Exotic pet laws in Vermont

Vermont Domestic Species List, August 2010; Regulation 881; 10 V.S.A. § 4709

Birds Psittaciformes Psittacidae Agapornis personatus Masked lovebird Captive Bred Only ... Melopsittacus undulatus Budgerigar Captive Bred Only ... Psittacula eupatria Alexandrine parakeet-blue form Captive Bred Only

Vermont is an inverted-list state and the African grey falls through all three of its lists. 10 V.S.A. § 4709 bars bringing in, transporting or possessing any live wild bird or animal without authorisation, and the Unrestricted Wild Animal List closes the loop by saying a species found on none of the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic lists is considered Restricted. the African grey is on none of them: the Unrestricted list's birds are the rock dove, the European buzzard, a run of estrildid finches and the canary, with no psittacine at all, and the Domestic Species List's psittacine section is a closed list of about thirty species that names the budgerigar, the cockatiel, the lovebirds, the rosellas, the conures and Psittacula, and stops. What makes Restricted a ban rather than paperwork is Regulation 881: "the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for the keeping or possession of any wild animal in captivity, except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes". There is no pet category to apply under. The Domestic list was published in August 2010, six years before the IUCN moved Psittacus erithacus to Endangered, so its absence is not a conservation judgment. It is one of the most commonly kept parrots in the country and Vermont has never listed it.

How this rule works: The third of Vermont's three lists and the one earlier sittings could not read; it extracts cleanly with pypdf from this URL, fetched with a browser User-Agent. It is what makes the domestic cat, the dog, the ferret and the domestic rabbit lawful in a state where anything unlisted is Restricted. Its bird section is a closed list of about thirty psittacines, every one marked Captive Bred Only, and it decides the parrot cells: budgerigar, cockatiel, lovebirds, rosellas and Psittacula are on it, and Cacatua, Psittacus and Myiopsitta are not.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Vermont Domestic Species List, August 2010; Regulation 881; 10 V.S.A. § 4709

Birds Psittaciformes Psittacidae Nymphicus hollandicus Cockatiel Captive Bred Only

Vermont is an inverted-list state and the cockatoo falls through all three of its lists. 10 V.S.A. § 4709 bars bringing in, transporting or possessing any live wild bird or animal without authorisation, and the Unrestricted Wild Animal List closes the loop by saying a species found on none of the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic lists is considered Restricted. the cockatoo is on none of them: the Unrestricted list's birds are the rock dove, the European buzzard, a run of estrildid finches and the canary, with no psittacine at all, and the Domestic Species List's psittacine section is a closed list of about thirty species that names the budgerigar, the cockatiel, the lovebirds, the rosellas, the conures and Psittacula, and stops. What makes Restricted a ban rather than paperwork is Regulation 881: "the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for the keeping or possession of any wild animal in captivity, except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes". There is no pet category to apply under. This entry read unclear because the Domestic Species List could not be read; it can be now. The list does carry one cacatuid, the cockatiel, Nymphicus hollandicus, which is in the same family as the cockatoos and is the bird people most often assume settles the question. No Cacatua appears anywhere. So Vermont allows the cockatiel and not the cockatoo, off a list that names each species individually.

How this rule works: The third of Vermont's three lists and the one earlier sittings could not read; it extracts cleanly with pypdf from this URL, fetched with a browser User-Agent. It is what makes the domestic cat, the dog, the ferret and the domestic rabbit lawful in a state where anything unlisted is Restricted. Its bird section is a closed list of about thirty psittacines, every one marked Captive Bred Only, and it decides the parrot cells: budgerigar, cockatiel, lovebirds, rosellas and Psittacula are on it, and Cacatua, Psittacus and Myiopsitta are not.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Vermont Domestic Species List, August 2010; Regulation 881; 10 V.S.A. § 4709

Birds Psittaciformes Psittacidae Melopsittacus undulatus Budgerigar Captive Bred Only ... Nymphicus hollandicus Cockatiel Captive Bred Only ... Psittacula krameri manillensis Indian ringneck parakeet Captive Bred Only

Vermont is an inverted-list state and the quaker parakeet falls through all three of its lists. 10 V.S.A. § 4709 bars bringing in, transporting or possessing any live wild bird or animal without authorisation, and the Unrestricted Wild Animal List closes the loop by saying a species found on none of the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic lists is considered Restricted. the quaker parakeet is on none of them: the Unrestricted list's birds are the rock dove, the European buzzard, a run of estrildid finches and the canary, with no psittacine at all, and the Domestic Species List's psittacine section is a closed list of about thirty species that names the budgerigar, the cockatiel, the lovebirds, the rosellas, the conures and Psittacula, and stops. What makes Restricted a ban rather than paperwork is Regulation 881: "the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for the keeping or possession of any wild animal in captivity, except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes". There is no pet category to apply under. Worth noting how differently Vermont arrives here from the states that ban this bird. California, Connecticut, Georgia and Kentucky name Myiopsitta because it is an agricultural pest that builds nests on power infrastructure. Vermont names nothing: the quaker is banned for the same reason a Nile monitor is, which is that nobody put it on a list.

