Rowan County, NC Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Section 5-40 opens by explaining why the county tracks these animals: effective rabies vaccines are not available for exotic mammals, so registration lets animal control officers know where dangerous exotic animals are kept in case of a bite or escape. Subsection (b) requires every owner or keeper of an exotic or dangerous exotic animal to register it with the animal services director, and the registration itself is free; anyone who brings a dangerous exotic animal into the county for more than twenty-four hours must register it within one business day.

Subsection (c) layers on substantive permit and insurance requirements before an owner may possess a dangerous exotic animal at all: the owner needs every federal and state permit for that species, plus the county's registration, and must complete an application listing the applicant's name and address, the animal's species, sex, and body weight, and the property address where it will be kept. The applicant must also prove financial responsibility, either a certificate of insurance from a company licensed in North Carolina covering at least $1,000,000 per claim for injury and property damage, or a surety bond in the same amount, and that coverage cannot be cancelled without ten days' written notice to the health director. Copies of every federal and state permit and license for the animal must be attached to the application.