Washoe County, NV Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

WCC 55.645 flatly prohibits keeping species the health authority classifies as high-risk rabies transmitters on private property: bats, skunks, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes are named outright, and the rabies control authority may designate others. A person found with one of these animals must relinquish it to the rabies control authority or the state Division of Wildlife on request; the only way around the ban is a case-by-case exemption granted jointly by the rabies control authority and the Division of Wildlife.

That prohibition sits inside a broader exotic-animal scheme. WCC 55.650 divides other non-domestic animals into three tiers. Tier 1 species, such as guinea pigs, hamsters, domestic ferrets, and raptors, need no permit. Tier 2 and tier 3 species, defined at WCC 55.010 and including constrictors over 12 feet, Nile monitors, non-domestic cats under 65 pounds, and larger animals such as bears, wolves, non-human primates, crocodilians, and venomous reptiles, cannot be kept without an exotic animal permit from regional animal services. An applicant must submit enclosure drawings meeting the species-specific structural standards in WCC 55.680 through 55.720, a behavioral enrichment plan, an emergency evacuation plan, and proof the site meets local zoning, and must notify neighbors within 200 feet, who have 15 days to object. The director of regional animal services decides within 90 days and can attach conditions; approved permit holders must also carry $25,000.00 of liability coverage for a tier 2 animal or $250,000.00 for a tier 3 animal within 30 days of approval, and the permit must be renewed annually.

An exotic animal permit can be revoked for a second animal-code citation within the permit year, for cruelty to animals, or for a failed inspection, with an appeal to the county's administrative hearing office within 30 days.