How this rule works: The third of Vermont's three lists and the one earlier sittings could not read; it extracts cleanly with pypdf from this URL, fetched with a browser User-Agent. It is what makes the domestic cat, the dog, the ferret and the domestic rabbit lawful in a state where anything unlisted is Restricted. Its bird section is a closed list of about thirty psittacines, every one marked Captive Bred Only, and it decides the parrot cells: budgerigar, cockatiel, lovebirds, rosellas and Psittacula are on it, and Cacatua, Psittacus and Myiopsitta are not.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The ackie monitor is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats that absence as a restriction rather than a gap. Only four monitors are unrestricted by name, the short-tailed pygmy, the savannah, the dwarf and the Timor. Varanus acanthurus is not one of them. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Restricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Amphibians | Caudata | Ambystomatidae | Ambystoma | all species | Mole salamanders

Salamanders and newts are unrestricted as a group, and then the entire genus Ambystoma is clawed back, which catches the axolotl even though it is a laboratory and pet animal that has not existed in the wild in any meaningful way for decades. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The appendix the Unrestricted list keeps pointing at. Headed: species below are exceptions to Unrestricted Wild Animal List status and require an importation and possession permit. It matters because several families are unrestricted as a whole and then clawed back species by species here, which is how Vermont ends up allowing a ball python and not a Burmese, a California kingsnake and not an eastern milk snake.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The box turtle is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats that absence as a restriction rather than a gap. Only three chelonians are unrestricted in Vermont, the southern painted turtle and two tortoises, all captive bred only. Terrapene is on neither list. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Restricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Squamata | Serpentes | Boidae | Python | molurus | Indian/Burmese python

Named on the Restricted list, which uses the older taxonomy: the Burmese python was Python molurus bivittatus before being raised to Python bivittatus, and the list's common name column says Indian/Burmese outright, so the species is covered. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in. Federal law bars interstate transport of this species anyway, since it has been listed as injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act since 2012.

How this rule works: The appendix the Unrestricted list keeps pointing at. Headed: species below are exceptions to Unrestricted Wild Animal List status and require an importation and possession permit. It matters because several families are unrestricted as a whole and then clawed back species by species here, which is how Vermont ends up allowing a ball python and not a Burmese, a California kingsnake and not an eastern milk snake.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The capybara is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats absence as a restriction. The rodents it does allow are a specific set: guinea pigs, chinchillas, agoutis, degus, hamsters, gerbils, spiny mice, kangaroo rats and domesticated mice and rats. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in. Resolved from a previous unclear entry now that the list is in hand.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The fennec fox is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats that absence as a restriction rather than a gap. No canid of any kind appears on the Unrestricted list. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

10 V.S.A. § 4709, Reg. 881

the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for the keeping or possession of any wild animal in captivity

Vermont bars bringing in, transporting, or possessing any live wild bird or animal without authorization, and permits are described as rarely issued outside science, education, or rehabilitation purposes.

How this rule works: Closed list. § 4709 bars bringing in, transporting or possessing any live wild bird or animal without authorisation. Reg 881: 'the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for the keeping or possession of any wild animal in captivity, except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes' unless the species is designated domestic, a domestic pet, or unrestricted. The Unrestricted Wild Animals List is maintained separately on the department website and was not obtainable.

Checked against the published text on 27 August 2026.

Restricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Squamata | Serpentes | Colubridae | Thamnophis | all species | Garter snakes, ribbon snakes

Resolved from a previous unclear entry now that the lists are in hand. Colubrids are unrestricted as a family and then the entire genus Thamnophis is clawed back on the Restricted list, so every garter snake and ribbon snake is restricted. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes.

How this rule works: The appendix the Unrestricted list keeps pointing at. Headed: species below are exceptions to Unrestricted Wild Animal List status and require an importation and possession permit. It matters because several families are unrestricted as a whole and then clawed back species by species here, which is how Vermont ends up allowing a ball python and not a Burmese, a California kingsnake and not an eastern milk snake.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The green iguana is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats that absence as a restriction rather than a gap. Vermont's Unrestricted list works through the lizard families one at a time, agamids, chameleons, geckos, skinks, teiids, anguids, lacertids, four named monitors and four iguanian families, and Iguanidae is not among them. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The Nile monitor is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats that absence as a restriction rather than a gap. Only four small monitors are unrestricted by name and the Nile is not among them, which is unsurprising given it is the largest of the group. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The prairie dog is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats absence as a restriction. The rodents it does allow are a specific set: guinea pigs, chinchillas, agoutis, degus, hamsters, gerbils, spiny mice, kangaroo rats and domesticated mice and rats. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in. Resolved from a previous unclear entry now that the list is in hand.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Restricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Testudines | Emydidae | Trachemys | scripta elegans | Red-eared slider

