Can You Own a Chimpanzee in Arkansas? What State and Federal Law Say
September 10, 2026
Anyone researching whether they can own a chimpanzee in Arkansas quickly runs into a tangle of overlapping rules from the county sheriff, the state legislature, and the federal government. The short answer is that new pet ownership of chimpanzees has been closed off in Arkansas since 2013, but the full picture involves registration exemptions, permit categories, and penalties that vary depending on when an animal was acquired. This guide breaks down what state and federal law actually say, so you understand exactly where the legal lines sit.
Is It Legal to Own a Chimpanzee in Arkansas
For most people asking today, the answer is no. Arkansas closed the door on new pet primate acquisitions years ago, and chimpanzees fall squarely into the strictest category of that law. The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is treated in Arkansas as both a regulated primate and a protected species, which stacks two layers of restriction on top of each other.
Primates, including apes, baboons, and macaques, owned prior to August 16, 2013 must have been registered with the county sheriff, and after this date, acquisition of new apes, baboons, and macaques as pets is prohibited. Because chimpanzees are classified as apes, that cutoff date applies directly to them. Anyone who acquired a chimpanzee after August 16, 2013, is already outside the bounds of state law, regardless of how the animal was obtained.
The species-protection angle makes the picture even stricter. In Arkansas, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gibbons are protected because of their status as “endangered species” under state law. That matters because there are no state or federal permits authorizing the keeping of endangered or threatened apes as pets. In practice, this means no amount of paperwork can legally convert a pet chimpanzee acquired today into a lawfully owned animal in Arkansas. For a broader look at which exotic species Arkansas does allow, see this breakdown of exotic pets legal in Arkansas.
Important Note: This article summarizes public wildlife and legal statutes for general informational purposes. It is not legal advice. Anyone facing a specific ownership, registration, or permitting question should consult a licensed Arkansas attorney or contact the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission directly.
What Federal Law Currently Says About Primate Ownership
Federal law approaches primate ownership from a different angle than Arkansas does, focusing on interstate commerce and wildlife trafficking rather than direct pet bans. The Lacey Act is the main federal tool that reaches into chimpanzee ownership, and its penalties are substantial. A knowing violation involving import, export, or sale of wildlife worth more than $350 is punishable by up to $20,000 in fines and five years in prison.
Even unintentional violations carry real consequences. When the offender should have known but didn’t actually know that the wildlife was illegally taken, the maximum drops to $10,000 and one year, and civil penalties can reach $10,000 per violation even without a criminal prosecution. Courts also commonly order forfeiture of the animals and any equipment used to transport them. A related provision, 18 U.S.C. § 42, addresses species the federal government has flagged as injurious to people, agriculture, or native wildlife.
Facilities that legally house chimpanzees, such as accredited zoos and research labs, answer to a separate federal framework. All exhibitors and research facilities with apes are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and must comply with the federal standards of care for primates. Private individuals have no equivalent licensing path, which is part of why grandfathered ownership in states like Arkansas exists as an exception rather than a rule.
The Captive Primate Safety Act: A Bill, Not Yet a Law
You may see references online to a federal ban on pet primates. That bill exists, but it has not been enacted. The Captive Primate Safety Act would amend the Lacey Act to prohibit the private possession of nonhuman primates such as chimpanzees, galagos, gibbons, gorillas, lemurs, lorises, monkeys, orangutans, and tarsiers. This prohibition is narrowly focused on pet primates and exempts zoos, research labs, sanctuaries, and universities.
The bill has been reintroduced repeatedly without passing. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and several House members reintroduced the Captive Primate Safety Act to prohibit the private ownership and interstate or foreign commerce of nonhuman primates for the pet trade. As of its most recent congressional tracking, the House version carried 21 co-sponsors and the Senate version had 5 co-sponsors as of May 2025, meaning it remained pending legislation rather than binding federal law. Until it passes, federal restrictions on pet chimpanzee ownership run through the Lacey Act and Animal Welfare Act rather than a dedicated primate ban.
Arkansas’s Laws on Owning a Chimpanzee
The Arkansas Legislature passed a law specifically regulating primates in Arkansas in Title 20, Chapter 19, Subchapter 601 through 610. This is the primary statute anyone researching chimpanzee ownership needs to understand, since it defines who can register an existing primate and what happens to anyone acquiring one going forward.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) derives its authority from the state constitution itself. Amendment 35 to the Arkansas Constitution grants the Commission authority to regulate the control, management, restoration, conservation, and regulation of wildlife resources of the state, and the Commission has defined wildlife to include both native and non-native species, which covers exotic animals such as primates. That same constitutional authority underpins the Commission’s broader wildlife oversight, including the state’s hunting laws in Arkansas.
On the endangered-species side, the Commission’s authority is separate but equally strict. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission prohibits the importation, transportation, sale, purchase, and possession of endangered species unless the animals were legally acquired and are held under a permit. Since chimpanzees fall on that list, this provision layers directly on top of the primate-specific statute described above.
The law has also been amended since its original 2013 passage. A House bill amending Arkansas’ law on possessing, owning, and breeding primates by private individuals became law on April 8, 2015. That revision adjusted some of the exemptions built into the original statute, which is a reminder that primate law in Arkansas has continued to evolve rather than staying frozen at its 2013 starting point.
| Ownership Scenario | Legal Status in Arkansas | Registration or Permit Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Chimpanzee acquired before August 16, 2013 | May be kept if properly registered | County sheriff registration |
| Chimpanzee acquired after August 16, 2013 | Prohibited as a pet | None available for private pet ownership |
| Chimpanzee held by an accredited zoo or sanctuary | Permitted under specific conditions | AGFC wildlife permit plus USDA compliance |
| Chimpanzee held for research | Permitted under federal oversight | USDA license, AGFC coordination |
Permits and Requirements for Chimpanzee Ownership in Arkansas
Because chimpanzees cannot be newly acquired as pets, “permits” in this context apply almost exclusively to institutions rather than private individuals. The GFC issues permits to possess wildlife for legitimate scientific, education, and conservation purposes, commercial breeding and sale, and the temporary importation and possession of wildlife for exhibition. A private citizen looking to acquire a pet chimpanzee will not find a permit category that fits.
