Oregon is home to a remarkable variety of wildlife — from owls and woodpeckers to venomous animals that most people never expect to encounter. But what about keeping a lion? It’s a question more people ask than you might expect, and the answer involves overlapping layers of state law, federal legislation, and local ordinances.
The short answer is no — you cannot legally own a lion in Oregon as a private individual. But understanding why that’s the case, and what the legal framework looks like at every level, helps you see just how firmly that prohibition is locked in place.
Is It Legal to Own a Lion in Oregon?
No. Owning a lion in Oregon is illegal for private individuals, and that has been the case under state law since 2010. Oregon residents cannot apply for exotic pet permits — the last permits were issued in 2010 — making it illegal to own a wild cat (non-native), bear (except black bears), non-native primates, or crocodilians.
The African lion (Panthera leo) falls squarely within the category of animals Oregon prohibits private citizens from keeping. Under Oregon law, an “exotic animal” for purposes of the relevant statutes means a member of the family Felidae not indigenous to Oregon (except the domestic cat), any nonhuman primate, any nonwolf member of the family Canidae not indigenous to Oregon (except the domestic dog), any bear except the black bear, and any member of the order Crocodylia. Lions, as non-native members of the family Felidae, fit that definition precisely.
This prohibition is not simply a matter of paperwork or permits. The window for obtaining a legal exotic animal permit in Oregon closed years ago, and the state no longer issues new ones to private owners. Both state and federal law now stack on top of each other to make lion ownership essentially impossible for an ordinary resident.
Important Note: Even if you believed a permit might still be available, the federal Big Cat Public Safety Act — enacted in December 2022 — independently bans private possession of lions nationwide. State and federal law reinforce each other here, leaving no legal path for private lion ownership in Oregon.
What Federal Law Says About Lion Ownership
Federal law is the starting point for understanding why no private citizen anywhere in the United States can legally acquire a new lion as a pet. The Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted December 20, 2022, to end the private ownership of big cats as pets and prohibit exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including cubs.
It placed new restrictions on the commerce, breeding, possession, and use of certain big cat species. The law specifically names lions as one of the covered “prohibited wildlife species.” The Big Cat Public Safety Act makes it illegal to privately possess or breed lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, or cougars, or any hybrid thereof.
A narrow grandfather provision existed for people who already owned big cats before the law’s enactment date. In order to continue to legally possess privately owned big cats, the Act required individuals or entities to register any big cats that were in their possession before the date of enactment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), unless another exception of the Act applies. This registration had to occur no later than June 18, 2023 — 180 days after the date of enactment. Registration is now closed.
The law does carve out exceptions, but they are narrow and institutional in nature. The bill provides exemptions from these prohibitions for USDA Class C license holders, state universities, and wildlife sanctuaries that don’t allow direct contact with big cats and keep cats at a safe distance from the public. Private hobbyists and individuals do not qualify for any of these exemptions.
Most big cats are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and take — meaning harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect — of such species and their offspring is prohibited, with limited exceptions for take authorized by statute, regulation, or permit. This adds yet another layer of federal protection that applies to lions and their close relatives.
Key Insight: The Big Cat Public Safety Act applies nationwide, meaning it overrides any state that previously had weak or no restrictions on lion ownership. In Oregon — where state law already banned private lion ownership — the federal law adds a second, independent prohibition.
Oregon’s Laws on Owning a Lion
Oregon’s own statutes have prohibited private lion ownership for well over a decade. The state’s approach is governed primarily by Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 609, which covers exotic animal ownership in detail.
A person may not keep an exotic animal in this state unless the person possesses a valid State Department of Agriculture permit for that animal issued prior to January 1, 2010, or issued as provided in ORS 609.351. Because ORS 609.351 no longer provides a path for new private owners to obtain permits for big cats, this effectively means no new private lion ownership is permitted.
It is the policy of this state to protect the public against health and safety risks that exotic animals pose to the community, ensure the health, welfare and safety of exotic animals, and ensure the security of facilities in which exotic animals are kept, so as to avoid undue physical or financial risk to the public. This policy statement reflects why Oregon took an early and firm stance on exotic animal ownership well before the federal law caught up.
Oregon law also addresses what happens if an exotic animal escapes. Any person who keeps an exotic animal shall keep the animal under conditions of confinement or control that, given the nature of the animal, would be imposed by a reasonable and prudent keeper to avoid physical or financial risk to the public as a result of escape of the animal or otherwise. Liability for escape-related damages falls squarely on the keeper — another reason the state treats this area of law with particular seriousness.
Breeding is also explicitly addressed. Except as provided in subsection (4) of that section, a person keeping an exotic animal in this state may not breed that animal. This means that even the rare grandfathered owner who legally held a big cat under a pre-2010 permit cannot breed the animal.
If you’re curious about other wildlife species that do live in Oregon, you might find it interesting to explore the types of snakes in Oregon or the types of spiders in Oregon — native species that are fascinating to observe in their natural habitat.
Permits and Requirements for Lion Ownership in Oregon
There is no permit available to a private individual in Oregon that would allow you to own a lion. This is the clearest and most important thing to understand about this section of Oregon law.
Unless an animal was licensed by the Oregon Department of Agriculture prior to 2010, or the animal qualifies for an exemption under ORS 609.345, possession of any of these exotic animals is prohibited in Oregon. The ODA stopped issuing new exotic animal permits to private individuals, and that window has been permanently closed.
