Greene County, MO Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit needed
- Conditional Use Permit for dangerous animals
- Exotic pet cap
- 2 exotic pets per Home Occupation Permit
- Enclosure setback
- 100 feet from all property lines
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only, not Springfield
- State rule
- Must conform to MO Conservation regulations
Summary
Unincorporated Greene County requires a Conditional Use Permit before keeping predators, carnivores, venomous, or oversized animals as pets, and caps exotic pets like monkeys or pot-bellied pigs at two per home without one. Springfield, Republic, and other cities enforce their own separate codes.
Any animal designated as dangerous (predators, carnivores, venomous, oversized, etc.,) must have a Conditional Use Permit to be allowed as a pet in any district; provided, however, no retail or wholesale business will be conducted in conjunction with the keeping of such animals in any district lower than C-2, General Commercial District. The keeping of such animals must conform to the Department of Conservation regulations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Greene County's zoning code treats exotic and dangerous animals as land-use questions, not animal-control ones. Under Article IV, Section 23(F), a home can keep up to two exotic pets, monkeys, pot-bellied pigs, falcons, hawks, eagles, or other domesticated wildlife, with an approved Home Occupation Permit; a third or more requires a Conditional Use Permit. Section 24 separately requires a Conditional Use Permit for any animal classed as dangerous, predators, carnivores, venomous species, or oversized animals, kept as a pet in any district, and bars related retail or wholesale business below a C-2 Commercial district. Keeping must conform to Missouri Department of Conservation rules. Springfield, Republic, Willard, Strafford, and Ash Grove have their own separate codes.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a predator, venomous, or oversized animal, or more than two exotic pets, without a Conditional Use Permit violates the zoning code and can trigger a stop-work order, permit denial, or civil enforcement by Resource Management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a monkey or exotic bird in unincorporated Greene County?
Does this rule apply inside Springfield?
What counts as a dangerous animal under the zoning code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greene County
Compare Greene County to another location·View the Missouri animal ordinances overview
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