Have you ever wanted to own a CRAZY or exotic animal before? You might be surprised by what animals you can own in the state of Washington. But what exotic pet could you own at home?
Owning most exotic pets is illegal, especially if they are considered “Dangerous” like Bears, Cougars, or crocodiles. It also does not help that you cannot own a whole lot of crazy animals in the state of Washington. Washington State’s laws around exotic pets and legal animals are “exclusionary” which means that the law spells out what animals are NOT allowed, without saying what animals are allowed.
Prohibited Animal Categories –
There are 4 specific categories of animals prohibited. They are under the Rabies Law, Wild Animal Law, Deleterious Animal Law, and the Dangerous Animal Law.
Rabies Law: “It is illegal to own animals that may infect people with rabies.”
Wild Animal Law: “It is illegal to possess wild animals.”
Deleterious Animal Law: “It is illegal to own animals that can cause damage to the environment or to native wildlife.”
Dangerous Animal Law: “It is illegal to own animals that pose a threat to people, livestock, or domestic animals.”
(Laws found on Washington State Department of Agriculture website)
Under these laws you can’t own Bats, Raccoons, Quails, Wolves, Lemurs, and SO much more. Washington has a lot of restrictive laws around the type of animal that you can own, but there are some that you can own legally.
Legally Allowed To Own –
Going through all the lists and seeing what you can NOT own is discouraging but there are a lot of cool looking exotic animals that you can legally own in the state of Washington. Here are 8 that you could own right now.
It’s vital that you check the local city and county ordinances because they may have additional restrictions. But if you’ve ever wanted to own an exotic animal legally, now you know what ones you can get!
Works Cited:
“Illegal animals | Washington State Department of Agriculture.” Washington State Department of Agriculture, https://agr.wa.gov/departments/animals-livestock-and-pets/animal-health/import-requirements/illegal-animals. Accessed 29 November 2025.
Skelton, Jaime. “These unique pets aren’t outlawed.” kissfm1053, 9th April 2024, https://kissfm1053.com/exotic-pets-legal-washington/#google_vignette.
VanDeVenter, Karlee. “Exotic animals legal to keep as a pet in Washington state.” Tri-City Herald, 3 October 2024, https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/state/washington/article293425924.html. Accessed 29 November 2025.
