If you have ever wondered whether Wyoming’s famously independent regulatory culture extends to keeping a lion on your property, you are not alone. The Cowboy State does take a relatively hands-off approach to many areas of private life, but when it comes to big cats, both state and federal law draw a clear line.
The short answer is no — you cannot legally own a lion in Wyoming as a private pet. Understanding exactly why, and what limited exceptions exist, requires looking at two separate layers of law: Wyoming’s own wildlife statutes and a federal law signed in 2022 that changed the rules for the entire country. If you are curious about other dangerous animals in Wyoming, the legal landscape is equally worth knowing.
Is It Legal to Own a Lion in Wyoming?
Owning a lion (Panthera leo) as a private pet in Wyoming is not legal. The state prohibits private possession of all non-domesticated cats as pets, and federal law now reinforces that prohibition nationwide. Wyoming’s rules are layered — the Wyoming Game and Fish Department regulates wildlife possession, the state legislature sets the underlying statutes, and federal law sits on top of all of it.
No person may possess nonnative exotic animals that are classed as predatory or undesirable as a “pet.” Nonnative exotic animals include, but are not limited to, bears, wolves, coyotes, weasels, badgers, hyenas, all species of non-domesticated cats, alligators, and crocodiles. Lions fall squarely within that category of non-domesticated cats.
Wyoming state law decides which wild animals require a permit and which are exempt or banned. Big game and trophy-hunting animals like bears, mountain lions, and moose are not allowable as pets. Lions are not native to Wyoming, but they are covered by the same framework that prohibits private ownership of large predatory cats across the board.
Important Note: Even if you believe a local ordinance or private land arrangement might create an exception, Wyoming law makes clear that it is your responsibility to verify compliance at every level — state, county, municipal, and federal — before acquiring any wildlife.
What Federal Law Says About Lion Ownership
Before 2022, the patchwork of state laws meant that some Americans could legally own big cats depending on where they lived. That changed with a landmark piece of federal legislation that applies in Wyoming just as it does in every other state.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act (Public Law No: 117-243) was signed into law by President Biden on December 20, 2022. The law amends the Captive Wildlife Safety Act to prohibit the private possession of lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars, or any hybrid of these species.
The Act placed new restrictions on commerce in and possession, breeding, and use — including public contact — of certain big cat species, referred to in the law as “prohibited wildlife species,” to address threats to public safety posed by lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, and any hybrids thereof.
The law does include a narrow exception for people who already owned big cats before December 20, 2022. The Act set a one-time 180-day period from the date of passage for registration. If you did not register each big cat in your possession with the USFWS by 11:59 p.m. on June 18, 2023, you are in violation of the law, unless another exception applies. That registration window is now permanently closed.
The Act does not allow pre-Act owners to acquire additional big cats after December 20, 2022. Only registered pre-Act big cats may be allowed to stay privately owned. In practice, this means the path to legal private lion ownership in Wyoming — or anywhere in the United States — no longer exists for new acquisitions.
There are recognized exemptions for specific institutional uses. The law doesn’t apply to licensed facilities like zoos and sanctuaries that meet specific standards, as well as state universities and wildlife rehabilitation centers. Private individuals are not included in those exemptions. You can learn more about how this federal framework affects big cat ownership from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Wyoming’s Laws on Owning a Lion
Even setting federal law aside, Wyoming’s own statutes independently prohibit private lion ownership. The state’s approach to wildlife is grounded in the principle that all wildlife belongs to the state — not to private individuals.
This section of Wyoming statutes states that all wildlife in the state is considered the property of the state. It further provides that there is no private ownership of live animals classified in this act as big or trophy game animals.
Under Wyoming Statute § 23-1-103, there shall be no private ownership of live animals classified in this act as big or trophy game animals or of any wolf or wolf hybrid. “Big game animal” means antelope, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, moose, or mountain goat. “Trophy game animal” means black bear, grizzly bear, or mountain lions. Lions — as non-native, non-domesticated large cats — are prohibited under the broader exotic animal framework.
One of the main laws in place in Wyoming regarding the ownership of exotic animals is the “Exotic Animal Ownership and Transfer Act” (EOATA), which was passed in 2013. This act prohibits the ownership, possession, sale, and distribution of certain exotic animals, including big cats, bears, non-human primates, and venomous reptiles.
Wyoming also follows federal standards for captive animal care. Wyoming follows federal regulations set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Welfare Act (AWA) for the care and handling of exotic animals held in captivity. Even for the narrow category of animals that can be legally held under a permit, those federal care standards apply in full.
