The City of Riverside has no separate exotic-pet ordinance; possession of wild, exotic, or non-native animals is controlled by California Code of Regulations Title 14, §671 (Restricted Live Animal List), administered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Most exotic pets — including big cats, primates, ferrets, venomous reptiles, and most parrots not on the unrestricted list — are illegal to possess without a CDFW permit, and Riverside County animal control supplements this with a county-level exotic-animal definition.
California is one of the strictest states for exotic pet ownership. California Code of Regulations Title 14, §671 ('Importation, Transportation and Possession of Live Restricted Animals') prohibits the importation, transportation, or possession of more than 100 listed species — including all non-human primates (monkeys, chimpanzees), all crocodilians, all big cats (lion, tiger, cougar, leopard, cheetah, bobcat outside hunting limits), all bears, all wild canids (wolf, coyote, fox), wild felids, sloths, gibbons, ferrets, hedgehogs in most counties, and most non-native venomous reptiles — except by persons holding a CDFW Restricted Species Permit issued under §671.1. Domesticated ferrets are specifically listed as restricted (Mustela putorius furo) and are illegal to keep as pets in California, including in Riverside. Inside the City of Riverside, the State law is enforced by CDFW wardens, with assistance from Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) under its Title 6 county animal code, which defines 'exotic animal' broadly to include lions, tigers, bears, non-human primates, wolves, coyotes, cougars, bobcats, ocelots, wildcats, skunks, boas, pythons, venomous reptiles, and similar species, and prohibits trapping or holding skunks in captivity without a California Department of Public Health permit. The City of Riverside has not adopted a more permissive local rule.
Violation of Cal. Code Regs. tit. 14 §671 is a misdemeanor under California Fish and Game Code §2118 and §12000, punishable by a fine of $500 to $10,000 and/or up to six months in jail per animal. The animal is typically seized and either euthanized, transferred to a licensed facility, or returned to the wild. Inside the City of Riverside, RCDAS may also issue administrative citations under Riverside County Code, and the City's Code Enforcement may abate the keeping as a public nuisance. Federal Endangered Species Act and Lacey Act penalties may also apply for protected species.
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