Alameda, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Alameda directly bans exotic and wild animals through its own code. Municipal Code Section 7-9.6 (Prohibition of Exotic Pets) makes it unlawful to maintain on any premises in the City 'any wild or exotic animal, reptile, fish or insect.' The section specifically sweeps in any 'endangered species,' 'threatened species,' or 'candidate species' as defined in Chapter 1.5 of Division 3 of the California Fish and Game Code or the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973; any species listed in California Fish & Game Code Section 2118 and its regulations (14 Cal. Code Regs. Section 671 et seq.); fully protected fish (Section 5515), reptiles and amphibians (Section 5050), and birds (Section 3511); and 'any venomous animal whether or not that animal has been rendered harmless.' A narrow grandfather exemption applies to people who already kept such animals, provided they hold a valid California Department of Fish and Game permit and the animal is not a public nuisance; that exemption does not permit adding, replacing, or breeding more of the animals. This city ban layers on top of California's state restricted-species scheme (Fish & Game Code 2118 and 14 CCR 671), which independently prohibits possession of many wild animals without a permit. Conventional domestic pets - dogs, cats, and the six domestic fowl allowed under Section 7-4.1 - are not affected.