Carteret County, NC Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Article III of Carteret County's animal ordinance defines an "inherently dangerous animal" in § 3-30 as any non-native member of the Canidae, Felidae, or Ursidae mammal families, or any non-human primate, that is inherently capable of endangering humans; wolves and wolf hybrids, big cats over 15 pounds, bears, and monkeys or apes all qualify, while domestic dogs and cats are expressly carved out. Section 3-31 flatly prohibits keeping, sheltering, or harboring such an animal anywhere in the county. The only owners still allowed to keep one are those who obtained a permit under § 3-33 by applying before 5:00 p.m. on April 28, 2000, a deadline the ordinance closed permanently; no new permits have been issued since, animals under an existing permit cannot be replaced when they die or are transferred, and none can be bred.

A grandfathered permit costs $25.00 a year to renew, requires $1,000,000.00 in liability insurance, and demands primary and secondary enclosures built to species-specific standards, for example cheetahs and lions need at least 2,500 square feet within nine-gauge chain-link fencing set back at least 50 feet from any property line. Licensed pet shops, USDA-regulated zoos, research laboratories, circuses, and veterinarians treating wildlife are exempt under § 3-32, as are animals merely being transported through the county for under 24 hours. Any violation of Article III, criminal or civil, carries a $100.00 fine (plus up to 30 days in jail on the criminal side) under § 3-34, with each day of continued violation counted separately, and the animal control officer can impound or, if the animal poses immediate danger, destroy an escaped animal under §§ 3-35 and 3-37.