Birmingham, AL Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Section 6-1-2, in Article A (General Provisions) of Title 6, Chapter 1 (Animals and Fowl), makes it unlawful for an owner or other person in charge to harbor or keep a wild or vicious animal in the city unless it is securely confined or bound so as to prevent it from biting or attacking a person or another animal. The chapter's Section 6-1-1 definitions distinguish 'dog' and 'cat' from other animals but do not define 'wild animal' by species, so the rule functions as a confinement standard applied to whatever wild or vicious creature a resident is keeping, rather than a species-by-species prohibited list.

The provision sits alongside Section 6-1-3 (noisy animals or fowl a public nuisance) and Section 6-1-4 (swine, goats and sheep barred citywide except at commercial stockyards or slaughterhouses), both of which independently restrict what animals can be kept and how. Enforcement runs through Section 6-1-11: any city police officer, the supervisor of the animal control center, or an authorized animal control officer may act, and citizens may also bring a sworn complaint before a municipal magistrate. Because Section 6-1-2 does not carry its own penalty clause, a violation falls under the Code's general penalty provision, which applies a fine or imprisonment unless another penalty is expressly stated, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense.