Ada County Code 5-7-4 makes it unlawful to keep a long list of exotic and wild animals - including big cats, wild canids, primates, bears, venomous snakes, crocodilians, and marine mammals. Only domesticated cats and dogs and a few named small pets are allowed.
Under 5-7-4, it is unlawful to harbor or possess prohibited animals in the county, including all wild members of the cat and dog families, nonhuman primates, bears, bats, elephants, marine mammals, raccoons, hyenas, most reptiles such as crocodilians, sea turtles, and non-native venomous snakes, plus threatened or endangered species. Permitted exceptions are narrow: accredited zoos, licensed veterinary hospitals, accredited educational/medical institutions, and holders of Idaho Fish and Game or Idaho Department of Agriculture permits (including raptor/falconry permits). Domestic rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, squirrels, ferrets, sugar gliders, and Virginia opossums are among the small animals not prohibited.
Prohibited animals may be impounded by the Animal Control Agency and the owner is liable for related fees and costs (5-7-4(E)); keeping a prohibited animal is enforceable as a misdemeanor under 5-7-23.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Ada County has no ordinance banning backyard composting. Home compost piles are allowed, but they must not become a nuisance, attract rodents or vermin, or c...
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Ada County has no ordinance banning or specifically regulating residential artificial turf. Installation on private property is generally allowed; check drai...
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Ada County does not require any particular landscape plants and does not ban native or xeric plantings. As long as growth is not an overgrown-weed nuisance o...
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Ada County has no ordinance banning rooftop rainwater collection. Under Idaho water law, capturing rain and snowmelt from your own roof for use on your prope...
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Ada County itself sets no residential watering schedule. In the Treasure Valley, outdoor irrigation typically comes from irrigation districts (Nampa-Meridian...
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Ada County declares overgrown weeds and grasses a public nuisance when they create a fire, safety or health hazard, or interfere with neighbors' use of their...
See how Ada County's exotic pets rules stack up against other locations.
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