Lake County, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

California has one of the strictest exotic-pet regimes in the country, and that state law controls in unincorporated Lake County. Under California Code of Regulations, Title 14, section 671 (administered by the Department of Fish and Wildlife) together with Fish and Game Code section 2118, a long list of wild and exotic species is classified as 'restricted' and cannot be possessed without a permit. The restricted list includes most of the Order Carnivora (raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes, wolves, bears, and all wild cats such as bobcats, servals, ocelots, lions, and tigers), nonhuman primates (monkeys), and popular pet-trade species that are nonetheless illegal in California, including ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and certain gerbils. CDFW issues restricted-species permits only for purposes such as research, exhibition, or scientific use - not for keeping the animal as a personal pet. Violations are charged as a misdemeanor with fines that can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, plus the cost of seizure and care. On top of the state ban, the Lake County Code's animal chapter (Chapter 4, Animals, Fish and Fowl) governs animal keeping in the unincorporated county and can impose additional local conditions, and zoning determines what may be kept on a given parcel. Because the state framework already prohibits private possession of most exotics, the safest approach for a Lake County resident is to assume an exotic species is illegal to keep as a pet unless CDFW confirms it is unrestricted. Confirm any individual species with CDFW's Restricted Species program before acquiring it.