Big Cat Ownership Laws in Louisiana: What Is Banned, Who Is Exempt, and What Penalties Apply
November 7, 2026
Big cat ownership laws in Louisiana are strict, and the short version is simple: private citizens cannot buy, import, or keep a tiger, lion, leopard, jaguar, cheetah, or cougar. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforces the ban, and a narrow grandfather clause protects only owners who held a cat before a 2006 cutoff date.
If you are thinking about a cub, a hybrid, or a smaller wild cat such as a serval, the rules still reach you. Parish and city ordinances add a second layer, and some are stricter than the state.
This article lays out what the law says, who it covers, who is exempt, and what happens if you break it. For related rules on other animals, see Louisiana’s pit bull laws and its roadkill laws.
Important Note: This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Regulations change, so confirm current requirements with LDWF or a Louisiana attorney before you act.
Are Big Cats Legal to Own in Louisiana?
No. Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76, Section V-115 makes it unlawful to import into, possess, purchase, or sell listed big exotic cats in the state. The rule applies to transactions made by any means, including online sales.
The ban applies to “domesticated or otherwise” animals, so a cat raised by hand from birth is still covered. Good intentions, a large property, or a signed waiver do not change that.
The only people who can legally hold these animals are those in a short list of exempt or permitted categories, which later sections cover.
Which Big Cats Does Louisiana Law Cover?
The regulation names six groups of cats. They are tigers, lions, leopards (including snow and clouded leopards), jaguars, cheetahs, and cougars or mountain lions. It also covers all subspecies and any hybrids bred from those cats.
| Covered Cat | Notes From the Regulation |
|---|---|
| Tigers | All subspecies included |
| Lions | All subspecies included |
| Leopards | Snow leopards and clouded leopards named specifically |
| Jaguars | All subspecies included |
| Cheetahs | All subspecies included |
| Cougars and mountain lions | Listed under Felis concolor |
| Hybrids | Crosses between any of the listed cats |
The same section of the code also lists black, grizzly, and polar bears, red and gray wolves, wolf-dog hybrids, and all non-human primates. Big cats sit in that group of “potentially dangerous” animals.
Is Private Ownership of Big Cats Banned in Louisiana?
Yes. Born Free USA classifies Louisiana in its “B” category, meaning a ban on private ownership of big cats. LDWF began adding big exotic cats to its dangerous quadruped list in 2006, and the Legislature backed the effort through Act 715.
The state authority comes from R.S. 56:6(31). That statute directs the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to write rules controlling the importation and private possession of big exotic cats, and it requires those rules to address internet purchases.
In practice, you cannot get a pet permit for a tiger or lion. The only private route is the grandfather clause for owners who held their cat before August 15, 2006.
Federal Big Cat Law and How It Applies in Louisiana
Federal law sits on top of the state ban. It does not replace it. Louisiana’s rules are already stricter than the federal baseline, so you must satisfy both.
The Animal Welfare Act matters here because Louisiana’s exemptions borrow its categories. Research facilities are defined by that Act, and circuits exempt under state rules must be incorporated Class C licensees under federal regulations. A federal exhibitor license does not give you the right to keep a big cat in Louisiana, though. You still need to fall within a state exemption or permit category.
Other federal laws can apply to a specific animal. The Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act reach certain species and interstate sales, and Louisiana’s exotic pet overview notes that owners should research these before acquiring any exotic animal.
Big Cat Permit and License Requirements in Louisiana
Permits exist, but only for grandfathered owners and certain institutions. They are not a way for a new buyer to get around the ban.
A grandfathered owner must hold an LDWF permit, and the permit goes only to the individual who owns the cat or to a designee when the owner is not an individual. The regulation sets these core conditions:
- No more than one exotic cat meeting the rule is permitted, and no additional cats may be acquired by any means, including breeding.
- The permittee or a designee must live on the premises or provide continuous on-site monitoring.
- The cat must be kept in sanitary and safe conditions, with no maltreatment or neglect.
- Enclosures must prevent escape and direct physical contact, and must include a secluded den area of 4 feet by 4 feet for each animal.
- The permittee must notify LDWF and local law enforcement immediately if the cat leaves its enclosure.
One third-party summary lists liability insurance of $100,000 per animal and a $300 yearly fee per animal. That summary is from Big Cat Rescue, which does not date the figures and mixes several states on one page. Confirm current costs directly with LDWF before relying on them.
Who Is Exempt From Louisiana Big Cat Laws? (Zoos, Sanctuaries, Exhibitors)
Exemptions fall into two tiers under the regulation. Some entities are exempt from the rule and from permitting altogether. Others must apply for an LDWF permit first.
| Status | Who Qualifies |
|---|---|
| Exempt, no permit | Zoos accredited or certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, plus the Zoo of Acadiana if it meets those enclosure standards |
| Exempt, no permit | Research facilities as defined by the Animal Welfare Act |
| Exempt, no permit | Licensed circuses operating temporarily in the state |
| Permit required | Other zoos and educational institutions, decided case by case by the secretary |
| Permit required | Louisiana colleges or universities keeping a traditional school mascot cat, with documentation of consistent past possession |
The statute also tells the Commission to provide exceptions for animal sanctuaries, wildlife research centers, and scientific organizations. A 2014 bill, SB 250, proposed adding Class C exhibitors licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as shown on the Louisiana Legislature’s bill text.
