Pulaski County, AR Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- § 3-43 (definitions § 3-42)
- Scope
- Countywide, including cities
- Banned
- Carnivora, venomous reptiles/amphibians
- Exception
- Native game species per state code
- Primates allowed
- With vet health record + annual TB test
- Grace period
- 10 days to remove animal
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under § 1-9
Summary
Pulaski County Code § 3-43 bans keeping any "innately wild animal," from big cats and other carnivores to venomous snakes and lizards, anywhere in the county, including inside Little Rock and the other cities. Non-human primates are the one exception the county allows, and only with documented vaccinations and annual TB testing under § 3-44.
Possession, maintenance or keeping of innately wild animals within the county is prohibited; provided that, it shall be lawful to take wild raccoons, opossum, squirrels, rabbits, skunk, deer, bobcat, quail eggs, coyotes, and wolves (other than Red Wolf) and keep them in captivity as permitted in section 48.06 of the Game and Fish Commission Code Book. ... Non-human primates are permitted in the county under this article; provided that, a current health record showing immunizations and dates and results of annual tuberculosis checks must be maintained by a veterinarian or physician. ... Any person possessing, maintaining, or keeping innately wild animals in the county in violation of this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor punishable as provided by section 1-9 of this article. There shall be a ten (10) day grace period for the removal of innately wild animals from the county before the offense becomes continuing in nature.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Article III of chapter 3 defines "innately wild animals" in § 3-42 as every member of the animal order Carnivora except domestic dogs, cats and ferrets, plus venomous reptiles from the families Hydrophidae, Elapidae, Viperidae, Crotalidae and Helodermatidae (cobras, rattlesnakes, water moccasins, gila monsters and the like) and venomous amphibians other than native United States species. 06 of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Code Book. Unlike the domestic-animal-control article in § 3-16, this wild-animal ban is not limited to the unincorporated county; § 3-45 exempts licensed zoos, circuses, carnivals, research and educational institutions, the Arkansas Herpetology Society, and USDA-licensed wild-animal dealers, but otherwise applies throughout the county, including the listed municipalities.
Non-human primates get their own carve-out in § 3-44: they are allowed if the owner maintains a current health record from a veterinarian or physician documenting immunizations and the dates and results of annual tuberculosis checks. Enforcement falls to the animal control officer under article II, the sheriff's office, or local police, per § 3-46.
Violations & Fines
Possessing or keeping a prohibited innately wild animal is a misdemeanor under § 3-47, punishable as provided in § 1-9. Owners get a ten-day grace period to remove the animal from the county before the violation is treated as a continuing offense, after which additional daily penalties can apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a pet snake in Pulaski County?
Are monkeys legal to own?
Does the wild-animal ban apply inside Little Rock?
What happens if I'm caught with a banned wild animal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pulaski County
Compare Pulaski County to another location·View the Arkansas animal ordinances overview
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