Tehama County, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

California has one of the strictest exotic-pet regimes in the country, and that state law controls in unincorporated Tehama County. Under California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 671 (administered by the Department of Fish and Wildlife) together with Fish and Game Code section 2118, a long list of wild and exotic species is classified as 'restricted' and cannot be imported, transported, or possessed without a permit. The restricted list includes most of the Order Carnivora (raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes, wolves, bears, and all wild cats such as bobcats, servals, ocelots, lions, and tigers), nonhuman primates (monkeys and apes), and popular pet-trade species that are nonetheless illegal in California, including ferrets, hedgehogs, and sugar gliders. CDFW issues restricted-species permits only for limited purposes such as research, public exhibition, or scientific use - not for keeping the animal as a personal pet. The regulation expressly notes that cities and counties may also prohibit possession or require a permit for these and other species not requiring a state permit, so Tehama County's animal code (Title 7) and zoning can layer additional local controls. Violations of the state restriction are charged as a misdemeanor with fines and seizure of the animal. Because the state framework already prohibits private possession of most exotics, the safest approach for a Tehama County resident is to treat an exotic species as illegal to keep as a pet unless CDFW confirms it is unrestricted. Confirm any individual species with CDFW's Restricted Species program before acquiring it.