Pet Monkey Legal States 2024

	Alabama	Permit Required
	Alaska	No
	Arizona	Yes
	Arkansas	Yes
	California	No
	Colorado	No
	Connecticut	Yes
	Delaware	Permit Required
	Florida	Yes
	Georgia	No
	Hawaii	No
	Idaho	No
	Illinois	No
	Indiana	Permit Required
	Iowa	No
	Kansas	Yes
	Kentucky	No
	Louisiana	No
	Maine	No
	Maryland	No
	Massachusetts	No
	Michigan	Permit Required
	Minnesota	Yes
	Mississippi	Permit Required
	Missouri	Yes
	Montana	No
	Nebraska	Yes
	Nevada	Permit Required
	New Hampshire	No
	New Jersey	No
	New Mexico	No
	New York	No
	North Carolina	Yes
	North Dakota	Permit Required
	Ohio	No
	Oklahoma	Permit Required
	Oregon	No
	Pennsylvania	No
	Rhode Island	No
	South Carolina	Yes
	South Dakota	Permit Required
	Tennessee	Permit Required
	Texas	Yes
	Utah	No
	Vermont	No
	Virginia	Permit Required
	Washington	No
	West Virginia	Yes
	Wisconsin	Yes
	Wyoming	Permit Required

The Legality of Primate Ownership

Across the United States, there are varying laws regarding owning monkeys as pets. These regulations were born from consideration of both public safety and the welfare of these sometimes-misunderstood creatures. Monkeys are complex and demanding animals that require dedicated care, a reality many individuals underestimate as they are led by the allure of such exotic pets.

The laws vary considerably across states: Some states allow unregulated ownership of monkeys as pets, others outright ban it, and a third category requires a permit.
There does not seem to be a regional pattern in the legal restrictions for pet monkey ownership; the differences are found across all geographical areas of the U.S.
The states allowing unregulated ownership of monkeys, those that require permits, and those that ban it are almost equal in number, indicating a nation divided in its approach to primate pet ownership.

By Region

Alabama

See Less

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Arkansas

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Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

California

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Colorado

Metric

Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Delaware

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Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Florida

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Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Georgia

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Hawaii

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Idaho

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Illinois

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Indiana

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Iowa

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Kansas

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Kentucky

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Louisiana

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Maine

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Maryland

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Massachusetts

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Michigan

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Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Mississippi

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Missouri

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Montana

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Nebraska

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Nevada

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Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

New Hampshire

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

New Jersey

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

New Mexico

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

New York

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

North Carolina

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

North Dakota

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Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Ohio

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Oklahoma

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Oregon

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Pennsylvania

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Utah

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Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Vermont

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Virginia

Metric

Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Washington

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Value

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Pet Monkey Legality Status

West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Yes

Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Pet Monkey Legality Status

Permit Required

Additional Legality Datasets

Pet Monkey Legal States

The Legality of Primate Ownership

By Region

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Additional Legality Datasets

Pet Raccoon Legal States

Same Sex Marriages States

Stand Your Ground States

States Where You Can't Pump Your Own Gas