Redding Zoning Ordinance Section 18.43.040(I) provides that the keeping of exotic or wild animals may be permitted only subject to issuance of a site development permit and any required California Fish and Wildlife permits. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 671 separately classifies a wide range of species as restricted and requires a permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) before they may be imported, transported, or possessed in California — many common exotics (ferrets, hedgehogs, many primates, large carnivores) are prohibited or restricted under state law.
Redding's local rule is the discretionary permit framework in the Zoning Ordinance. Section 18.43.040(I) at https://files.cityofredding.gov/Document%20Center/Departments/Development%20Services/Planning/Zoning%20Ordinance/Section%201843040%20Animals.pdf simply reads: 'The keeping of exotic or wild animals may be permitted subject to issuance of a site development permit and any required Fish and Wildlife permits.' A site development permit is the discretionary review process applied to projects with unusual impacts; for an exotic-animal application, the Development Services Department considers public-health and safety, enclosure adequacy, neighbor notice, and any CDFW restricted-species permit before approving. The state-level rule is the heavy constraint. 14 CCR Section 671 (https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=160745&inline) classifies as 'restricted' a wide range of species including all members of Order Carnivora (other than dogs, cats, and certain mustelids), all primates (other than humans), most large reptiles and amphibians, ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), hedgehogs (Erinaceidae), sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), and many others — any restricted species requires a CDFW permit under 14 CCR Section 671.1 (https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laws-and-Regulations/Restricted-Species) before it may be imported, transported, or possessed in California, and most permit categories are limited to bona fide research, zoological, educational, or scientific purposes — not pet ownership. CDFW publishes the restricted-species list and application packets at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laws-and-Regulations/Restricted-Species. Some species commonly thought of as exotics are not restricted under state law (such as most parrots, most non-venomous snakes, geckos, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas) and may be kept as ordinary household pets in Redding under the standard household-pet allowance in Section 18.43.040(A), without a site development permit.
Possessing an exotic or wild animal in Redding without a site development permit is a zoning violation enforced by Code Enforcement with administrative citations under RMC Chapter 1.13 and abatement orders requiring removal of the animal. Possessing a restricted species under 14 CCR Section 671 without a CDFW permit is a separate offense enforced by CDFW Wildlife Officers under California Fish and Game Code Sections 2118-2118.4 with fines and seizure; animals seized for public-safety reasons are placed with CDFW-authorized facilities at the owner's expense.
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