Can You Own a Chimpanzee in Hawaii? What State and Federal Law Say
September 21, 2026
If you’re wondering whether you can own a chimpanzee in Hawaii, the short answer is no — and Hawaii’s rules leave almost no room to argue otherwise. Between strict import quarantine laws, endangered species protections, and county-level permitting requirements, the islands close nearly every door that other states leave open for exotic pet owners.
You’ll find the same “no” whether you’re looking at state agriculture rules, wildlife protection statutes, or the county ordinance where you live. Below, you’ll see how federal law treats primate ownership, what Hawaii’s own statutes say, which permits (if any) exist, how county rules add another layer, and what happens to people who try anyway.
Important Note: This article summarizes publicly available state and federal wildlife regulations for general education. It isn’t legal advice. If you have a specific situation involving a primate or other exotic animal, contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, or a licensed Hawaii attorney directly.
Is It Legal to Own a Chimpanzee in Hawaii
No. The chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) sits at the intersection of two separate regulatory systems in Hawaii, and both systems say the same thing to private citizens: not without a permit you’ll never get. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) prohibits the importation or possession of restricted animals without an HDOA permit and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) prohibits the possession, transportation, or sale of endangered/threatened species without a DLNR permit.
In Hawaii, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gibbons are heavily regulated because of their dual status as both endangered/threatened species and restricted animals. That double classification matters because it means clearing one hurdle — say, an agriculture permit — still leaves the endangered-species hurdle standing. Those agencies do not issue permits to import or possess apes as pets or for commercial purposes.
This isn’t unique to chimpanzees. Hawaii applies similarly tight import screening to a long list of non-native wildlife, from the deer populations that have become invasive on some islands to the reptiles covered under the state’s snake import restrictions. The logic is the same across categories: Hawaii’s isolated ecosystem makes the state far more cautious about new animal introductions than most mainland jurisdictions, and chimpanzees fall on the most heavily restricted end of that spectrum because of their endangered species status.
| Who Wants to Possess a Chimpanzee | Permitted in Hawaii? | Governing Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Private individual (pet owner) | No | HDOA / DLNR |
| Roadside zoo, exhibitor, or performing-animal act | No | HDOA / DLNR |
| Municipal or AZA-accredited zoo | Possible, with permits | HDOA / DLNR |
| DLNR-recognized primate sanctuary | Possible, with permits | HDOA / DLNR |
| University or research facility | Possible, with permits | HDOA / DLNR / USDA |
Commercial animal dealers and exhibitors like circuses, performing animal acts, private zoos, and wild animal parks cannot legally import, possess, buy, or sell apes in Hawaii, while municipal zoos, primate sanctuaries, government agencies, universities, and research facilities may import and possess apes with the appropriate federal and state permits. If you don’t fall into one of those last four categories, Hawaii simply won’t process an application.
What Federal Law Currently Says About Primate Ownership
Federal law doesn’t outright ban private primate ownership nationwide, which surprises a lot of people. Instead, it regulates the trade around primates rather than possession itself in most cases. The Lacey Act Amendments, updated through the Captive Wildlife Safety Act of 2003, passed Congress in 2003 to ban interstate commerce in lions, tigers, and other big cats for the pet trade — but that law targeted big cats, not primates.
For chimpanzees specifically, no comparable nationwide ban on private possession has been enacted yet. The proposed Captive Primate Safety Act would prohibit private possession of nonhuman primates and the sale or transportation of nonhuman primates for the wild “pet” trade. As of mid-2025, that bill was still moving through Congress rather than sitting on the books as enforceable law. Many states still allow people to keep primates as pets, something the proposed federal Captive Primate Safety Act is aiming to change — if passed, it would ban primate pet ownership in all 50 states.
Supporters of the bill point to public safety and animal welfare concerns. 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, with the prohibition narrowly focused on pet primates and exempting zoos, research labs, sanctuaries, and universities. Twenty states and the District of Columbia already had laws banning primates as pets even before this federal push. Hawaii is one of those states, which is why its own rules matter more here than federal law does right now.
Pro Tip: Don’t assume that “no federal ban yet” means a state allows chimpanzee ownership. State and county rules almost always set the real limit, and Hawaii’s are among the strictest in the country.
Hawaii’s Laws on Owning a Chimpanzee
Hawaii’s non-domestic animal quarantine rules live in Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 4-71, enforced by HDOA’s Plant Quarantine Branch. The introduction into Hawaii of live animals or live non-domestic animals is only allowed for those on the list designated as conditionally approved or restricted entry, by permit approved by the board, and after securing appropriate bond for certain animals. Chimpanzees sit on the restricted list, but the rule goes further than that for primates specifically.
Animals in the order Primates are not allowed for import or possession for private or commercial use, with exceptions only for research, medical, or scientific purposes approved by the board, universities, government agencies, exhibition in government zoos, or primate sanctuaries. That single clause is why the answer stays “no” regardless of how well-funded, well-intentioned, or experienced a would-be private owner might be.
