New York City Exotic Pet Laws

Ackie monitorBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

Not named, and it makes no difference: the clause is "any member of the family Varanidae". The ackie is the smallest monitor in the pet trade and is prohibited on the same words as the Komodo dragon. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Ackie monitor in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Argentine black and white teguBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

The clause covers "any member of the family teiidae, including, but not limited to, the golden, common, or black and white tegu", using the lower-case spelling the Code prints. Salvator merianae is the black and white tegu, named and family-caught both. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Argentine black and white tegu in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Ball pythonBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

The python clause is a family, not a list: "any member of the family Pythonidae, including, but not limited to, the African rock python, Indian or Burmese python, Amethystine or scrub python". Python regius is a member of that family, so a ball python is prohibited in the five boroughs even though nothing about it resembles the examples. New York State names six large constrictors; the city bans the family. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Ball python in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Bengal catBanned

§ 161.01(b)(2)

The fifteenth Bengal answer on this map and the only one with no exit at all. The cat clause ends "and any hybrid or cross-breed offspring of a wild cat and domesticated or other cat", with no filial number, no weight test and no registry exception. New York State allows a registered hybrid five generations clear of wild parentage; inside the five boroughs that carve-out does not exist, so the same cat is lawful in Buffalo and not in Brooklyn. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Bengal cat in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Boa constrictorBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

The clause reaches "any member, or hybrid offspring of the family Boidae, including, but not limited to, the common or green anaconda and yellow anaconda". Boa constrictor is the type genus of that family. New York State names the anacondas and leaves the boa alone; the city takes the whole family, which is a real difference in outcome for an ordinary pet snake. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Boa constrictor in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Box turtleBanned

§ 161.01(b)(ii); N.Y. ECL §§ 11-0103(2)(c), 11-0107(2)

Caught by the clause most readings of this article skip. Before its 24 numbered categories, § 161.01(b)(ii) prohibits "any native or exotic wildlife whose possession or sale is prohibited because they are designated as protected or endangered pursuant to any federal, state or local law, regulation, or rule". New York State makes native frogs, salamanders, turtles, lizards and snakes small game and therefore protected wildlife, and ECL § 11-0107(2) bars possessing protected wildlife whether taken in the state or brought in from outside it. The eastern box turtle is a New York native, so the state prohibition becomes a city one through that sentence. It is on the state's special concern list as well as being a native turtle with no open season, so it is protected twice over before the city rule reaches it. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Box turtle in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Burmese pythonBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

Named among the examples in the Pythonidae clause and caught by the family in any event. This is the one python on this row where the state and the city agree. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Burmese python in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

CapybaraBanned

§ 161.01(b)(14)

Named in the large rodent clause alongside the prairie dog, the paca and the viscacha. As the largest rodent in the world it is the least surprising entry in the article. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Capybara in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Emperor scorpionBanned

§ 161.01(b)(13)

The clause needs only one word for this animal: after the venomous spiders it says "scorpion", with no genus, no species and no venom threshold. Pandinus imperator is among the least dangerous scorpions kept as pets and is prohibited on the same word as a deathstalker. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Emperor scorpion in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Fennec foxBanned

§ 161.01(b)(1)

Named outright. The clause is "All dogs other than domesticated dogs (Canis familiaris), including, but not limited to, wolf, fox, coyote, hyaena, dingo, jackal, dhole, fennec, raccoon dog, zorro, bush dog, aardwolf, cape hunting dog", so the fennec appears both as a fox and by its own name. New York State expressly excepts captive bred fennec foxes from its Canidae ban; the city does not, which is one of the sharpest state-versus-city splits on this map. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Fennec fox in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

FerretBanned

§ 161.01(b)(4)

Named at the end of a clause covering "All fur bearing mammals of the family Mustelidae", and the naming is what matters, because a ferret is not obviously an animal "naturally inclined to do harm" under the standard the section opens with. New York City is the most-litigated ferret ban in the country and the text is unambiguous. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Ferret in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Flying squirrelBanned

§ 161.01(b)(9)

The whole of clause (9) is three words plus a family name: "All squirrels (Sciuridae)." A flying squirrel is a sciurid, so it is caught without being mentioned, and so is a chipmunk. This is the shortest clause in the article and one of the widest. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Flying squirrel in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Garter snakeBanned

§ 161.01(b)(ii); N.Y. ECL §§ 11-0103(2)(c), 11-0107(2)

Caught by the clause most readings of this article skip. Before its 24 numbered categories, § 161.01(b)(ii) prohibits "any native or exotic wildlife whose possession or sale is prohibited because they are designated as protected or endangered pursuant to any federal, state or local law, regulation, or rule". New York State makes native frogs, salamanders, turtles, lizards and snakes small game and therefore protected wildlife, and ECL § 11-0107(2) bars possessing protected wildlife whether taken in the state or brought in from outside it. The common garter snake is a New York native, so the state prohibition becomes a city one through that sentence. The colubrid clause at (b)(10) is worth checking separately and probably does not reach it: that clause takes "all venomous, mid-or rear-fanged, Duvernoy-glanded members of the family Colubridae", and while Thamnophis does have a Duvernoy's gland, it is not a venomous snake in any ordinary sense. The state route is the clean one. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Garter snake in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Green iguanaBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