Oregon law (ORS 609.345) allows for certain exemptions to permit requirements such as law enforcement agencies, USDA licensed educational or research facilities, permitted wildlife rehabilitation centers, and disabled persons with service monkeys. None of these exemptions apply to a private individual who simply wants to keep a lion as a pet or companion animal.
Institutional facilities that do qualify — such as AZA-accredited zoos — face their own rigorous requirements. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife finds that the current AZA accreditation process holds these facilities to standards equivalent to those required by state rules, and AZA accreditation serves as evidence that the department’s standards for importation, possession, sale, purchase, exchange, or intrastate transportation of prohibited species are met. Even these facilities must submit applications and proof of accreditation before handling big cats.
If an exotic animal is imported into Oregon for an exempt facility, additional documentation is required. A certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI), import permit, and other species-specific tests will be required for exotic animals imported into the state destined for exempt facilities. This underscores just how tightly regulated even institutional possession remains.
| Who Can Legally Hold a Lion in Oregon? | Permit or Authorization Required? |
|---|---|
| Private individual | No — prohibited; no new permits issued since 2010 |
| AZA-accredited zoo | Yes — application plus proof of AZA accreditation |
| USDA-licensed educational or research facility | Yes — must meet ORS 609.345 exemption criteria |
| Law enforcement agency | Yes — qualifies under ORS 609.345 exemption |
| Wildlife rehabilitation center | Yes — must hold a valid permit from the State Fish and Wildlife Commission |
Local Laws That May Apply in Oregon
Even if state law did not already prohibit private lion ownership — which it does — local governments in Oregon have the authority to add their own restrictions. Local restrictions can also exist in accordance with city or municipal ordinances. In practice, this means that some Oregon counties and cities have enacted their own exotic animal prohibitions that go beyond what state law requires.
Multnomah County — which includes Portland — offers a clear example of how local law can be even more specific. It is illegal to harbor and/or own an exotic or dangerous animal in Multnomah County. An exotic animal is defined as any large cat from the genus Panthera including lion (P. leo), tiger (P. tigris), jaguar (P. onca), leopard (P. pardus), and snow leopard (Uncia uncia), as well as the puma (cougar or mountain lion), Puma concolor; clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa; and cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus.
As of 2018, Multnomah County also prohibits traveling animal displays that include wild or exotic animals for live public entertainment or amusement. This shows that local law in Oregon can extend well beyond simple ownership prohibitions to cover how animals are exhibited or displayed publicly.
If you live in a smaller Oregon city or unincorporated area, your county or municipality may have its own animal control ordinances. While your state may allow you to keep certain animals as pets, local laws can restrict ownership. State laws are frequently changing in response to concerns for public safety and animal well-being. Checking with your local animal control office or county government is always a sound step before making any assumptions about what is or isn’t permitted in your specific area.
You might also be interested in learning about the native wildlife that does legally inhabit Oregon’s ecosystems, such as the types of bats in Oregon, the types of frogs in Oregon, or the hummingbirds in Oregon.
Penalties for Illegally Owning a Lion in Oregon
Violating the laws around exotic animal ownership in Oregon carries serious consequences at both the state and federal level. These are not minor infractions — penalties are designed to deter private ownership and can include fines, criminal charges, and the seizure of the animal.
At the federal level, the Big Cat Public Safety Act sets firm consequences. Under the Big Cat Public Safety Act, illegal ownership can result in fines of up to $20,000 and imprisonment for up to five years. The animal is also subject to confiscation. Each violation is treated as a separate offense under the statute.
Violators are subject to civil or criminal penalties, or both, including potential fines, imprisonment, or both. Additionally, 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. Forfeiture means the animal is removed from your custody permanently — you would not get the lion back.
Oregon state law adds its own layer of penalties on top of federal consequences. Under ORS 609.992, violations of the exotic animal permit requirements carry separate state-level enforcement. The department may revoke a permit upon finding a violation of rules adopted under this section, or the department may issue a finding of violation and a warning to remedy the violation by a specified date. For private individuals without any permit at all, enforcement goes directly to civil or criminal proceedings.
State penalties can stack on top of federal ones. State penalties can be added on top of federal ones, potentially leading to even steeper fines and longer consequences. This dual-enforcement reality means that a single act of illegally possessing a lion in Oregon could result in both a federal prosecution and a state-level action simultaneously.
Important Note: If you are ever offered a lion cub or big cat for sale in Oregon — regardless of what a seller claims about permits or legality — the transaction itself is illegal under federal law. Purchasing, receiving, or acquiring a big cat in a manner affecting interstate commerce violates the Big Cat Public Safety Act, and ignorance of the law is not a defense.
If you have a genuine interest in big cats and their conservation, the most legally sound and ethically meaningful path is to support accredited sanctuaries and wildlife organizations recognized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You can also learn more about the mountain lions that actually do live in North America by reading about American states with mountain lions or exploring how much a mountain lion weighs — a native species with a genuinely fascinating presence across the continent.
Oregon’s wildlife laws reflect a clear priority: public safety, animal welfare, and the protection of ecosystems come before private exotic animal ownership. For lions, that priority has been written into law at both the state and federal level, and the penalties for ignoring it are substantial.