St. Louis County, MO Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)

St. Louis County licenses the private keeping of nondomestic animals, defined in Section 629.030 as felines other than the house cat, nonhuman primates, bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes and venomous reptiles. Before the Director of the Department of Community Health and Medical Care can issue or amend that county license, Section 629.070.2 requires the applicant to first present a State of Missouri wildlife breeder permit, wildlife collector permit, wildlife rehabilitation permit, or wildlife hobby permit, whichever the state requires for that species. The Director also personally inspects the facility under Section 629.070.3, confirming the animal will be confined to the 1975 American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums cage-size standards and the federal Animal Welfare Act of 1970; any outdoor enclosure needing at least eighty square feet of space must sit at least one hundred feet from a property line.

A county license or amendment application carries a nonrefundable twenty-five dollar fee under Section 629.055 and must list the animal's origin, species, confinement method and square footage, plus proof of at least one hundred thousand dollars in combined liability insurance or a surety bond under Section 629.060. Zoos, accredited educational or medical institutions, museums, circuses and bona fide pet shops are exempt from the licensing chapter altogether under Section 629.080. The Director can refuse or revoke a license for misstatements in the application, a prior revocation, or a finding that the animal cannot be kept without menacing public safety, with a right to request a hearing within ten days of the denial or revocation notice.