Puyallup, WA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- PMC Chapter 8.20, Exotic Animals
- Registration deadline
- 30 calendar days for animals owned pre-ordinance
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 90 days jail
- Covered species
- Venomous snakes, primates, bears, wild cats/canines, crocodilians
- Exempt uses
- Zoos, labs, circuses, service-animal training
Summary
Puyallup Municipal Code Chapter 8.20 bans possessing exotic animals in the city, including venomous or constricting snakes, primates, bears, and nondomesticated cats and canines. Owners who had the animal before the ordinance took effect could keep it only by registering within 30 calendar days.
It is unlawful for any owner to possess or maintain an exotic animal within the city of Puyallup, unless the owner possessed or maintained the exotic animal on or before the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter; provided, the owner may continue to possess and maintain such animal until the animal expires, if within 30 calendar days the owner satisfies the registration requirements for such animals contained in this chapter ... "Exotic animals" shall mean any of the following: (a) Venomous and constricting species of snakes capable of inflicting serious physical harm or death to human beings; (b) Nonhuman primates and prosimians; (c) Bears; (d) Nondomesticated species of felines; (e) Nondomesticated species of canines and their hybrids, including wolf and coyote hybrids; (f) The order crocodylia, including alligators, crocodiles, caiman and gavials.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4985225; v6 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
060 within 30 calendar days. 010(11) defines "exotic animals" to mean venomous and constricting snakes capable of inflicting serious physical harm or death, nonhuman primates and prosimians, bears, nondomesticated felines, nondomesticated canines and their hybrids (including wolf and coyote hybrids), and the order Crocodylia (alligators, crocodiles, caiman and gavials). 070 before the animal control authority will certify the registration. 080. 040 lets the animal control authority impound and euthanize an exotic animal in exigent circumstances, such as when it is loose and presumed to present an imminent likelihood of serious physical harm, when no licensed facility can house it, or when it carries a communicable disease; the owner has 10 days to file a written appeal to the director. 030.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 8.20, including possessing an unregistered exotic animal or letting one run at large, is a misdemeanor under PMC § 8.20.110 punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in jail. An exotic animal found outside its premises of record and not under an owner's control will be impounded, and before release the owner must pay the impound and boarding fees set under PMC § 8.04.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a wolf hybrid in Puyallup?
What happens if my exotic animal gets loose in Puyallup?
Does Puyallup's exotic-animal ban apply to the Puyallup Tribe's reservation land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Puyallup
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Exotic Pets in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle exotic pets.