Roswell, GA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 8.1.5
- Enforcing agency
- Fulton County Health Dept / Roswell code enforcement
- First offense
- Fine up to $500, jail up to 60 days
- Second offense
- Up to 2-year companion animal ban
- Definition
- Any animal not indigenous to Georgia
Summary
Roswell, Georgia requires anyone who owns, keeps or harbors a wildlife or exotic animal to hold every state and federal permit the species requires, under City Code § 8.1.5. The city doesn't license exotic pets itself; a missing state or federal permit is treated as a Roswell code violation, punishable under the animal control article's penalties.
Section 8.1.5 - Wild or Exotic Animals. Each owner, custodian, or harborer of any wildlife or exotic animal must obtain all necessary state and/or federal permits and/or meet all state and/or federal requirements for keeping such an animal. ... Exotic animal means any animal of any kind which is not indigenous to the State of Georgia, but not included in the definition of a domestic animal, but shall include any hybrid animal which is part exotic animal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
1). 5 shifts the burden to the owner: every owner, custodian or harborer of wildlife or an exotic animal must obtain all necessary state and/or federal permits and meet all state and federal requirements for keeping it. S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules license which species may be privately kept, a Roswell resident who owns a venomous snake, a primate or a big cat without the underlying state or federal wild-animal license is automatically out of compliance with the city code, even where no separate Roswell permit exists.
3 to investigate and cite violations. 00, up to sixty days in jail, or both, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense. 27, cost the owner the right to keep any companion animal in the city for up to two years. 13, so an unpermitted exotic animal is prosecuted as a straight criminal violation rather than abated as a civil nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a wild or exotic animal without the required state or federal permit is a misdemeanor under § 8.1.26: up to a $500.00 fine and 60 days in jail for a first offense, with each day of noncompliance a separate violation. A second conviction can trigger loss of the right to keep any companion animal in Roswell for up to two years under § 8.1.27, and any animal seized in the process is subject to impoundment fees under § 8.1.24.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I own an exotic pet in Roswell, Georgia?
Who enforces Roswell's exotic animal rule?
What happens if I'm caught with an unpermitted exotic animal?
Does Roswell treat a permitted exotic animal as a normal pet?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roswell
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Exotic Pets in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle exotic pets.