Longview, TX Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 13-13
- Rule
- Outright ban on possession
- Penalty
- Class C misdemeanor, up to $500
- Exceptions
- Zoos, research, permitted exhibits, TPWD rehab
- Residential buffer
- 300 feet for exempt facilities
Summary
Longview outright bans keeping dangerous wild animals or reptiles, lions, tigers, primates, venomous snakes, and more, as pets anywhere in the city.
It shall be unlawful for any person to import, offer for sale, keep, maintain, harbor, or possess within the corporate limits, any dangerous wild animal or reptile as defined in this chapter. ... "Dangerous wild animals or reptiles" ... shall include but are not limited to the following: alligators, bears, bobcats, cheetahs, coyotes, crocodiles, foxes, hyenas, jaguars, leopards, lions, monkeys and other non-human primates, ocelots, panthers, tigers, venomous snakes, wolves, hybrids of the above listed animals.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: June 2026: This code is current through Ordinances 4635 passed 06.25.26).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 13-13 makes it unlawful to import, offer for sale, keep, maintain, harbor, or possess a "dangerous wild animal or reptile" within Longview's corporate limits. Sec. 13-1 defines the term broadly to cover animals not normally domesticated that are wild by nature, naming alligators, bears, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, primates, mountain lions, skunks, tigers, venomous snakes, wolves, and hybrids of any listed species. Narrow exceptions exist for zoos, federally licensed research institutions, permitted animal exhibitions, and Texas Parks and Wildlife rehabilitation permit holders: none within 300 feet of a residence.
Violations & Fines
Violating the ban is a Class C misdemeanor under Sec. 13-31, punishable by a fine up to $500 under the Sec. 1-4 general penalty schedule; each day of continued possession is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a pet snake in Longview?
Are hybrid animals like wolf-dogs banned too?
Can a licensed rehabber keep an injured hawk or fox?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Longview
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Longview to another location·View the Texas animal ordinances overview
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