Tulare County, CA Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

Chapter 4-7 of the Tulare County Ordinance Code does not create its own list of banned exotic species. Instead, Section 4-07-1400 defines an "Exotic Animal" as including those animals or species set forth in California Fish and Game Code Section 2118, and a "Wild Animal" as one defined in Fish and Game Code Section 2116 and identified in Section 2118. By incorporating state law, the county effectively defers regulation of truly exotic and wild animals to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), which maintains the restricted-species list and issues the permits required to import or possess them. The same definitions section also defines "Pets" to include "Dogs, Cats, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, snakes, iguanas, turtles and any other species of Animal which can be legally sold or retained for the purpose of being kept as a household pet," so ordinary domesticated reptiles and small mammals are clearly permitted as household pets. The county does impose responsibilities on owners of restricted animals: under Section 4-07-6000, anyone keeping a wild animal must immediately notify Animal Services if it escapes confinement. In short, whether a particular exotic animal is legal depends on California's restricted-species rules and CDFW permitting; if the state allows it and it can be legally kept, the county recognizes it as a pet.