Detroit, MI Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Detroit City Code § 6-1-5 bars owning, harboring, keeping, selling, or transferring any wild animal or farm animal on private property or in public within city limits. The code defines a wild animal as one that 'generally lives in its original and natural habitat' and isn't normally domesticated: covering species like lions, primates, and venomous reptiles. The only exceptions are circuses, zoos, laboratories, or approved nonprofits, and only under a trained attendant's restraint. A companion section, § 6-1-6, separately bans keeping reptiles or serpents, exempting only turtles under 15 inches. Each animal kept unlawfully is a separate violation, and the Animal Care and Control Division may seize, sell, or euthanize any animal held in violation.