Named on the Restricted list to the subspecies, along with the yellow-bellied and Cumberland sliders, so the whole Trachemys scripta complex is caught. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The appendix the Unrestricted list keeps pointing at. Headed: species below are exceptions to Unrestricted Wild Animal List status and require an importation and possession permit. It matters because several families are unrestricted as a whole and then clawed back species by species here, which is how Vermont ends up allowing a ball python and not a Burmese, a California kingsnake and not an eastern milk snake.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The serval is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats that absence as a restriction rather than a gap. The only cats on the Unrestricted list are wild-domestic hybrids of the fourth generation or later. A serval is not a hybrid. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The snapping turtle is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats that absence as a restriction rather than a gap. Chelydra is on neither list, so despite being native to Vermont it cannot be kept. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025, and Regulation 881

Species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted.

The sulcata is on neither the Unrestricted nor the Restricted list, and Vermont treats that absence as a restriction rather than a gap. The two tortoises Vermont does allow are the Russian and the red-footed. The sulcata appears on neither list under Centrochelys or its older name Geochelone sulcata. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Restricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Amphibians | Caudata | Ambystomatidae | Ambystoma | all species | Mole salamanders

The whole genus is on the Restricted list, so both the eastern tiger salamander and the barred tiger salamander sold in the trade are caught. Unlike Pennsylvania and Michigan, the species being native or not makes no difference here. A permit exists on paper but not for a pet: Regulation 881 says the Commissioner shall not issue a permit for keeping or possessing a wild animal in captivity except for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. So restricted here means a private keeper cannot have one, not that there is paperwork to fill in.

How this rule works: The appendix the Unrestricted list keeps pointing at. Headed: species below are exceptions to Unrestricted Wild Animal List status and require an importation and possession permit. It matters because several families are unrestricted as a whole and then clawed back species by species here, which is how Vermont ends up allowing a ball python and not a Burmese, a California kingsnake and not an eastern milk snake.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Carnivora | Feliformia | Felidae | All wild-domestic hybrid cats of F4 generation or greater

Vermont draws the line by generation, which is unusually precise. An F4 or later Bengal is unrestricted. An earlier generation animal is on no list and therefore restricted, and the permit that would cover it is not issued for pet keeping. Ask the breeder for the filial generation before you buy, because it is the whole answer here.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Erinaceomorpha | Erinaceidae | Atelerix | albiventris | African pygmy hedgehog (U.S. Captive Bred Only)

Resolved. The previous entry was left unclear because the Unrestricted list could not be obtained; it is now in hand and the African pygmy hedgehog is on it by name. The condition is the U.S. Captive Bred Only marker, which requires a statement of origin or a certificate of veterinary inspection identifying the business of origin. A wild-caught or foreign-bred hedgehog does not qualify.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Squamata | Serpentes | Colubridae | Lampropeltis | triangulum traingulum | Eastern milk snake

The condition is which milk snake. Colubrids are unrestricted as a family, and then the Restricted list claws back the eastern milk snake specifically, Vermont's own native subspecies. The Honduran, Pueblan and Nelson's milk snakes that fill the pet trade are other subspecies of Lampropeltis triangulum and are not named, so they stay unrestricted. The official list misspells the subspecies as traingulum.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Testudines | Testudinidae | Geochelone | carbonaria | Red-footed tortoise (Captive Bred Only)

Unrestricted under its older name Geochelone carbonaria, now Chelonoidis carbonarius, and subject to the same Captive Bred Only condition, which requires a statement of origin or certificate of veterinary inspection on import. Only three chelonians are on the whole Unrestricted list, so this is a narrow permission.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.

Unrestricted Wild Animal List, July 2025

Testudines | Testudinidae | Testudo/Agrionemys | horsfieldii | Russian tortoise (Captive Bred Only)

Named to the species and unrestricted, but the Captive Bred Only marker is a real condition rather than a footnote. The list requires captive bred animals to arrive with a statement of origin or a certificate of veterinary inspection identifying the business of origin and the number of animals imported.

How this rule works: The list the whole Vermont answer turns on, and the one earlier research could not obtain. Anything on it may be kept with no permit. Its closing line is the important part: species not found on the Restricted, Unrestricted or Domestic species lists are considered Restricted, which makes Vermont an inverted-list state like Hawaii. Several entries are marked Captive Bred Only, which is a real condition rather than a note. The site refuses automated requests without a User-Agent header.

Checked against the published text on 5 September 2026.