Travis County, TX Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- Travis County Code § 252.009
- State authority
- Health & Safety Code Ch. 822, Subch. E
- Registering agency
- City of Austin Animal Services Office
- Banned-without-permit species
- Lions, tigers, bears, cougars, more
- Sanctuary exception
- 501(c)(3) wildlife sanctuaries only
- Offense class
- Class C misdemeanor, per animal per day
Summary
Travis County requires a state certificate of registration before anyone in the unincorporated county may keep a lion, tiger, bear, cougar, or other Dangerous Wild Animal, under Code Section 252.009 and Health and Safety Code Chapter 822, Subchapter E. Nonprofit wildlife sanctuaries face separate documentation rules.
Authority of Travis County to adopt this Section 252.009 include Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 822.101 et seq., and Texas Local Government Code, Section 240.002(a), under which the Travis County Commissioners Court may prohibit or regulate the ownership, possession, confinement or care of certain animal(s) in the County... "Dangerous Wild Animal" means an animal of a species defined as a "dangerous wild animal" in Subchapter E, Section 822.101 of Chapter 822. Those animals are, at the time of approval of these Rules: lion, tiger, ocelot, cougar, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, bobcat, lynx, serval, caracal, hyena, bear, coyote, jackal, baboon, chimpanzee, orangutan, gorilla, or any hybrid of an animal listed herein... Misdemeanor. A person commits an offense if the person fails to comply with any portion of this section, such offense to be prosecuted under state law. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. Each animal with respect to which there is a violation and each day that a violation continues is a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
002(a) authority to regulate ownership, possession, confinement, and care of certain animals in the county. The banned-without-a-permit list, frozen as of the rule's 2025 revision, covers lions, tigers, ocelots, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, bobcats, lynx, servals, caracals, hyenas, bears, coyotes, jackals, baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas, plus any hybrid of those species. 104 of the state code. A narrow exception exists for a Wildlife Sanctuary, a nonprofit under IRS Section 501(c)(3) whose sole purpose is caring for abused, unwanted, or displaced wild animals for their lifetimes or returning them to the wild, and which never breeds, buys, sells, trades, or auctions a Dangerous Wild Animal it holds; a sanctuary applicant must document that status or its registration is denied or revoked.
The county attorney can also go to district court for an injunction against a violation or threatened violation under Chapter 240 of the Local Government Code.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a Dangerous Wild Animal without a valid registration certificate is a Class C misdemeanor, and every animal involved and every day the violation continues counts as a separate offense, so the fines can multiply fast. A violator also remains exposed to whatever penalty the applicable section of Chapter 822 of the Health and Safety Code sets, and the county attorney can sue in district court for an injunction to stop the violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I own a tiger or other exotic animal in Travis County?
What happens if I keep a dangerous wild animal without registering it?
Do wildlife rescues need to register their animals too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Travis County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Travis County to another location·View the Texas animal ordinances overview
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