Lynwood, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Subsection c extends the ban to any animal protected under Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations or California's Endangered Species Act, layering federal and state wildlife protections onto the local possession ban. The prohibition is separate from section 8-1.14's list of animals barred outright inside city limits (certain fowl, swine, and bees), which is enforced under its own subsections; section 8-1.13 instead targets animals that are wild, exotic, dangerous, or venomous as defined by the Fish and Game Code and the Health and Safety Code chapter on rabies and wild animal control.

The only carve-out from the sale ban is for institutions built to contain such an animal safely: an animal shelter, zoological park, veterinary hospital, humane society shelter, public laboratory, circus, sideshow, amusement show, or educational/scientific facility, and only if it provides protective devices adequate to prevent the animal from escaping or injuring the public. Enforcement runs through the city's animal control officer and, for licensed businesses, Community Development's business license review. Because section 8-1.13 sets no penalty of its own, a violation defaults to the misdemeanor described in section 1-5: a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in the Los Angeles County jail, or both, with each day of continued possession chargeable as a separate offense.