Named: "any member of the family Iguanidae, including the green or common iguana". Florida added this species to its prohibited list in 2021 for ecological reasons; New York City reached it decades earlier under a rule about animals capable of inflicting harm. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Green iguana in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

HedgehogBanned

§ 161.01(b)(23)

Clause (23) covers "Insectivorous mammals (Insectivora)" and lists "hedge hog" as its last example, spelled as two words. The order name is obsolete, since hedgehogs are now placed in Eulipotyphla, but the animal is named, so the taxonomy does not help. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Hedgehog in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Hognose snakeBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10); § 161.01(b)(ii)

The one animal on this map that the Colubridae clause is plainly written for. It reaches "all venomous, mid-or rear-fanged, Duvernoy-glanded members of the family Colubridae, even if devenomized", and the hognose is the textbook rear-fanged, Duvernoy-glanded colubrid whose bite produces local envenomation. The words "even if devenomized" show the clause is aimed at exactly this category rather than at front-fanged species, which the previous sentence already covers. The eastern hognose is also a New York species of special concern, so § 161.01(b)(ii) reaches it independently through the state's protected wildlife scheme. The western hognose, the ordinary pet-trade animal, escapes the state route and not the colubrid one. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Hognose snake in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Milk snakeBanned

§ 161.01(b)(ii); N.Y. ECL §§ 11-0103(2)(c), 11-0107(2)

Caught by the clause most readings of this article skip. Before its 24 numbered categories, § 161.01(b)(ii) prohibits "any native or exotic wildlife whose possession or sale is prohibited because they are designated as protected or endangered pursuant to any federal, state or local law, regulation, or rule". New York State makes native frogs, salamanders, turtles, lizards and snakes small game and therefore protected wildlife, and ECL § 11-0107(2) bars possessing protected wildlife whether taken in the state or brought in from outside it. The eastern milk snake is a New York native, so the state prohibition becomes a city one through that sentence. It is on 6 NYCRR § 3.3's list of native snakes with no open season, which is what makes it protected wildlife. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Milk snake in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Nile monitorBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

Named in the Varanidae clause, and caught by the family as well. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Nile monitor in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Prairie dogBanned

§ 161.01(b)(14)

Named in a clause covering "All large rodents (Rodentia)", whose examples run gopher, muskrat, nutria, paca, woodchuck, marmot, beaver, prairie dog, capybara, sewellel, viscacha, porcupine and hutia. The clause is about size rather than family, which is what leaves the hamster, gerbil and guinea pig outside it. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Prairie dog in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Rosy boaBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

A small desert boid, and the clause is written to the family, so a two-foot rosy boa is prohibited on the same words that reach a green anaconda. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Rosy boa in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Savannah monitorBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

Named twice over, as "Bosc's or African savannah monitor", inside a clause that takes "any member of the family Varanidae" in any event. Every monitor is prohibited here, which is the opposite of the state position, where only six species are named. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Savannah monitor in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

ServalBanned

§ 161.01(b)(2)

Named in a clause that reaches "All cats other than domesticated cats (Felis catus)", with the serval listed among sixteen examples. There is no permit, no registration and no generational carve-out anywhere in the article. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Serval in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Snapping turtleBanned

§ 161.01(b)(10)

The clause is "all members of the family Chelydridae, including snapping turtle and alligator snapping turtle", so both species are named and the family is taken. New York State allows a licensed snapping turtle season with a twelve-inch minimum; the city prohibits the animal outright. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Snapping turtle in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Sugar gliderBanned

§ 161.01(b)(17)

Caught twice in one clause. It covers "All marsupials" and then lists examples ending "pigmy, sugar and greater glider", so the sugar glider is both inside the class and named. New York State exempts it entirely; the city bans it. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Sugar glider in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

TarantulaBanned

§ 161.01(b)(13)

Named outright in a clause covering "Arachnida and Chilopoda: All venomous spiders, including, but not limited to, tarantula, black widow and solifugid; scorpion; all venomous arthropods including, but not limited to, centipede". Naming the tarantula beside the black widow is a stretch biologically, since no theraphosid has medically significant venom to a healthy adult, but the text leaves nothing to argue about. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Tarantula in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Tiger salamanderBanned

§ 161.01(b)(ii); N.Y. ECL §§ 11-0103(2)(c), 11-0107(2)

