California restricts exotic pets through the Fish & Game Code and CDFW regulations — ferrets and hedgehogs are illegal statewide, and many wild/exotic species are prohibited. These restrictions apply in the City of Santa Cruz.
Exotic-animal rules in the City of Santa Cruz are mostly written in Sacramento. California's Fish and Game Code and CDFW regulations prohibit a long list of wild and exotic species as pets, and two surprise entries top it: ferrets and hedgehogs, both illegal statewide no matter how common they are elsewhere. Most reptiles, on the other hand, remain legal without a permit. Because the restrictions are state law, they apply fully inside city limits. Before acquiring anything unusual, check CDFW's restricted-species list — possession of a banned animal can mean losing the animal and facing penalties.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Cruz, CA
No Santa Cruz-specific ordinance directly regulates aircraft noise in flight; such regulation is federally preempted by the FAA, and California PUC 21669 set...
Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz prohibits barbed-wire fences, electrified or not, without a conditional fence permit, and bars any fence that creates a fire or traffic hazard. Ca...
Santa Cruz, CA
The City of Santa Cruz allows backyard recreational and warming fires daily unless wildfire danger is high. The fire must be no more than 3 feet in diameter ...
Santa Cruz, CA
The City of Santa Cruz has a Heritage Tree ordinance requiring a permit to remove heritage or significant trees, even on private property, with replacement r...
Santa Cruz, CA
Above-ground pools holding more than 18 inches of water in the City of Santa Cruz require a building permit and the same 60-inch barrier protection as in-gro...
Santa Cruz, CA
California Government Code Section 51035 prohibits Santa Cruz from banning a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling. The city must treat it as a pe...
See how Santa Cruz's exotic pets rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.