Eastvale, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Exotic-animal possession in Eastvale is controlled chiefly by California state law, which is among the strictest in the nation. Fish & Game Code section 2118 makes it unlawful to import, transport, possess or release alive any wild animal of a restricted species except under a revocable, nontransferable permit. The list of restricted species is detailed in California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 671, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife issues permits only to qualified parties for limited purposes such as research, public exhibition, education or sheltering - never to possess a wild animal as a pet. The practical effect is that many animals legal elsewhere are banned in California and therefore in Eastvale, including ferrets, many primates, large constrictor and venomous reptiles, and big cats. Riverside County Animal Services, which provides Eastvale's enforcement, helps enforce these state prohibitions. Common domesticated pets - dogs, cats, most pet birds, rabbits and typical aquarium fish - are not restricted species and remain legal. Anyone considering an unusual animal should verify it against the section 671 list before acquiring it, because possessing a restricted species without the appropriate state permit is unlawful regardless of any local allowance.