Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We are busy collating data from the site both for our response and to make it available for members of our community and in the process could use a hand gathering data from some off site resources.

What we need to know is this. What restrictions, if any, does your state have on the ownership of boas & pythons.

The answers would need to fall into the following 3 options:

What I need to know is, specifically, if your state has the following:

No Restrictions at all (Not addressed by state law)
Restrictions (State requires permits on some boas or pythons)
Prohibited (state prohibits ownership/possession of some boas & pythons)

If you know the answer for your state for certain, please reply here with the state name and one of the 3 answers above.

We still need information on the following states:

Delaware
Georgia
Idaho
Iowa
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Nebraska
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennesee
Washington
West Virginia

Here is Rhode Island

>>Rhode Island

You need permits
Rhode Island Rules & Regs Regarding Wild Animal Import And Possession

>>Massachusetts requires permits
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/regulations/cmr/cmr_900.htm

NOT for ALL boas.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/keeping_wildlife.htm

Snakes:
Regulations regarding the possession of snakes are quite detailed and should be consulted (321 CMR 9.01) for specifics. Some generalities are listed as follows.

Lawful(no MassWildlife permit required):

All species of boas and pythons, regardless of size, except rare species, and those listed as Unlawful
Shield-tailed Snakes and Sunbeam Snakes;
Worm Snakes (except rare species), Thread Snakes, and related species;
Several so-called "harmless" snakes, including Brown and Redbellied Snakes, Garter and Ribbon Snakes, Glossy Snakes, Green Snakes, House Snakes, Kingsnakes and Milksnakes, Rat Snakes (except rare species), Water Snakes, the Western Hognosed Snake and certain others.
Unlawful: Emerald Tree Boa, Green Tree Python, African Rock Python, Reticulated Python, and all Anacondas; Black Rat Snake; other rare species, any other snake not specified as lawful. Possession of ALL venomous ("poisonous" snakes is prohibited.

So yes the LARGE boas and pythons, but not colombians
Link

Georgia - no restrictions on non-native, non-venomous reptiles.
-----
Who is like Set...

1.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauties
2.2 Taiwan Beauties
2.3 Cave Beauties
0.1 Bull Snake
1.0.0 Argentine Blk & Wht Tegu
2.5 Box Turtles
1.0 Greek Tortoise

Delaware...Restrictions-State requires permits for any non-native reptile.

Joe

In Georgia we can keep native venomous such as rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads etc. but we cannot keep any native non venomous such as corn snakes, and eastern kings. So far pythons and boas have been unrestricted in Georgia.

John Campbell

Iowa-- Prohibited just passed Retics, burms, African rocks, crocodilians

No restrictions on the state level that I'm aware of, some towns do have restrictions against the large constrictors/hot snakes.

Tennesse, doesn't have rescrictions on boas and pythons, to be legal you need a license to purchase them and ship them into the state but it is legal to buy them in state without a license as long as there is no intent to resell. If you breed or resell you need a license.
-----
Michelle
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

If a snake owner is moving into Tennessee, is a license required to bring personal pets?
-----
It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

South Dakota does not address Snakes in State law.

The only here is that South Dakota requires a Health Certificate to enter the state.
Terry Phillip
Curator of Reptiles
Black Hills Reptile Gardens
Rapid City, SD.

And North Dakota passed some regulation on Venomous snakes but to my knowledge not on Boa, Python or Eunectus
-----
It's what you learn AFTER you know it all that counts!

Terry Phillip
Curator of Reptiles
Black Hills Reptile Gardens
Rapid City, SD.

www.reptilegardens.com

Tennessee has no laws regarding boas and pythons. TN's reptile laws are regualted by TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency). They do have several laws regarding colubrids especially if they are a sub species of a species native to this state and you can not own Turtles or Tortoises. And trust me, TWRA will set you up if they have to to get into your house to see what you have!! But no laws regarding boas or pythons....yet.

this is the only thing i found in north dakota law so far nothing about boa or python regulations. hope it stays that way never found what the protected species where. i asked a few of my cop friends and they didnt konw of any laws or regulation. i also emailed of of my game and fish frieds no responce yet form him.

"Permits to propagate live protected birds or animals may be issued to any North Dakota resident. No person may possess any live protected animal or bird without first obtaining a permit."

I found this web page with some info on Washington state and reptile and other exotic animal laws. http://www.seattletacomaanimalrescue.tk/