A Wild Animal as a Pet
A.R.S. 17-306 — live wildlife only as the Game and Fish Commission allows
No one may import or transport live wildlife into the state, or sell, trade, release or possess it here, except as the commission authorizes.
Who handles this in Arizona: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Arizona directory.
Releasing a protected species is a felony. Knowingly bringing in and releasing a species listed as threatened, endangered or a candidate under the federal Endangered Species Act, without lawful authority, is a class 6 felony, and a class 4 felony when done to disrupt the use of public natural resources.
Which animals may be kept, and the licenses for them, are set by the commission's rules, not the statute. Whether a particular animal can be kept is a question for the Game and Fish Department or a licensed Arizona attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- A.R.S. 17-306 — Importation, release or possession of live wildlife
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Arizona attorney.