Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have wanted to obtain an alligator, and I have been trying to find out if it is legal or not. I looked in the Texas Administrative Code (see link below), but I think it is only for hunting alligators and farming them. I cannot find anything about the private keeping of them by consumers. If anyone could look through some of the pages the link leads to and tell me if they understand it that would be of great help. Or if you know a better place to look for info on the legality of keeping American Alligators in Houston (Harris County) that would be awesome. Thanks.

~Walter~
Texas Administrative Code

Texas doesn't have to regulate them because they are still under the jurasdiction of the USFWS as "Threatened due to similarity of appearance" This law affects the alligators in all states that have a naturally occuring population. The net result is that you can't own one if you live in one of those states unless you have a Federal permit - local laws probably further inhibit the ownership, I'm not sure. Maybe Chris Dieter can further expound on this as he lives in the Houston area.

Bill

Bill Moss is totally rigth on the subject.I live near San Antonio TX,and I know you can't have them,because I asked myself also.I wish we could because they have a good temperament,and the are one of the more friendly species.I would suggest you get a smoothfront,or a dwarf caiman.These are good animals.

I have wanted to obtain an alligator, and I have been trying to find out if it is legal or not. I looked in the Texas Administrative Code (see link below), but I think it is only for hunting alligators and farming them. I cannot find anything about the private keeping of them by consumers. If anyone could look through some of the pages the link leads to and tell me if they understand it that would be of great help. Or if you know a better place to look for info on the legality of keeping American Alligators in Houston (Harris County) that would be awesome. Thanks.

Bill is correct. Keeping alligators in TX is not legal without permits. I haven't looked into what kind of permits you might need for alligators but I suspect they don't give them out to people that want a pet without a very good reason. I believe Chris has permits and I don't so he could tell you better what you might need in that regard. I live in the general area of Houston and I believe Harris county has even more restrictions than the rest of the state. "dangerous wild animal act"not 100% sure if it applies to crocodilians) ect. It might be best to look at another species.

Seth

To legally keep an American alligator in Texas, and it's the only way you should otherwise they will confiscate it and/or fine you, you need a permit. TP& W issues the permits.

The permits come in several forms. Farming, zoological, and educational. All of which can be tricky to acquire. They also require annual or biannual written reports to the state.

The reason they regulate them is that there are native and considered a 'game' species.

You will save time and energy on a non native species although gators are easier to deal with temperment wise than some of them.

>>To legally keep an American alligator in Texas, and it's the only way you should otherwise they will confiscate it and/or fine you, you need a permit. TP& W issues the permits.

Correct. If you buy one from out of state without a Texas permit, you can get hit with a Federal Lacey Act violation, too. BIG PROBLEM THEN!

>>The permits come in several forms. Farming, zoological, and educational.

Except for SEZ permit holders (scientific, educational, and zoological - VERY hard for a private citizen to get!), only farmers can keep them. If you want want, build your cage according to spec, get a farmer's permit ($240 per year), and get your gator(s). Harris county may have more regs, but that has nothing to do with state regs (or TPWD regs).

> All of which can be tricky to acquire.

A farmer's permit (many Texas "farmers" only have one or two alligators and never plan to harvest them) isn't hard or tricky to get. You just pay the money and have approved facilities. Facilities aren't THAT unreasonable, but they aren't geared towards keeping a single gator as a "pet." I'll admit that.

> They also require annual or biannual written reports to the state.

Quarterly, but it is a simple form. Actually, there is more than one form, but most are for things like sales, trades, deathes, etc.

KJ

quarterly reports for the farmers perhaps

For my permit it is annually, and I need not renew yearly. They entend it for years at a time.

>>quarterly reports for the farmers perhaps
>>
>>For my permit it is annually, and I need not renew yearly. They entend it for years at a time.

You must have an SEZ permit then. We don't handle them out of our office, but the regs are supposed to start being more similar soon (with hope).

I think that the main difference between a farmer and an SEZ is that a farmer can sell them, put tags on hids when they die, etc. - a SEZ isn't allowed to do that. Once a Texas gator comes under an SEZ permit, it is always there. That's the way it is SUPPOSED to be, anyway....lol.

Not everyone can fit the requirements of getting an SEZ (duh - it is an educational, zoological, and scientific permit after all), but anyone without violations that prevent them can get the farmer's permit if they pay the money and have the approved facility.

KJ

yep, thats correct.

With my permit they stay where they are, which means they are not transferable unless someone else has a permit as well.

Thanks to everyone who helped out. I do not want to break the law in any way, because I know what can happen when they get you (you can lose everything, and you can lose a lot of money). I think I am going to try to get a smooth front, or a dwarf caiman. Are those okay to keep here? Where should I go to look up the "dangerous wild animal act" that is in affect in Harris County? I have heard of it before when I talked to TP&W at the ETHS expo to ask them what kind of herps were okay to keep. But thy said that if I look around the show, everything there was okay to keep, so that is how I know what I can and cant keep. I think it is great that TP&W goes to every show, just to keep everyone from doing and dirty business. Thanks again for all the help, and any more help answering my questions would be greatly appreciated.
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Walter McAndrew
Crazy Creations
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Where should I go to look up the "dangerous wild animal act" that is in affect in Harris County?

I don't know but there was a article in the Houston Chronicle today that said that it only was for bears, lions, tigers, etc. and it said it didn't list any reptiles.(article was about a man bitten by a cobra) It said only in Houston city limits were dangerous reptiles prohibited. I can't verify if the paper is correct though.

I saw that article, but I didn’t read the whole thing. I live outside the city limits so I think that it would okay. I think that the Houston Chronicle is a pretty reliable source.
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Walter McAndrew
Crazy Creations
281 851 3291
Contact Me
My Website

Thanks to everyone who helped out. I do not want to break the law in any way, because I know what can happen when they get you (you can lose everything, and you can lose a lot of money). I think I am going to try to get a smooth front, or a dwarf caiman. Are those okay to keep here? Where should I go to look up the "dangerous wild animal act" that is in affect in Harris County? I have heard of it before when I talked to TP&W at the ETHS expo to ask them what kind of herps were okay to keep. But thy said that if I look around the show, everything there was okay to keep, so that is how I know what I can and cant keep. I think it is great that TP&W goes to every show, just to keep everyone from doing and dirty business. Thanks again for all the help, and any more help answering my questions would be greatly appreciated.