Lyon County, NV Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Lyon County Code Chapter 7.07, Restricted Animals
- Applies in
- Unincorporated Lyon County, Nevada only
- Permit issuer
- Lyon County Animal Services
- Permit term
- One year, revocable for cause
- Applicant minimum
- 18 years old, 2 years' handling experience
- Exempt entities
- AZA zoos, research facilities, government agencies
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor or civil infraction up to $500
Summary
In unincorporated Lyon County, Nevada, Chapter 7.07 of the county code bans importing, transferring, selling, buying, breeding or possessing any animal on its restricted list, including big cats, bears, wolves, primates, elephants and venomous snakes, unless the owner holds a Lyon County Animal Services restricted animal permit. Public zoos, research facilities, government agencies and service-animal trainers are exempt from the permit itself.
A. It is unlawful for any person, corporation, or other legal entity to import, transfer, sell, purchase, breed or possess an animal classified as restricted unless that person, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity holds a restricted animal permit or is exempt from holding a permit under this chapter and under the provisions of Nevada Revised Statutes 571 and 503 and NAC 441A, 503, and 504. ... ... C. The following animals are classified as restricted and inherently dangerous to humans: ... ... 2. Order Carnivora: Family Canidae: Includes genus Canis (all species, including wolves, jackals, dingos, and hybrids) ... Family Ursidae: All species of bears. ... Family ... Felidae: Includes genus Leo or Panthera or Neofelis (all species, including lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards and hybrids), Acinonym jubatus (cheetah), Felis concolor (all subspecies of cougars), Unica unica (snow leopard), and all wildcats, including, but not limited to, jungle cat, margay, caracal, serval, lynx, bobcat, clouded leopard, ocelot and hybrids.
Full Breakdown
Section 7.07.03 makes it unlawful to import, transfer, sell, purchase, breed or possess a restricted animal without a permit, and section 7.07.02 classifies restricted species by taxonomic family: primates (orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons, siamangs, macaques, baboons), Canidae (wolves, jackals, dingos, coyotes), all bears, wolverines, hyenas, binturongs, all Felidae including lions, tigers, cougars and bobcats, elephants, rhinoceroses, hippos, African buffalo, kangaroos, crocodilians, venomous snakes and lizards, boas and pythons, and venomous turtles. Section 7.07.04 sets applicant qualifications: at least eighteen years old, two years handling experience with that animal family, and no wildlife-law or animal-cruelty conviction within three years.
Section 7.07.05 requires a current inventory with permanent ID on each animal, a veterinarian's annual health statement, a recapture or destruction plan, and an emergency evacuation plan updated within thirty days of structural change. Section 7.07.06 bars breeding except by AZA- or SSP-accredited or USDA-permitted holders, and bans breeding outright at rehabilitation sanctuaries. Section 7.07.07 sets the permit fee by Board of County Commissioners resolution, held in trust for impounded-animal care, and section 7.07.08 fixes a one-year permit term with no property interest in renewal.
Section 7.07.02 exempts public zoos accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association with a USDA class C license, research facilities and government agencies from the permit requirement, and section 7.07.11 grandfathers animals lawfully possessed before the permit system took effect.
Violations & Fines
Section 7.07.09 lets Lyon County Animal Services suspend a permit for cause, including two or more chapter violations, unsanitary conditions or misrepresentation, after five days to remedy; the Board of County Commissioners then handles revocation, and a suspended permittee has forty eight hours to appeal in writing to the county manager. Chapter 7.07 sets no separate fine, so section 1.04.01's general penalty applies: violating the code is a misdemeanor under Nevada Revised Statutes, or a civil infraction of up to five hundred dollars per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a pet tiger, lion or other big cat in unincorporated Lyon County?
Are wolves or wolf hybrids restricted in Lyon County, Nevada?
What happens if someone possesses a restricted animal without a permit?
Are zoos or research facilities exempt from the Lyon County permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lyon County
Compare Lyon County to another location·View the Nevada animal ordinances overview
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