Owning a Cougar in Arkansas: What State and Federal Law Actually Allow
September 11, 2026
Arkansas has a reputation as one of the more permissive states for exotic pet ownership, which leads a lot of people to assume a pet cougar is just a permit application away. That assumption used to be closer to true. Today, if you’re asking whether you can own a cougar in Arkansas, the honest answer involves two overlapping legal systems that have both moved sharply toward “no” over the past two decades.
Between a state agency that stopped issuing new permits years ago and a federal law signed in 2022, the path to legally acquiring a pet cougar in Arkansas has effectively closed for new owners. This guide walks through what state law says, what federal law added on top of it, and what happens to people who try to keep one anyway.
Is It Legal to Own a Cougar in Arkansas
The cougar (Puma concolor) is also known as the mountain lion, puma, or panther, and it’s the same animal regardless of which regional name gets used. Arkansas classifies it as a regulated species rather than an outright prohibited one, which is where a lot of confusion starts. On paper, ownership isn’t banned by name, but the practical door to acquiring one has been closed for new applicants.
According to an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fact sheet, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regulates possession of mountain lions, and any person owning a mountain lion must have an AGFC Wildlife Breeder/Dealer permit. The same fact sheet is direct about the current state of that permit: new permits are not available. That single sentence is the crux of the issue for anyone hoping to buy a cougar in Arkansas today.
For a broader look at which exotic animals Arkansas does and doesn’t allow, the exotic pets legal in Arkansas guide breaks down the state’s tiered permit categories in more detail.
What Federal Law Says About Cougar Ownership
Even if Arkansas reopened its permit program tomorrow, federal law would still stand in the way. The Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA) was signed into law by President Biden on December 20, 2022, and it fundamentally changed the legal landscape for private big cat ownership nationwide.
The law’s scope is specific and deliberately includes cougars under multiple names. The law refers to big cats as “prohibited wildlife species” and includes lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, jaguar, cheetah and cougar, along with pumas and panthers and the alternate name mountain lion. There’s no ambiguity about whether a cougar counts; it’s named directly.
The Act didn’t strip existing owners of their animals outright, but it did require action. Individuals who own big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars or hybrids of these species had to register them with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by June 18, 2023. Current private owners may keep their animals if they registered them with the Service and abide by other applicable state and federal regulations.
| Big Cat Public Safety Act | Details |
|---|---|
| Signed into law | December 20, 2022 (Public Law 117-243) |
| Species covered | Lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, and hybrids |
| Registration deadline | June 18, 2023, for pre-Act owners |
| New acquisitions | Not permitted after December 20, 2022 |
| Enforcing agency | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
Key Insight: The federal registration window closed in June 2023. Anyone who did not own a cougar before the law passed has no legal federal pathway to acquiring one now, regardless of what any individual state permits.
Full details on registration requirements and exceptions are available through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the complete legislative text can be read on Congress.gov.
Arkansas’s Laws on Owning a Cougar
Arkansas’s approach to big cats didn’t start with the federal government; the state moved first. Back in 2005, lawmakers passed legislation targeting the most dangerous captive species. Under that law, a large carnivore is defined as a bear, lion, or tiger, and a person may possess one only if they were already in possession of it on or before August 12, 2005, and applied for and were granted a personal possession permit within 180 days of that date.
Interestingly, that 2005 statute’s definition of “large carnivore” covers bears, lions, and tigers specifically, not cougars. Mountain lions are instead handled under a separate AGFC regulatory track that requires the same Wildlife Breeder/Dealer permit used for commercial wildlife operations, as outlined on the AGFC’s captive wildlife page. That page notes there are limitations on ownership of certain exotics including mountain lions, large carnivores, primates, and other species, folding cougars into a similarly restrictive framework even though they fall under a different code section.
Arkansas sorts exotic species into three tiers. These regulations divide animals into three broad categories: species that are unrestricted, species that require permits or special approval, and species that are prohibited. Cougars sit in that middle tier, but with the added complication that the permit needed to legally acquire one is no longer being issued. For comparison, a similarly wild-looking Arkansas native fares differently under state rules: the guide to owning a bobcat in Arkansas explains why that smaller wildcat remains permit-free for now, while its larger cousin does not. Anyone researching Arkansas’s broader wildlife code should also check the state’s hunting laws, since AGFC administers both hunting regulations and captive wildlife permits under the same overarching authority.
Full statutory language for the 2005 large carnivore subchapter, including its exemptions for zoos, USDA permit holders, and law enforcement, is archived by the Animal Legal & Historical Center.
