Chatham County, NC Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Chatham County Code § 91.009
- General rule
- Non-domestic animals barred as pets
- Exemption
- USDA-licensed circuses/petting zoos
- Criminal penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor
- 1st civil penalty
- $100 per violation
- Enforcing agency
- Animal Services Division
Summary
Possessing or harboring a non-domestic animal anywhere in unincorporated Chatham County is unlawful unless the owner conforms to the county's separate Wild and Vicious Animals ordinance. A narrow exception covers USDA-licensed circuses, petting zoos and similar traveling exhibitions; anyone else violating the ban faces a misdemeanor and escalating civil fines.
(A) No person shall possess or harbor any non-domestic animal or animals except in conformity with the “Ordinance Regulating the Keeping of Wild and Vicious Animals Within Chatham County.” (Document posted on the county website) (B) This section shall not apply to bona fide circuses, petting zoos, and other similar commercial animal exhibitions of limited duration which are licensed or registered with the United States Department of Agriculture. (C) A violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor.
Full Breakdown
009 makes it unlawful to possess or harbor any non-domestic animal except in conformity with the county's Ordinance Regulating the Keeping of Wild and Vicious Animals Within Chatham County, a separate document posted on the county website rather than printed in this chapter. 002 gives that division over state and local animal law. 009(B) carves out only bona fide circuses, petting zoos and other similar commercial animal exhibitions of limited duration that are licensed or registered with the United States Department of Agriculture, so a traveling show can bring exotic animals through the county without violating the section.
009(C). 999(B), which starts at $100 for a first offense and rises to $500 for a fourth or later violation, collected by the Health Director.
Violations & Fines
The Animal Services Division and Health Director enforce § 91.009 alongside the rest of Chapter 91's animal cruelty and nuisance provisions. A first violation draws a $100 civil penalty on top of the Class 3 misdemeanor charge, rising to $200, $300 and $500 for later offenses, and the county can pursue an injunction or abatement order in court under G.S. § 153A-123(d) and (e) if a wild animal keeping continues unresolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally keep a wild or exotic animal as a pet in unincorporated Chatham County?
Are traveling circuses or petting zoos exempt from the exotic animal ban?
What happens if I'm caught keeping a prohibited exotic animal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chatham County
Compare Chatham County to another location·View the North Carolina animal ordinances overview
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