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

070(B) as a wild animal the California Fish and Game Commission has declared prohibited, without first obtaining a permit from Animal Care Services. The permit must be renewed annually, and Animal Control must inspect the property before a permit issues or renews to confirm the animal is properly confined and healthy; Animal Care Services can also condition the permit on the owner carrying insurance. 030(B) requires the owner to register the animal separately with a current photograph, the name of the treating veterinarian, a landlord's written consent if the property is rented, and documentation of a companion permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Animal Control may additionally require the animal be caged, tethered, or kept in a zoo-type enclosure meeting or exceeding state standards under Title 14, Section 671 of the California Code of Regulations, and federal standards under Title 9, Chapter 1 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Owners must report to Animal Control any death, relocation, sale, or transfer of the animal, and the birth of any offspring, which must itself be registered. 030(D), Animal Care Services may deny or revoke the permit if the animal endangers public safety or property, constitutes a public nuisance, or is subject to suffering, neglect, cruelty, or abuse, and the permit fee is set by Board of Supervisors resolution.