578.023. Keeping a dangerous wild animal — penalty
You can’t keep dangerous wild animals unless it’s legal and properly registered
If someone keeps a dangerous wild animal—like a big cat, primate, or large snake—outside of a legal facility and without registering it with local law enforcement, they can be charged with a misdemeanor.
1. A person commits this offense if they keep any of the following animals in a place that is not a properly maintained zoo, circus, educational or research institution, vet hospital, or animal refuge, unless the animal is registered with local law enforcement:
- Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, ocelots, cheetahs, margays, mountain lions, Canada lynx, bobcats, jaguarundis
- Hyenas, wolves, bears, coyotes, nonhuman primates
- Any deadly or poisonous reptiles, or any dangerous reptile over 8 feet long
2. Keeping a dangerous wild animal without following these rules is a class C misdemeanor.
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