Nash County, NC Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Nash County Code §§ 4-1, 4-11
- Ban
- Unlawful to keep an inherently dangerous animal
- Definition
- Any non-domestic mammal dangerous or potentially so
- Exemptions
- USDA-licensed research/education; fairs, circuses, carnivals
- Civil penalty
- $100.00 under Sec. 4-22(f)
- Owner liability
- Pays all recapture, shelter or euthanasia costs
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Nash County only (Sec. 4-50)
Summary
Unincorporated Nash County bans keeping any inherently dangerous animal, defined as a non-domestic mammal that is dangerous or reasonably likely to become dangerous, under Sec. 4-11(a). Only USDA-licensed research or education institutions and traveling fairs, circuses and carnivals are exempt.
Inherently dangerous animal means any non-domestic mammal which is dangerous to persons or property or which has the reasonable potential of being dangerous to persons or property. ... (a)It shall be unlawful for any owner or keeper to ... keep an inherently dangerous animal within the county.(b)The following shall be exempt from this chapter:(1)Any nonprofit institution or exhibitor or dealer, which owns or harbors inherently dangerous animals for research or education, provided that such institution/facility/premises are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or Interior.(2)Traveling fairs, circuses and carnivals shall also be exempt from this section while animals are in the custody of these organizations.(c)Recapturing. The owner of any inherently dangerous animal shall reimburse Nash County for all costs incurred while attempting to recapture any said animal. If the animal is sheltered or euthanized by animal control, the owner shall also pay these costs.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4-1 of the Nash County Code defines an 'inherently dangerous animal' as any non-domestic mammal that is dangerous to persons or property, or that has the reasonable potential of becoming dangerous to persons or property, a definition broad enough to reach big cats, primates, wolves, bears and similar wild mammals kept as pets. Sec. 4-11(a) then makes it unlawful for any owner or keeper to keep such an animal anywhere within the county. Sec. S. Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, and traveling fairs, circuses and carnivals while the animal is in their custody.
No exemption exists for a private household pet, however tame the individual animal may be. Sec. 4-11(c) shifts the financial burden of enforcement onto the owner: if an inherently dangerous animal must be recaptured, the owner must reimburse Nash County for every cost the county incurs attempting the recapture, and if Animal Control ends up sheltering or euthanizing the animal, the owner pays those costs too. The Nash County Health Director and Animal Control Section, created under Sec. 4-2, administer this chapter, and it applies only in the unincorporated county under Sec. 4-50, since Rocky Mount and the county's towns regulate exotic animals under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Keeping an inherently dangerous animal violates Sec. 4-11 and carries the county's $100.00 civil penalty under Sec. 4-22(f), in addition to prosecution as a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500.00 fine under Sec. 4-22(a), with each day of continued possession a separate offense. The owner also owes Nash County every dollar spent recapturing, sheltering or euthanizing the animal under Sec. 4-11(c), and Animal Control may confiscate the animal outright.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a tiger, wolf or other exotic animal as a pet in unincorporated Nash County?
Are zoos or circuses exempt from the dangerous-animal ban?
What happens if my exotic animal gets loose in Nash County?
What penalty applies to keeping a banned dangerous animal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nash County
Compare Nash County to another location·View the North Carolina animal ordinances overview
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