Norfolk, VA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Norfolk animal control officer
- Application window
- 10 working days after acquisition
- Initial fee
- $25.00 per address
- Renewal/add-animal fee
- $15.00
- Insurance/bond required
- $50,000 minimum
- Permits per address
- One permit per address
- Releasing into wild
- Unlawful under § 6.1-10(d)
Summary
Norfolk requires a permit from the animal control officer to keep or exhibit any wild, exotic, or poisonous animal, with a detailed affidavit, a $50,000 insurance or surety bond, and annual renewal, on top of any state or federal permit.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or exhibit or permit to be kept or exhibited upon any property within the city limits any wild, exotic, and/or poisonous animal without a permit from the animal control officer. In no case, however, shall any such wild, exotic, and/or poisonous animal(s) be exhibited, displayed, or kept in such a manner so as to permit said animal(s) to escape, be at large, or to otherwise come in direct physical contact with any person unless under the direct care and control of the handler. ... (e)The initial fee to cover the cost of the permit administration shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per address. A charge of fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be collected for annual permit renewal, the adding of additional animals to an existing permit, or the duplication of an existing permit. ... (g)Any person applying for a wild, exotic or poisonous animal permit shall provide evidence of surety bond or liability insurance in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) which covers incidences or occurrences involving the wild, exotic or poisonous animals.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
1-10(a) makes it unlawful to keep or exhibit a wild, exotic, or poisonous animal anywhere in the city without a permit from the animal control officer, and bars letting such an animal escape, be at large, or have direct physical contact with anyone except its trained handler. 1-10(b), an owner must apply within ten working days of acquiring the animal, becoming a new Norfolk resident, or changing address in the city, or ten working days before an exhibition. The affidavit must list each owner and custodian, the storage location, the animal's common and scientific name, acquisition date and source, physical description and identifying marks, a rabies-exposure acknowledgment, and emergency contact information.
Permits run through December 31 of the year issued and renew by January 31, are non-transferable, and are limited to one per address, layered on top of any required federal or state permit. 1-10(e) sets the initial fee at $25 per address, with a $15 charge for annual renewal, adding an animal, or duplicating a permit. 1-10(g) requires the applicant to carry a $50,000 surety bond or liability insurance policy covering incidents involving the animal. 1-10(d) separately bans releasing any wild, exotic, or poisonous animal into the wild.
Violations & Fines
Keeping or exhibiting a wild, exotic, or poisonous animal without a valid permit, letting one escape or contact the public, releasing one into the wild, or submitting false permit information are all violations of § 6.1-10, exposing the owner to permit revocation, impoundment of the animal pending a court's disposition order, and a class 1 misdemeanor under the chapter's general penalty at § 6.1-1. Failing to post the required placard is a separate violation of § 6.1-10(j).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
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