Illinois Pets: Here Are The Animals You Can’t Have In Illinois

Pet adoptions are booming in Illinois, but the animals being grabbed up are mostly dogs and cats with very few lions, tigers, or ocelots being part of the mix.

A while back, we covered the topic of how many dogs an Illinois resident is legally allowed to have hanging around the house (read up on it here), so as a natural extension of that sort of thing, today we'll look at what animals you, as an Illinoisan, are prohibited from having as a pet.

Some, if not most of Illinois' forbidden pets are forbidden for very good reasons. Chief among them would be that the majority would love to kill and/or eat you. I don't know about you, but I really don't want something lurking around the joint with designs on taking me out (family members, especially my mother-in-law, not included).

Here's What Illinois Law Says About "Exotic" And "Non-Domesticated" Animals As Pets

According to a piece at BornFreeUSA.org, our state's position on animals boils down to this:

No person may harbor, care for, act as a custodian, or maintain in his possession any "dangerous animals" or primate except at a properly maintained zoological park, federally licensed exhibit, circus, scientific institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital or animal refuge... Persons who had lawful possession of a primate before Jan. 1, 2011, from continuing to possess that primate if the person registers the animal by providing written notification to the local animal control administrator on or before April 1, 2011. There are no state requirements for a person possessing other exotic species not defined as "dangerous animals."

As you can see, Illinois doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room on what you can have for pets. Weirdly enough, if you've just gotta have a few snapping turtles for companionship, you can have up to four of them. You're also allowed to catch and keep up to 16 bullfrogs.

Here's The List Of Animals That Will Get You In Trouble With The State Of Illinois

(With a hat-tip to FindLaw.com):

• Bears
• Lions
• Tigers
• Leopards
• Ocelots
• Jaguars
• Cheetahs
• Margays
• Cougars
• Lynx
• Bobcats
• Jaguarundis
• Wolves
• Coyotes
• Hyenas
• Venomous medically significant reptiles
• Flying fox
• Mongoose
• Meerkats
• European rabbits
• Indian wild hogs
• Multimammate rats or mice
• Raccoon dogs
• Rosy pastors
• Doiches
• Java sparrows
• Red-whiskered bul-buls
• Snakeheads
• Walking catfish
• Ruffes
• Silver carp
• Bighead carp
• Black carp
• Round and tubenose gobies
• Rudds
• Stone morokos
• Zanders
• Wels catfish
• Yabbies
• Zebra mussels
• Mitten crabs
• Rusty crayfish
• Filler shrimp
• Golden mussels
• Brown tree snakes