Permits and Requirements for Cougar Ownership in Arkansas
For the small number of people who already held a cougar before the state’s permit freeze and the federal ban, Arkansas still lays out what compliance looks like. The requirements are substantial, and they were designed to be.
- Wildlife Breeder/Dealer permit: Any person owning a mountain lion must have an AGFC Wildlife Breeder/Dealer permit, the same license used by commercial wildlife businesses.
- Liability insurance: Owners must have at least $100,000 in liability insurance for damage to property and for death or bodily injury to a person caused by the animals.
- County sheriff coordination: Applicants are directed to consult their county sheriff for additional information on applying for this permit.
- Importation restrictions: It is illegal to bring African lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, jaguars, bears, or mountain lions into Arkansas without meeting narrow exceptions.
- Federal registration: On top of state paperwork, the animal must also be registered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the BCPSA to remain in legal compliance.
Pro Tip: Even grandfathered owners who meet every state requirement still need to confirm their cougar was registered federally by the June 2023 deadline. Missing either the state or federal piece puts the animal’s legal status at risk.
These layered requirements mirror how Arkansas handles other regulated activities involving wildlife. The state’s fishing license requirements show the same AGFC permitting philosophy applied to a lower-stakes activity, while facilities that display animals to the public fall under an entirely different framework, covered in the guide to petting zoos in Arkansas.
Local Laws That May Apply in Arkansas
State and federal law aren’t the only hurdles. Arkansas explicitly leaves room for cities and counties to layer on their own restrictions, and many do. As one exotic pet resource puts it, local restrictions can also exist in accordance with city or municipal ordinances, meaning a city inside a permissive county could still ban large exotic cats outright.
Before assuming any grandfathered ownership situation is settled, it’s worth checking several layers of local rules:
- Municipal zoning codes that restrict keeping wild or dangerous animals within city limits
- County ordinances that may require additional registration or inspection beyond AGFC requirements
- Homeowners’ association rules, which can prohibit exotic animals even where local law allows them
- Animal control policies specific to the municipality, since enforcement priorities vary widely across Arkansas
It’s your responsibility to comply with all local laws, ordinances and covenants before importing or possessing live wildlife, a point made directly by wildlife regulation resources tracking pet ownership across states. Local enforcement often overlaps with rules for far more common animals; Arkansas’s leash laws and dog leash laws illustrate how much authority cities retain over animal control even when state law sets the baseline, and the same layered approach applies to livestock-adjacent rules like backyard chicken laws in Arkansas municipalities.
Penalties for Illegally Owning a Cougar in Arkansas
Because a cougar in Arkansas is now regulated at both the state and federal level, unauthorized possession can trigger two separate enforcement systems at once. Under the 2005 state large carnivore law, the possessor of a large carnivore must allow an official of the county sheriff’s department, an animal control officer, an Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission game warden, or law enforcement to inspect the animal and its enclosure, giving the state broad authority to check compliance and act on violations.
On the federal side, the consequences are spelled out clearly by the agency enforcing the BCPSA. Violators are subject to civil or criminal penalties, or both, including potential fines, imprisonment, or both. The law also allows for the animal itself to be taken. Big cats bred, possessed, imported, exported, transported, sold, received, acquired, or purchased contrary to the provisions of the Act are subject to seizure and forfeiture.
Important Note: Registering a cougar under the federal BCPSA does not automatically satisfy Arkansas state requirements, and holding a valid state permit doesn’t exempt an owner from federal registration. Owners need to clear both bars independently, and enforcement agencies at either level can act on violations without waiting for the other to move first.
Illegal possession of any regulated wildlife species in Arkansas, cougars included, also opens the door to broader wildlife violation charges similar to those applied in other unauthorized-possession cases, a theme echoed in the state’s roadkill possession laws, which likewise require specific permits before keeping wildlife that would otherwise be off-limits.
For anyone weighing the reality of cougar ownership against the legal risk, the numbers tell their own story. An estimated tens of thousands of big cats were living in private hands across the U.S. before the federal law took effect, and an estimated 20,000 big cats are kept in private ownership in the U.S., often purchased as cubs or bred for photo opportunities. That volume is exactly what prompted Congress to close the loophole, and it’s why both Arkansas and the federal government have moved in the same direction: away from new private ownership and toward accredited sanctuaries as the only realistic long-term home for a cougar that can no longer stay in the wild.
Educational Disclaimer: This article summarizes publicly available state and federal wildlife regulations for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Wildlife laws change, and requirements can vary by county or municipality, so anyone with an existing permit or a specific ownership question should confirm current requirements directly with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, their county sheriff, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or consult an attorney familiar with animal law.