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Nashville, TN Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Application fee
$50 initial certificate fee
Renewal fee
$25 per year
Council review
60-day council approval window
Rescue/rehab exemption
No permit for rehab centers, zoos
Acreage exemption
Exempt on parcels of 3+ acres

Summary

Metro Nashville requires a $50 certificate from the health department to possess wildlife like Class I or IV species, pumas, cougars, or wolves, but animal rehabilitation centers, zoos, and schools are exempt and need no certificate.

The provisions of this chapter shall not prohibit the possession of wildlife by zoos, transient circus acts, schools, colleges, educational and research institutions and animal rehabilitation centers; and no certificate shall be required.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).

Full Breakdown

Metro's health department director issues wildlife certificates ($50 application fee) after the metropolitan council reviews a resolution: if council takes no action within 60 days, the director may issue it anyway; a majority "no" vote kills it. Certificates run one year and renew for $25 unless the wildlife moves to a new address, which triggers a fresh council review. The chapter defines regulated wildlife as Tennessee Class I or IV species under T.C.A. § 70-4-403, plus pumas, cheetahs, cougars, and wolves. Zoos, circuses, schools, colleges, research institutions, and animal rehabilitation centers are exempt and need no certificate. The whole chapter doesn't apply on parcels of three or more acres.

Violations & Fines

Possessing wildlife without a certificate is unlawful under § 8.16.020. Metro's general penalty caps fines at $50 per day, with each day of violation a separate offense under § 1.01.030.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do wildlife rehabbers in Nashville need a permit?
No. Metro Code § 8.16.030 exempts animal rehabilitation centers, along with zoos, circuses, schools, colleges, and research institutions, from the wildlife certificate requirement: they can hold regulated wildlife without applying.
What animals count as "wildlife" under Nashville's certificate law?
Tennessee Class I and Class IV wildlife under T.C.A. § 70-4-403, plus pumas, cheetahs, cougars, and wolves specifically, per Metro Code § 8.16.010.

Sources & Official References

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