jersey or which has not been classified as an endangered species by statute or regulation of this State.

Same unresolved question as the tarantula, and worth noting that New Jersey does not treat venom as its own trigger the way it does for reptiles. 4.8(a) lists venomous lizards and venomous snakes by family and says nothing about venomous invertebrates, so the emperor scorpion is not potentially dangerous under the rule. It then falls into the same gap: 4.5 reaches "nongame species", which 4.1 and the enabling act define broadly enough to include an arachnid, while the possession statute at N.J.S.A. 23:4-63.3(j) does not reach arachnids at all and no Division list names one.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.1, 4.5; N.J.S.A. 23:4-63.3(j)

"Nongame species" means any wildlife for which a legal hunting or trapping season has not been established in New Jersey or which has not been classified as an endangered species by statute or regulation of this State.

The same invertebrate gap as the tarantula: 4.5 reaches "nongame species", 4.1 defines that as any wildlife without a hunting season, and the enabling act's definition of wildlife ends in "or other wild animal", while the possession statute at N.J.S.A. 23:4-63.3(j) covers only vertebrates plus molluscs and crustaceans and no Division list names an invertebrate. Archispirostreptus gigas carries a separate federal problem regardless of how New Jersey reads its own rule, since USDA APHIS treats non-native millipedes as regulated organisms requiring a PPQ 526 permit to move interstate, which is the restriction that actually bites on this species in most states.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.1, 4.5; N.J.S.A. 23:4-63.3(j)

"Nongame species" means any wildlife for which a legal hunting or trapping season has not been established in New Jersey or which has not been classified as an endangered species by statute or regulation of this State.

The same invertebrate gap as the tarantula and the millipede, with the same two readings and no Division list naming an insect. Gromphadorhina portentosa has an extra layer that New Jersey's wildlife rules do not speak to at all: it is a USDA-regulated organism, so moving one interstate needs a PPQ 526 permit, and several states reach it through their agriculture department rather than their wildlife agency. New Jersey's plant pest rules sit at N.J.A.C. 2:20 under the Department of Agriculture, a separate agency from the one that writes subchapter 4, which is where the answer would be if there is one.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.1, 4.5; N.J.S.A. 23:4-63.3(j)

"Nongame species" means any wildlife for which a legal hunting or trapping season has not been established in New Jersey or which has not been classified as an endangered species by statute or regulation of this State.

New Jersey never says what it does about invertebrates and the two obvious readings go opposite ways. 4.5 requires a permit for "any other exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, or nongame species", and that last phrase is not limited by class: 4.1 defines a nongame species as any wildlife without a hunting season, and the enabling act at N.J.S.A. 23:2A-3 defines wildlife to include "or other wild animal", which reaches a spider. 4.17 confirms the Division does treat invertebrates as nongame wildlife, since it assigns conservation status to bivalves and insects. Pulling the other way, the possession statute at N.J.S.A. 23:4-63.3(j) defines an exotic animal as a mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, mollusc or crustacean, which leaves out arachnids entirely, and not one of the Division's three published lists names a single invertebrate. Left unresolved rather than called either way.

How this rule works: NJDEP's own courtesy copy of the whole of N.J.A.C. 7:25. Subchapter 4 starts at 7:25-4.1 and carries the definitions, the permit requirement at 4.2, the three species lists at 4.3, 4.4 and 4.8, the pet bar at 4.9(a)3 and 4.15(b), and the state endangered list at 4.13. The three list PDFs the Division hands out are extracts of this.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.