Rock County, WI Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Rock County Code § 3.212(2) adopting Wis. Stat. § 169.04
- Maximum penalty
- Forfeiture not more than $1,000
- Core rule
- Legal source and license required for wild animals
- Exempt species
- Chipmunks, mice, opossums, pigeons, weasels
- Companion statute
- § 29.314 shining adopted in same section
Summary
Rock County adopts Wisconsin's captive-wildlife law, Wis. Stat. § 169.04, in full by ordinance Sec. 3.212(2), banning possession of any live wild animal unless it was legally obtained and the possessor holds the required license. A conviction carries a forfeiture of not more than $1,000. Common exempt species include chipmunks, mice, and opossums; most exotic and nonnative wild animals need a Department of Natural Resources license.
169.04 Possession of live wild animals. (1) Restrictions on possession. (a) No person may possess any live wild animal unless the wild animal is legally obtained. (b) No person may possess any live wild animal unless the person holds a license or other approval to possess the wild animal as required under this chapter or under s. 29.319 and the person is otherwise in compliance with this chapter and the rules promulgated under this chapter.
Full Breakdown
Rock County Code Sec. 212, titled "Shining Animals; Possession of Live Wild Animals," adopts two Wisconsin statutes by reference. Subsection (1) incorporates Wis. 314, the state's night-hunting "shining" law; subsection (2) incorporates Wis. 04, the captive-wildlife statute that actually governs exotic pets. Sec. 04(1) sets two flat bans: no person may possess any live wild animal unless it was legally obtained, and no person may possess any live wild animal without a license or other approval to possess it. "Wild animal" covers any animal of a wild nature normally found in the wild that is not domestic, which sweeps in reptiles, big cats, primates, and other exotic species kept as pets.
The statute does carve out a short list of species anyone can keep without a license, including chipmunks, mice, opossums, pigeons, and weasels, along with veterinarians treating wild animals, public zoos, and the Circus World Museum in Baraboo. Nonnative pheasants used for hunting-preserve training and any nonnative animal classified as "harmful" still need a license even though the general nonnative exemption otherwise applies. Because Rock County's ordinance states it "shall strictly conform to the Wisconsin Statutes" and that "whenever this ordinance and the statutes conflict, the statutes shall control," any amendment the legislature makes to Sec.
04 automatically becomes county law without the County Board re-adopting it. Sec. 212(3) sets the local penalty for violating either adopted statute at a forfeiture of not more than $1,000 upon conviction.
Violations & Fines
Possessing a live wild animal in Rock County without a legal source and the required license violates Wis. Stat. § 169.04 as adopted by Sec. 3.212(2), and carries a forfeiture of not more than $1,000 under Sec. 3.212(3). Illegally shining or possessing wild animals taken by shining under the companion Sec. 29.314 adoption draws the same $1,000 forfeiture cap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Rock County's exotic-pet ordinance actually prohibit?
Are any wild animals exempt from the license requirement?
What's the penalty for keeping an unlicensed exotic pet in Rock County?
Does Rock County have its own exotic-animal rules separate from state law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock County
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