Prairie Dog Legal States 2026

States Where Prairie Dogs Are Legal

A small number of states clearly allow prairie dogs as pets without any special condition listed here. These states are Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Wyoming.

Even where ownership is fully legal, local ordinances may still apply. Cities and counties can impose additional rules on housing, health standards, or animal control.

States Where Prairie Dogs Are Legal with Requirements

Many states allow prairie dogs only under a permit or other formal condition. These states include Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

In most of these states, legality depends on obtaining the proper permit before ownership begins. Ohio applies an added requirement: prairie dogs must be permitted and also spayed or neutered.

States Where Prairie Dogs Are Illegal with Exceptions

A few states prohibit prairie dog ownership now but still allow narrow exceptions tied to older permits. Iowa allows owners to keep prairie dogs only if they received a permit by 2007, while Oregon allows possession only if a valid exotic animal permit was obtained before 2010.

These states are not open to new general ownership. Instead, they preserve limited rights for owners who qualified before the law changed.

States Where Prairie Dogs Are Illegal

Many states prohibit prairie dogs as pets entirely, usually by classifying them as restricted wildlife or exotic animals that cannot be privately kept. These bans often reflect public health, ecological, or animal welfare concerns.

States where prairie dogs are illegal include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.