Apple Valley, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- State permit required
- CA Dept of Fish and Game authorization
- Local layer
- Must also meet Development Code, Table 15.01.125A
- District cap
- 2 exotic animals max, Special Use Permit
- Exempt
- Licensed circuses, carnivals, zoos
- Enforcing agency
- Animal Control Officer
- Penalty
- $100-$500 citation or up to $1,000 fine
Summary
Apple Valley bars anyone from keeping, breeding, selling, trading or hiring out a wild, exotic, dangerous or nondomestic animal without first obtaining special authorization from the California Department of Fish and Game. Licensed circuses, carnivals, zoos and other government-jurisdiction wildlife collections are exempt from the rule.
No person shall have, keep, maintain, breed, sell, trade or let for hire, any wild, exotic, dangerous or nondomestic animal without first applying to and receiving special authorization from the State of California, Department of Fish and Game. The keeping or maintenance of such animals shall also conform to the Town Development Code and Town Municipal Code. The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to licensed circuses, carnivals, zoos or other collections of wild animals under jurisdiction of the Town, State or Federal government.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
01, Animal Control, prohibits any person from having, keeping, maintaining, breeding, selling, trading or letting for hire a wild, exotic, dangerous or nondomestic animal without first applying for and receiving special authorization from the State of California, Department of Fish and Game. 125, which caps most residential districts at two exotic animals under a Special Use Permit and bars them outright in the R-SF and R-M districts. The Section exempts licensed circuses, carnivals, zoos or other collections of wild animals already under Town, State or Federal jurisdiction, so a permitted traveling circus or an accredited zoo does not need a separate authorization under this Section on top of its existing license.
Because the underlying authorization comes from the state Department of Fish and Game rather than the town, Apple Valley's own role is to confirm that authorization exists and layer its zoning and permit requirements on top of it before allowing the animal to be kept within town limits.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a wild, exotic or nondomestic animal without the required State Department of Fish and Game authorization is a Chapter 15.01 violation, enforced under § 15.01.130 and § 1.01.200: the Town may issue an administrative citation from $100 to $500 per offense or prosecute it as a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in County jail. An unpermitted animal can also be impounded and any related district-limit violation under § 15.01.125 cited separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep an exotic animal in Apple Valley with just a state permit?
Are zoos or circuses exempt from this section?
What animals count as 'wild, exotic or nondomestic' under the code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apple Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Apple Valley to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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