Auburn, AL Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard used
- Director's opinion of safety threat
- Deciding official
- Environmental Services Director
- Exempt uses
- Zoos, pet shops, shelters, medical/sci.
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 501.03.C
- Max penalty
- $500 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Auburn prohibits breeding or maintaining any wild animal or reptile that the Environmental Services Director judges to pose a threat to human safety, with exceptions only for zoos, pet shops, animal shelters, and medical or scientific facilities.
C. No person shall breed or maintain any wild animal or reptile that, in the opinion of the Environmental Services Director, poses a threat to human safety in Auburn. Excluded from this restriction are zoos, pet shops, animal shelters, medical or scientific facilities, or other locations where the showing or maintenance of such animals is a permitted use under the provisions of this Ordinance.
Full Breakdown
C puts the safety call in the hands of a City official: no person shall breed or maintain any wild animal or reptile that, in the opinion of the Environmental Services Director, poses a threat to human safety in Auburn. That standard is discretionary rather than a fixed list of banned species, meaning the Director evaluates a given animal's danger rather than the ordinance naming specific prohibited breeds or genera. The rule exempts locations where keeping such animals is a permitted land use, specifically zoos, pet shops, animal shelters, and medical or scientific facilities, so a private homeowner cannot claim those exemptions for a personal collection.
Because the provision sits in the Zoning Ordinance's "Standards Applicable to Certain Uses" article rather than the general Code's animal-control chapter, it functions as a land-use restriction on what a residential or other zoned property may host, on top of any separate state wildlife-possession law administered by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Violations & Fines
Breeding or maintaining a wild animal or reptile that the Environmental Services Director determines poses a threat to human safety, outside the zoo/pet shop/shelter/medical exemption, violates § 501.03.C. As a Zoning Ordinance violation it is punishable under Section 909 by a fine of up to $500, up to six months in city jail, or both, with each day the animal remains on the property counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a wild animal as a pet in Auburn, Alabama?
Does Auburn list specific banned exotic animal species?
What is the penalty for keeping a prohibited wild animal in Auburn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
Compare Auburn to another location·View the Alabama animal ordinances overview
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