Importation adds another layer of oversight. Both the AGFC and the state’s Livestock and Poultry Commission closely regulate the importation of wildlife, including apes, and individuals wishing to import apes must obtain import permits from both agencies. Importation permits for apes, baboons, and macaques are only issued in limited circumstances involving zoos, research facilities, wildlife sanctuaries, circuses, or bringing the animals into or through the state for ten days or less.
For the narrower group of people who legally hold a grandfathered primate, registration follows a defined process:
- Submit a registration form to the county sheriff’s office in the county where the primate is kept.
- Provide a description of the primate, including its scientific classification, name, gender, age, color, weight, and distinguishing marks.
- Include a photograph of the primate and its enclosure, with measurements.
- Pay the registration fee, which is fifty dollars for the initial registration and ten dollars for each additional registration.
- Notify the county sheriff of any changes, including the death or transfer of the primate.
Enclosure standards also apply to anyone maintaining a legally registered primate. A person possessing a primate must maintain the primate in an enclosure that meets or exceeds the minimum standards set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture. Institutions that house apes commercially face even stricter benchmarks, including liability coverage; accredited zoos, sanctuaries, and research institutions must comply with USDA standards under the Animal Welfare Act and maintain liability insurance of at least $250,000 according to one legal summary of the state’s exotic animal framework.
Pro Tip: If you already own a legally registered primate and are unsure whether your paperwork is current, contact your county sheriff’s office directly rather than relying on secondhand summaries of the law. Registration requirements and enclosure standards are enforced at the county level, and requirements can be updated by the legislature.
It’s worth noting that Arkansas applies a similar permit-based approach to other regulated species. Venomous reptiles, for example, require a possession permit under AGFC code, much like the exotic types of snakes in Arkansas that fall under special handling rules. The state’s exhibition permit structure also intersects with facilities like petting zoos in Arkansas, which must meet their own AGFC and USDA compliance standards when housing any regulated wildlife.
Local Laws That May Apply in Arkansas
State registration is not the only layer of oversight a chimpanzee owner has to consider. Local restrictions can also exist in accordance with city or municipal ordinances, and counties enforce several state-level rules directly through the sheriff’s office rather than through the AGFC.
Public contact restrictions are one example that plays out at the local level. It is unlawful for a person to allow a member of the public to come into direct contact with a primate, except this does not apply to a registered primate owner, the family of a registered primate owner, or an invited guest of a registered primate owner. Local animal control officers and sheriff’s deputies are typically the ones who respond if this rule is violated.
Restraint and containment rules also fall to local enforcement. It is unlawful for a person to tether a primate outdoors, such as on a leash or chain, or to allow a primate to run at large. This mirrors the logic behind Arkansas’s broader animal restraint framework, which you can see applied to more common pets in the state’s leash laws in Arkansas and the more specific dog leash laws in Arkansas. Municipalities frequently layer their own ordinances on top of state exotic-animal law the same way many cities regulate backyard livestock through local rules like backyard chicken laws in Arkansas.
Emergency reporting duties also run through local channels first. If a primate escapes or is released, the owner must immediately contact a law enforcement officer in the county where the primate is kept and the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission to report the loss, escape, or release. Health-related incidents follow a similar dual-reporting pattern: if a primate potentially exposes a human to rabies or another zoonotic disease through a bite or scratch, the owner must report this to the Arkansas Department of Health Public Health Veterinarian within 24 hours.
Penalties for Illegally Owning a Chimpanzee in Arkansas
Arkansas law treats improper primate care and illegal possession as separate but overlapping violations. It is unlawful to violate the caging and care standards in the primate subchapter or to keep a primate in a manner that threatens animal welfare or public safety. Separately, it is unlawful to operate a primate commercial breeding facility in the state without the appropriate authorization.
Financial consequences extend beyond fines. The owner of a primate that escapes or is released is liable for all expenses associated with efforts to recapture the primate, which can add up quickly if a search involves multiple agencies. General enforcement summaries of the state’s exotic animal rules note that violations can result in fines and potential confiscation of the animal by state or local authorities.
Federal exposure compounds whatever state penalties apply, particularly if a chimpanzee crossed state lines as part of an illegal sale or transfer. As outlined earlier, a knowing Lacey Act violation involving wildlife valued over $350 can bring fines up to $20,000 and up to five years in prison, with civil penalties and forfeiture possible even without a criminal conviction. Combined, this means someone who illegally acquires or transports a chimpanzee in Arkansas can face county-level citations, AGFC enforcement action, and a separate federal case, all stemming from the same animal.
Key Insight: Arkansas’s primate law was not written as a blanket ban but as a closed registry. Grandfathered owners can continue keeping a registered chimpanzee under strict conditions, but the pathway to legally acquire a new one as a pet no longer exists under either state or federal law.
Enforcement of these rules ties back to the same AGFC wardens who patrol other wildlife violations across the state, including the reporting and permitting structure behind roadkill laws in Arkansas and licensing requirements like the ones covered in fishing license requirements in Arkansas. Anyone weighing exotic animal ownership in the state should treat primate law as one part of a much larger wildlife regulatory system, not an isolated rule.