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Marion, OH Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Heavy Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified October 2026

Key Facts

Governing section: Marion Codified Ordinances § 618.18
Listed animals: 34 categories presumed dangerous, irrebuttably, in division (C)
Reptile limits: Alligators 24 inches or more; constrictors over six feet
Exemption authority: Director of Public Service/Safety, action within 120 days
Escape report: Within one hour to police and the Clerk
Penalty: Third-degree misdemeanor; first degree on repeat within twelve months

Summary

In the City of Marion, Ohio, § 618.18 bars keeping any dangerous or carnivorous wild animal or reptile, and irrebuttably treats a printed list as dangerous: bears, big cats, wolves, venomous snakes, constrictors over six feet, alligators of 24 inches or more and more. The Director of Public Service/Safety can grant exemptions. Violations are misdemeanors.

(A) No person shall knowingly keep, maintain or have in his possession or under his control within the City any dangerous or carnivorous wild animal or reptile, or any other animal or reptile of wild, vicious or dangerous propensities (not including canines and domesticated cats), except to the extent that an exemption may be applicable pursuant to subsections (D) or (E) hereof. ... (C) For purposes of this section, there shall be an irrebuttable presumption that, when kept or maintained within the City of Marion, the animals listed below are considered dangerous animals to which the prohibition of subsection (a) hereof, in the absence of an exemption pursuant to subsections (d) or (e) hereof, applies: ... (4) Bears (Ursidae); ... (8) Constrictor snakes exceeding six (6) feet in length; ... (18) Lions (Panthera leo); ... (27) Tigers (Panthera tigris); (28) Wolves (Canis lupus) or Wolf hybrids; ... (G) Penalty - Whoever violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. However, if during the preceding twelve months there has been a previous conviction the offense shall be a misdemeanor of the first degree

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Full Breakdown

Section 618.18(A) of the Marion Codified Ordinances bars any person from knowingly keeping, maintaining or possessing within the City any dangerous or carnivorous wild animal or reptile, or any other animal or reptile of wild, vicious or dangerous propensities, not including canines and domesticated cats. Dangerous or vicious covers an animal with a known propensity to attack unprovoked or endanger people or domestic animals, one that attacks a human or domestic animal without provocation, and one owned for fighting or trained for fighting.

Division (C) removes argument for a 34-item list by creating an irrebuttable presumption that these animals are dangerous: all crotalid, elapid and venomous colubroid snakes; gibbons, gorillas, orangutans and siamangs; baboons; bears; bison; cheetahs; crocodilians and alligators 24 inches in length or more; constrictor snakes exceeding six feet; coyotes; all members of the deer family; elephants; foxes; game cocks and other fighting birds; hippopotami; hyenas; jaguars; leopards; lions; lynxes; ostriches; piranha except vegetarians; pumas; rhinoceroses; sharks; snow leopards; swine except pot bellied pigs; tigers; wolves and wolf hybrids; scorpions; birds of prey except those held by licensed falconers; venomous fish; poisonous spiders except tarantulas; stinging insects except honey bees; and bats being confined.

Division (D) exempts licensed menageries, zoological gardens, circuses and the Marion County Fairgrounds if the location conforms to the City Zoning Code, quarters are clean, humane and free of objectionable odors, quarters prevent escape, and no person resides within fifty feet of the quarters. Division (E) lets the Director of Public Service/Safety grant a temporary or permanent exemption to a person with a legitimate scientific, educational, commercial or other purpose. The application is written and states name, address, type and number of animals and safeguards, and the Director must take official action within 120 days. Under division (B), an owner whose permitted animal escapes reports it within one hour to a law enforcement officer and the Clerk of the Municipal Legislative Authority.

Violations & Fines

Under § 618.18(G), a violation is a misdemeanor of the third degree, which § 698.02 punishes with not more than 60 days in jail and a fine of not more than $500. If there was a previous conviction during the preceding twelve months, it is a misdemeanor of the first degree: not more than six months and $1,000. An exemption can be withdrawn if conditions change or the holder breaks its restrictions, including refusing inspection of the confinement premises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep a pet snake in the City of Marion, Ohio?

Some, not all. Division (C) of § 618.18 irrebuttably treats all crotalid, elapid and venomous colubroid snakes as dangerous, and also constrictor snakes exceeding six feet in length. A snake outside those descriptions is not on the printed list, though division (A) still bars any reptile of wild, vicious or dangerous propensities.

Can I get an exemption to keep a listed animal?

Yes. Under division (E), a person with a legitimate scientific, educational, commercial or other purpose applies in writing to the Director of Public Service/Safety, who can grant, deny or restrict the application and must take official action within 120 days. The Director weighs experience, state or federal permits, danger, safeguards and animal welfare, and denies unless protection is adequate.

Are ferrets and wolves treated the same in Marion?

No. Wolves and wolf hybrids are on the dangerous list in § 618.18(C)(28). Ferrets, minks and lamas are not on that list but are prohibited by § 618.12(C) outside Agricultural Zoned parcels and the County Fairgrounds, subject to a Safety Director exemption. The two sections carry different penalty classes.

What must I do if my animal escapes?

Division (B) requires the owner or keeper to report the escape within one hour after discovering it, or after reasonably should have discovered it, to a law enforcement officer of the municipality and to the Clerk of the Municipal Legislative Authority. If the Clerk's office is closed, reporting within one hour after it next opens is sufficient.

Sources & Official References

[1]Codified Ordinances of the City of Marion, Ohio

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