The circus exemption has limits. The regulation says circuses do not include entertainment that features a listed animal in certain ways, so read the full definition before assuming a traveling act qualifies.
Grandfathered Big Cats and Registration in Louisiana
The grandfather clause is the one real path to legal private ownership. It covers a person who continually possessed a listed cat on August 15, 2006, the effective date of Act 715, and who obtained the animal by lawful means.
That date is a hard line. Rules for owners say only the cat you held then counts, and you must be able to prove legal ownership. If you cannot document a lawful acquisition, you have no protection.
Permits renew annually until the animal dies, is legally transferred out of state, or moves to a suitable facility. Because of the one-cat limit and the breeding ban, the grandfathered population can only shrink. Given the age of these cats, few should remain.
Key Insight: A cat born after August 15, 2006 cannot qualify, even if its parent was grandfathered. Offspring are not covered because no additional listed animals may be acquired by any means, including breeding.
Can You Own a Big Cat Cub or Hybrid in Louisiana?
No on both counts. The ban has no age or size threshold, so a cub is a big cat under the regulation the moment it is born. Photo-op cub operations do not create a legal route to private possession.
Hybrids are named directly. The rule covers hybrids resulting from cross-breeding of the listed cats, so ligers (a male lion and female tiger) and tigons (a male tiger and female lion) are banned. A 2023 Louisiana legislative CLE presentation on exotic animal law flags big cat hybrids as a recurring issue.
Crosses between a listed big cat and a small wild or domestic cat are less clear. If a cat has any listed big cat in its immediate ancestry, ask LDWF for a written determination before you buy or accept it.
Can You Own a Bobcat, Lynx, Serval or Caracal in Louisiana?
State law does not name these species in the big exotic cat list, which covers tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, and cougars. That does not make them safe to own. Louisiana’s wildlife rules treat many wild animals separately, and local ordinances often ban any wild or exotic animal.
Sources disagree on servals. Big Cat Rescue says it appears owning small cats such as servals is not legal in Louisiana, while the state regulation itself does not list them. Treat that conflict as a warning. Get written confirmation from LDWF and your parish before acquiring any wild small cat.
Bobcats are a native game species that can be hunted, so keeping one is a wildlife-take issue as well as a pet issue. Savannah and Bengal cats are domestic hybrids that need no state permit, but many cities and parishes ban them, so check local rules first.
Pro Tip: Ask any breeder for the cat’s generation (F1, F2, and so on) in writing. Early-generation hybrids sit closer to the wild parent and are the ones most likely to draw local enforcement.
City and County Big Cat Rules in Louisiana
Local law can be tighter than the state. The Law Library of Louisiana collects several ordinances in its pet law guide for wild or exotic animals.
- East Baton Rouge Parish: No person may own, possess, sell, or keep a wild or exotic animal as a pet in the parish.
- New Orleans: No one may keep a wild or exotic animal as a pet or offer one for sale. Accredited zoos and educational institutions may transfer animals among similar institutions.
- Shreveport: Keeping a wild or exotic animal as a pet is banned except for animals acquired before May 23, 1989, and exhibiting one is barred. Entities like Chimp Haven and the Louisiana State Fair are exempt.
State permission never overrides a local ban. If your parish or city prohibits the animal, you cannot keep it, even as a grandfathered owner. Violations in Shreveport count as dual violations alongside state wildlife law.
Moving or Transporting a Big Cat Into or Through Louisiana
Importing a big cat into Louisiana is unlawful. The state ban lists “import” first among the prohibited acts, so you cannot bring a listed cat in to live, sell, or breed.
There is a narrow transit exception. Anyone moving a listed animal through the state is exempt if the transit time is under 24 hours and the animal stays in confinement at all times to prevent escape and public contact. Exhibiting the cat during transit is prohibited.
The state Department of Agriculture and Forestry handles animal health imports, and LDWF handles wildlife rules. For ordinary cats, Louisiana requires health paperwork, covered in the pet import laws guide. Those domestic cat rules do not authorize moving a banned species.
Who Enforces Big Cat Laws in Louisiana?
LDWF is the lead agency. Its enforcement agents inspect facilities where exotic animals are kept or exhibited, checking enclosures, food and water, handling, veterinary records, and animal health, according to Animal of Things.
Penalties come from the Revised Statutes. R.S. 56:6(31) states that violating the big exotic cat rules is a class two violation, per the enacted bill text, punishable under R.S. 56:32. Another source describes class three tiers for wildlife violations generally, with first-offense fines of $250 to $500 and up to 90 days in jail, so confirm which class applies to your situation with an attorney.
The state can also seize any animal held in violation of wildlife laws, and repeat offenders may forfeit animals. Local police and sheriffs enforce parish and city ordinances, and permittees must report escapes to them.
Recent Changes to Big Cat Laws in Louisiana
The core rule has been stable since 2006, when Act 715 took effect and LDWF added big exotic cats to its dangerous animal list. The Legislature has since considered adjustments, including SB 250 in 2014, which proposed an exemption for USDA Class C exhibitors.
As of October 2026, the research behind this article turned up no newer statute that lifts the private ownership ban. A national tracker, World Population Review, still lists Louisiana as banning private ownership of big cats.
Federal developments and local ordinance updates can change your obligations without any state action. Check LDWF and your parish government before any purchase, transfer, or move. For other Louisiana animal rules, see the guides on beekeeping, goat ownership, and hedgehog ownership.