Chico, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Chico Municipal Code does not maintain a separate exotic-pet ordinance. State preemption controls: Cal. Fish & Game Code §2118 makes it unlawful to import, transport, possess, or release alive into California, except under a revocable nontransferable permit, any wild animal of a listed restricted species. The implementing regulation, 14 CCR §671, lists the restricted families and species by taxonomic order. Among the species banned for private possession in California: ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), hedgehogs, sugar gliders, most non-domestic felids (servals, ocelots, lions, tigers), all non-human primates, alligators and crocodiles, large constrictors and venomous reptiles, and most squirrels and prairie dogs. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife explicitly states that it does not issue permits for keeping exotic animals as pets — only for accredited zoos, research, and qualifying exhibitors. Permissible exotics in Chico include captive-bred parrots, most non-venomous snakes and lizards, domesticated rabbits, and standard small mammals (hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rats, mice). Potbelly pigs occupy a gray area: Chico has no express ban but Title 19 livestock setbacks may apply. Penalties under Fish & Game Code §12000 et seq. include misdemeanor charges and confiscation by CDFW or Butte County Animal Control.