Cupertino, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- City Manager, 12-month renewable term
- Governing definition
- any wild, exotic, or venomous animal
- Exemptions
- zoos, universities, bona fide research institutions
- Sign requirement
- warning sign posted at every entrance
- Zoning override
- permit never overrides a zoning prohibition
- Penalty
- misdemeanor under Chapter 1.12
Summary
Cupertino does not ban owning a wild or exotic animal outright, but its code labels any wild, exotic, or venomous animal a "dangerous animal" and requires a City Manager permit before anyone keeps, sells, trades, or hires one out. Zoos, universities, and bona fide research institutions are exempt, and permits can be denied to protect public safety or the animal itself.
“Dangerous animal” means any wild, exotic, or venomous animal, or other animal which because of its size, disposition, or other characteristic would constitute a danger to persons or property. ... No person shall keep, have, maintain, sell, trade, or let for hire a dangerous and/or vicious animal without first obtaining a permit from the City Manager.
Full Breakdown
010). 010). No permit is required for a zoo, university, college, governmental research agency, or other bona fide scientific institution conducting scientific or public health research; the code defines a qualifying zoo as an operation open to the public at least thirty hours a week for thirty-six weeks a year whose animals aren't for sale to private individuals. Any permitted owner must post a legible warning sign at every entrance to the property where the animal is kept. 020), and can condition a permit on zoo-type caging that meets or exceeds state standards under Title 14 CCR Section 671 and federal standards under 9 CFR Chapter 1. 020 states the chapter cannot be used to keep a dangerous animal where zoning provisions or state law would otherwise prohibit it. 040.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a dangerous or vicious animal without a permit, or after a permit has been denied or revoked, is a misdemeanor enforced under Chapter 1.12's general penalty provisions (Section 8.06.040). Animal control officers may seize and impound the animal under Chapter 8.02's summary-seizure rules, and an owner who cannot meet required insurance, caging, or safety conditions must surrender the animal to the City Manager for humane destruction or other disposition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally own a venomous snake or other exotic pet in Cupertino?
Does a Cupertino permit let me keep a dangerous animal in any zoning district?
Are zoos or research labs in Cupertino exempt from the dangerous-animal permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cupertino
California rules heatmap·Compare Cupertino to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Exotic Pets in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle exotic pets.