This restriction didn’t come out of nowhere. State regulators moved to close remaining loopholes through rulemaking, and proposed amendments to the non-domestic animal import rules included provisions to prohibit the import or possession of animals in the order Primates for private or commercial use, except for a primate sanctuary or unless otherwise permitted by Chapter 4-71. The chimpanzee’s separate status as an endangered species adds a second, independent layer of protection on top of the agriculture rule. Hawaii applies this same layered caution to other wildlife categories, including the state’s growing list of restricted invasive insects and non-native reptiles, all managed under the same import-control philosophy that governs primates.
Permits and Requirements for Chimpanzee Ownership in Hawaii
Technically, a permit pathway exists on paper — it’s just not one a private resident can walk through. Restricted list animals and unlisted animals require a permit for both import and possession. But as covered above, that permit is only issued to institutions, not individuals.
For the institutions that do qualify, the process is thorough. Facilities wishing to import apes must obtain an HDOA import permit, it’s illegal to import animals that display symptoms of transmissible diseases or that have been recently exposed to such diseases, apes must be accompanied by a valid health certificate and presented to HDOA for inspection upon entry, and the agency may quarantine, seize, or deny entry to any animal that is diseased or imported in violation of its requirements. Think of it as a far more intensive version of the paperwork Hawaii already requires for common pets — similar in spirit to the licensing steps covered in guides on Hawaii fishing license requirements or the registration expectations tied to popular dog breeds kept across the islands, just scaled up dramatically for an endangered great ape.
HDOA must approve all facilities housing apes and may impose permit conditions for the health and safety of those animals, and while Hawaii’s general anti-cruelty laws don’t protect apes from many forms of neglect, it’s illegal to physically abuse apes under those laws. Most facilities able to possess apes under state law are also regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the federal Animal Welfare Act and must comply with federal standards of care for primates. In other words, even a qualifying sanctuary or research institution answers to multiple agencies at once, not just Hawaii’s.
Local Laws That May Apply in Hawaii
State-level restrictions aren’t the only obstacle. Depending on which island you live on, county government adds its own permitting layer on top of state law. Hawaii County, for instance, treats primates as a special category requiring separate local approval. Under Hawaii County ordinance, nonhuman primates are classified as both “companion animals” and “exotic animals,” and it’s illegal to keep or exhibit nonhuman primates without a local permit in addition to any necessary federal and state permits.
The bar for that local permit is high. Permit applicants must submit evidence of surety bond or liability insurance for injuries and damages caused by the exotic animal in the amount of $50,000, and permit applications may be rejected for a variety of reasons, including previous or current violations of any local, state, or federal law relating to animals. Even someone who somehow cleared HDOA and DLNR approval could still be turned down at the county level over insurance requirements or a prior citation.
Escape prevention is also written directly into local rules. Exotic animals may not be exhibited, displayed, or kept in a manner that permits the animal to escape, be at large, or come into direct physical contact with the public. These local ordinances echo the same public-safety reasoning behind Hawaii’s county-level dog breed restrictions and the liability questions addressed in guides covering what happens when an animal injures someone in Hawaii — county governments consistently treat animals capable of causing serious harm as a shared community risk, not just a private owner’s concern.
Penalties for Illegally Owning a Chimpanzee in Hawaii
Someone who imports or keeps a chimpanzee in Hawaii without authorization is exposed on multiple regulatory fronts at once, since state agriculture law, endangered species law, and county ordinances all carry their own enforcement mechanisms. No person shall introduce into Hawaii any animal from the list of prohibited animals, and the same subchapter that governs restricted-entry animals gives the state authority to act against unauthorized possession.
HDOA’s enforcement powers reach beyond the border. The agency may quarantine, seize, or deny entry to any animal that is diseased or imported in violation of the department’s requirements — meaning a chimpanzee brought in outside the rules can be confiscated rather than simply denied at the port. At the county level, enforcement can move even faster: a violation of permit conditions may result in a citation or cancellation of a permit, or both.
A prior violation also follows an owner going forward. Permit applications may be rejected for previous or current violations of any local, state, or federal law relating to animals — so anyone caught keeping a chimpanzee illegally likely forfeits any future chance at legitimate permits for other exotic or restricted species, including animals covered under Hawaii’s venomous animal rules or its broader poisonous species regulations. Given the layered state and county consequences, and the animal welfare stakes involved, this is one area where cutting corners carries both legal and financial risk that outweighs any private benefit.
Common Mistake: Assuming a mainland exotic-pet permit or a breeder’s paperwork will transfer to Hawaii. HDOA and DLNR evaluate every import independently, and out-of-state documentation carries no automatic weight here.
If you’re researching exotic animal law in Hawaii more broadly, the same permitting and quarantine framework that blocks private chimpanzee ownership also shapes how the state handles everything from reptiles to marine species like the dolphins found in Hawaiian waters. Understanding one piece of that system — as this article does for chimpanzees — makes the rest of Hawaii’s wildlife regulations considerably easier to navigate.