Caught by the clause most readings of this article skip. Before its 24 numbered categories, § 161.01(b)(ii) prohibits "any native or exotic wildlife whose possession or sale is prohibited because they are designated as protected or endangered pursuant to any federal, state or local law, regulation, or rule". New York State makes native frogs, salamanders, turtles, lizards and snakes small game and therefore protected wildlife, and ECL § 11-0107(2) bars possessing protected wildlife whether taken in the state or brought in from outside it. The eastern tiger salamander is a New York native, so the state prohibition becomes a city one through that sentence. It is listed as ENDANGERED in New York State, which is the clearest possible trigger for a clause written around species "designated as protected or endangered". § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Tiger salamander in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Red-eared sliderConditions apply

§ 161.01(b)(10)

New York City draws its turtle line by size rather than by species: the reptile clause ends with "all turtles and tortoises with a carapace length of less than four (4) inches". The red-eared slider is not otherwise named, so an adult is lawful and a hatchling is not, and the animal grows out of the prohibition rather than into it. The four-inch figure is the same one the federal rule at 21 C.F.R. 1240.62 uses, and the reason is the same: small turtles are the ones children put in their mouths. New York State lists this species as a REGULATED invasive under 6 NYCRR Part 575, which is expressly legal to possess, so the state layer adds nothing and the city's four-inch rule is the whole answer. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Red-eared slider in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Red-footed tortoiseConditions apply

§ 161.01(b)(10)

New York City draws its turtle line by size rather than by species: the reptile clause ends with "all turtles and tortoises with a carapace length of less than four (4) inches". The red-footed tortoise is not otherwise named, so an adult is lawful and a hatchling is not, and the animal grows out of the prohibition rather than into it. The four-inch figure is the same one the federal rule at 21 C.F.R. 1240.62 uses, and the reason is the same: small turtles are the ones children put in their mouths. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Red-footed tortoise in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Russian tortoiseConditions apply

§ 161.01(b)(10)

New York City draws its turtle line by size rather than by species: the reptile clause ends with "all turtles and tortoises with a carapace length of less than four (4) inches". The Russian tortoise is not otherwise named, so an adult is lawful and a hatchling is not, and the animal grows out of the prohibition rather than into it. The four-inch figure is the same one the federal rule at 21 C.F.R. 1240.62 uses, and the reason is the same: small turtles are the ones children put in their mouths. This entry previously read as unrestricted, which is right for an adult and wrong for a hatchling. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Russian tortoise in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Sulcata tortoiseConditions apply

§ 161.01(b)(10)

New York City draws its turtle line by size rather than by species: the reptile clause ends with "all turtles and tortoises with a carapace length of less than four (4) inches". The sulcata tortoise is not otherwise named, so an adult is lawful and a hatchling is not, and the animal grows out of the prohibition rather than into it. The four-inch figure is the same one the federal rule at 21 C.F.R. 1240.62 uses, and the reason is the same: small turtles are the ones children put in their mouths. A sulcata passes four inches within its first year and then reaches a size no New York City apartment can hold, so the legal constraint is the least of the problems here. § 161.01(d) is worth knowing alongside the prohibition: a prohibited animal may be seized by any authorized city employee, the owner has three business days to request a hearing, and with the Department's written consent the animal may be removed to a jurisdiction where it is not prohibited. That last provision is the closest thing to relief in the article.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Sulcata tortoise in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Green anoleUnclear

§ 161.01(b)(10)

This one turns entirely on which decade's taxonomy the Code is using, and the article gives no answer. The reptile clause prohibits "any member of the family Iguanidae, including the green or common iguana". Anolis carolinensis was placed in Iguanidae sensu lato for most of the twentieth century, was moved to Polychrotidae in the 1989 Frost and Etheridge revision, and now sits in Dactyloidae. On the taxonomy current when this list was drafted the green anole is an iguanid and prohibited; on current taxonomy it is not one and the clause does not touch it. Nothing in the article dates its family names or says whether they float with revisions, and the Code elsewhere uses family names loosely, printing "teiidae" in lower case and calling hedgehogs Insectivora. Recorded unclear rather than guessing, because a green anole is a five dollar pet-shop lizard whose legality in the five boroughs rests on a 1989 systematics paper.

How this rule works: A city rule that is stricter than any state on this map, and it works in three layers. It opens with a standard rather than a list, deeming a wild animal to be "any animal which is naturally inclined to do harm and capable of inflicting harm upon human beings". It then adds, at (b)(ii), any wildlife protected or endangered under federal, STATE or local law, which imports New York State's protected wildlife scheme into the city wholesale. And it closes with 24 numbered clauses that work mostly by family: all cats other than Felis catus and their hybrids, all dogs other than Canis familiaris, all Mustelidae including the ferret by name, all squirrels, all marsupials, all large rodents, all Boidae, all Pythonidae, all Varanidae, all Iguanidae, all teiidae, all Chelydridae, all venomous spiders including the tarantula by name, and all turtles under four inches. § 161.01(c) is the short answer to what is left: gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, domesticated rabbit, and small birds such as parakeet, parrot, canary and finch.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

New York City Health Code § 161.01, Wild and other animals prohibited →Green anole in every state →Full legal guide →Link to this row

Exotic pet laws in New York City

What New York City restricts

No restriction found in New York City

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