A Wild Animal as a Pet
G.L. c. 131, § 23 — a license for undomesticated animals, and ferrets on their own terms
No one may keep, propagate or deal in undomesticated birds, mammals, reptiles or amphibians without a license from the director, except as the section and its rules allow. The director keeps a special exemption list of animals that pose no substantial danger, would not harm the ecology if released, and need no more care than common domestic animals.
Who handles this in Massachusetts: legal aid programs and lawyer referral, listed in the Massachusetts directory.
For an animal not on that list, the applicant has to satisfy the director that the animal can be kept in good health, properly confined and protected.
Ferrets have their own section. A ferret may be kept as a household pet if it was neutered or spayed and inoculated against distemper and rabies when bought, with the proof kept for inspection. Breeding takes a yearly license of not less than one thousand dollars. Hunting with a ferret, or letting one loose into the wild, is unlawful.
Which animals are on the exemption list is set by the director's rules, not the statute. Whether a particular animal can be kept is a question for the state's wildlife agency or a licensed Massachusetts attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- G.L. c. 131, § 23 — Propagation, keeping and dealing in wild animals; licenses
- G.L. c. 131, § 77 — Ferrets; possession and use
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.