Carroll County, MD Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 90.10
- Rule type
- Outright possession ban
- Covered scope
- Any potentially dangerous or vicious wild animal
- Enforcing agency
- Animal Care and Control Authority
- Max penalty
- 30 days jail or $500 fine
Summary
Carroll County bans private citizens from possessing or harboring a potentially dangerous or vicious wild animal anywhere within the county. The single-sentence rule at § 90.10 is a flat prohibition, not a permit system, and it is enforced under the county's general Chapter 90 animal penalty.
No private citizen may possess or harbor a potentially dangerous or vicious wild animal within the geographic boundaries of the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through July 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
" The provision was carried forward from the 2004 Code § 81-10 and last amended by Ord. 06-15, passed 11-28-2006. It is a categorical ban rather than a licensing or registration scheme: the code does not offer a permit path for keeping a dangerous or vicious wild species as a pet in the unincorporated county. 10 applies specifically to wild animals rather than owned dogs or cats. 01), the wild-animal ban reaches any vertebrate wild species an owner would classify as potentially dangerous or vicious, leaving the vicious/dangerous determination itself to the Animal Care and Control Authority, the agency the County Commissioners designate to supervise Chapter 90 and run the county shelter. The rule applies only in unincorporated Carroll County; incorporated municipalities set their own exotic-animal rules.
Violations & Fines
Possessing or harboring a prohibited wild animal is enforced as a Chapter 90 violation under the general penalty at § 90.99: a misdemeanor punishable by confinement in the county jail for up to 30 days, a fine of up to $500, or both, with each day of continued possession treated as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a permit to keep an exotic wild animal in Carroll County?
Does the ban cover all wild animals or just dangerous ones?
What is the penalty for keeping a banned wild animal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
Compare Carroll County to another location·View the Maryland animal ordinances overview
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