Exotic pet laws in South Dakota
South Dakota bans none of the 52 animals on this list outright, but 3 of them need a permit before the animal arrives.
Read against the published rules, entries verified 4 August to 5 September 2026. Every entry below quotes the statute or regulation it comes from and carries the date it was last checked.
The governing body of law here: ARSD chapter 12:68:18, the Animal Industry Board's nondomestic animal control rules, whose permit list covers mammals. Reptiles, amphibians and native wildlife fall under the Game, Fish and Parks rules in ARSD title 41, which were not read for this entry.
What South Dakota restricts
3 of 52, strictest first. Open one for the rule it comes from.
Bengal catPermit required
12:68:18:03(1)(a)
a permit as described in § 12:68:18:03.03 is required to possess in South Dakota any nondomestic mammal, or any of its hybrids, listed in this section
The words or any of its hybrids sit in the operative sentence rather than in a separate clause, so a Bengal is caught by the Felidae entry. No filial generation cut off is given.
How this rule works: Two separate requirements sit in the same chapter and are easy to conflate. An entry permit, free and obtainable by telephone, is required to import any nondomestic animal. A possession permit, ten dollars per animal, is required only for the mammal families listed in 12:68:18:03. The only outright prohibition is the raccoon dog.
Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.
Fennec foxPermit required
12:68:18:03(1)(b)
(1) Of the order Carnivora, all nondomestic members of the following families: ...(b) Canidae;
How this rule works: Two separate requirements sit in the same chapter and are easy to conflate. An entry permit, free and obtainable by telephone, is required to import any nondomestic animal. A possession permit, ten dollars per animal, is required only for the mammal families listed in 12:68:18:03. The only outright prohibition is the raccoon dog.
Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.
ServalPermit required
12:68:18:03(1)(a)
a permit as described in § 12:68:18:03.03 is required to possess in South Dakota any nondomestic mammal, or any of its hybrids, listed in this section: (1) Of the order Carnivora, all nondomestic members of the following families: (a) Felidae;
A possession permit costs ten dollars an animal and must be renewed annually by 1 January.
How this rule works: Two separate requirements sit in the same chapter and are easy to conflate. An entry permit, free and obtainable by telephone, is required to import any nondomestic animal. A possession permit, ten dollars per animal, is required only for the mammal families listed in 12:68:18:03. The only outright prohibition is the raccoon dog.
Checked against the published text on 4 August 2026.
No restriction found in South Dakota
49 of 52. Each was read against the same body of law as the entries above and nothing in it reaches them. Local ordinances and tenancy terms still apply and are not on this map.
- Ackie monitor
- African grey parrot
- Argentine black and white tegu
- Axolotl
- Ball python
- Bearded dragon
- Blue-tongue skink
- Boa constrictor
- Box turtle
- Burmese python
- California kingsnake
- Capybara
- Chinchilla
- Cockatoo
- Corn snake
- Crested gecko
- Degu
- Emperor scorpion
- Ferret
- Flying squirrel
- Garter snake
- Gerbil
- Giant African millipede
- Green anole
- Green iguana
- Guinea pig
- Hamster
- Hedgehog
- Hognose snake
- Jackson's chameleon
- Leopard gecko
- Madagascar hissing cockroach
- Milk snake
- Nile monitor
- Prairie dog
- Quaker parakeet
- Rabbit
- Red-eared slider
- Red-footed tortoise
- Rosy boa
- Russian tortoise
- Savannah monitor
- Snapping turtle
- Sugar glider
- Sulcata tortoise
- Tarantula
- Tiger salamander
- Tokay gecko
- Veiled chameleon
Cite this page
Every entry here is quoted from the statute or regulation it comes from, with the date it was last read against the published text.
Before you rely on this
This page covers state law only. Cities and counties routinely prohibit what South Dakota allows, and a lease or HOA agreement can bar an animal that every level of government permits. Check all three, and check them in that order, because the one most likely to stop you is the one closest to your front door.