Can I keep a tiger in my backyard in Texas? Here’s what the state’s exotic pet law says

Brayden Garcia
·2 min read
16

Dogs and cats are standard fare for household pets, but what about a tiger or bear?

Dallas Police found a tiger in cage outside a resident’s home last week in the Oak Cliff neighborhood. An investigation into the tiger is underway by Dallas police and animal cruelty charges are pending.

It may seem outlandish, but are Texans legally allowed to have tigers and other exotic animals on their property? Here’s what we know:

What are the exotic pet laws in Texas?

Chapter 822 of the Texas Health and Safety Code outlines what exotic animals are legal to own and how to do so in the Lone Star State.

Texans need a Certificate of Registration to legally own “dangerous wild animals” such as tigers or lions. These certificates are obtained by going through animal registration offices, such as local or county animal control offices.

Each exotic animals requires its own certificate, which comes up for renewal every year. Application fees may not exceed $50 per animal registered and may not exceed $500 for each person registering the animals, Texas law states.

A sample application can be found here, along with a sample certificate.

What exotic animals am I legally allowed to own in Texas?

Texans can choose from a wide variety of exotic animals to keep granted they get the required permit:

  • Lions, tigers and cougars

  • Leopards, cheetahs and ocelots

  • Jaguars, bobcats and lynx

  • Serval, caracal and hyenas

  • Bears, coyotes and jackals

  • Baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans

  • Gorillas, sloths and capybara

For exotic snakes, Texans needs to apply for a controlled exotic snake permit with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The snakes you can own with the permit include:

  • African rock python

  • Asiatic rock python

  • Green anaconda

  • Reticulated python

  • Southern African python

What exotic animals are illegal to own in Texas?

Any animals on the endangered list are illegal to own in Texas.

  • Texas horned lizard

  • Bald eagle

  • Whooping crane

  • Woodhouse toad

A full list of endangered species per county can be found here, courtesy of TPWD.