If you are interested in what wild cats do exist in Wyoming, the mountain lion’s presence across American states is a fascinating read, as is a closer look at how much a mountain lion weighs — the state’s only native large cat.
Permits and Requirements for Lion Ownership in Wyoming
Given the state and federal prohibitions described above, there is no permit pathway available to a private individual who simply wants to keep a lion as a pet in Wyoming. However, it is worth understanding what the permit system does cover, and for whom it applies.
If wildlife is to be used for scientific research, education, or a special purpose that is deemed beneficial to conservation or management goals of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the wildlife may, upon approval, be possessed with a Chapter 33 permit. This is a narrow, institution-focused exception — not a route for private ownership.
Private ownership of live animals classified as big or trophy game animals, including mountain lions, is prohibited. Subject to certain exemptions, a permit is required prior to importation, possession, and/or confinement of any living wildlife, including all wild mammals and their hybrids.
If a species is allowed for possession under a permit, wildlife housing restrictions and other conditions may be required prior to the permit issuance and/or during the time frame of the permit. Each application to possess live wildlife is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
| Type of Entity | Can It Hold a Lion Legally? | What Is Required |
|---|---|---|
| Private individual (new acquisition) | No | Prohibited under federal and state law |
| Pre-Act owner (registered by June 2023) | Yes, existing animal only | USFWS registration; no new acquisitions or breeding |
| Accredited zoo or sanctuary | Yes, with conditions | USDA licensing, WGFD permits, federal compliance |
| Scientific or educational institution | Potentially, with approval | Chapter 33 permit from Wyoming Game and Fish Department |
The Exotic Animal Ownership and Transfer Act also requires permits for individuals or facilities that possess dangerous exotic animals for exhibition or educational purposes. If you operate a licensed educational facility and want to exhibit a lion, you would need to satisfy both state permit requirements and federal USDA licensing — a significant regulatory burden by design.
Local Laws That May Apply in Wyoming
Even if a state-level permit were theoretically available, Wyoming’s legal framework makes clear that local rules add another layer of restriction. Counties and municipalities in Wyoming can be — and often are — more restrictive than the state baseline.
While the Wyoming Game and Fish Department may allow the possession or importation of various wildlife species, local laws, ordinances, and covenants may be more restrictive. It is your responsibility to comply with all local laws, ordinances, and covenants before importing or possessing live wildlife.
The Wyoming Livestock Board, Wyoming Department of Health, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, counties, municipalities, and subdivisions have enacted further rules and regulations pertaining to the possession of wildlife. In practical terms, this means that even if you found a gap at the state level — which does not exist for lions — a city or county ordinance could still prohibit the animal entirely.
Homeowners associations can also restrict exotic animal ownership through deed covenants, independent of any government law. Laws, statutes, ordinances, and regulations from all levels of government affect the ownership of exotic and hybrid animals. It is strongly recommended that county and city laws, and homeowners association rules be researched prior to buying or selling any hybrid animal.
Pro Tip: Contact your county sheriff’s office and your local municipality directly to ask about animal ordinances before making any decisions about exotic wildlife. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s regional offices can also point you toward the correct local contacts.
If you are curious about how Wyoming handles other animal ownership questions, see our guides on raccoon ownership laws in Wyoming and hedgehog ownership laws in Wyoming for a sense of how the state’s framework applies to different species.
Penalties for Illegally Owning a Lion in Wyoming
The consequences of illegally possessing a lion in Wyoming come from two directions simultaneously: federal law and state law. Both carry serious penalties, and they can stack on top of each other.
At the federal level, the Big Cat Public Safety Act sets firm limits. A person who knowingly violates the act must be fined not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for no more than five years, or both. The act considers each violation to be a separate offense. If you are found to have possessed, bred, transported, and sold a lion in violation of the law, each of those actions could be treated as a distinct offense with its own fine and potential prison term.
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. That means the lion itself would be taken from you — on top of any financial or criminal penalties.
State-level enforcement in Wyoming adds further exposure. State penalties can be added on top of federal ones, potentially leading to even steeper fines and longer jail time. Wyoming game wardens carry full law enforcement authority and actively enforce wildlife possession laws. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is the primary state agency overseeing wildlife possession compliance.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Animal Welfare Institute both supported the federal law specifically because the previous state-by-state patchwork failed to protect public safety. With some states banning private ownership of big cats and other states imposing partial restrictions or no restrictions whatsoever, this regulatory patchwork failed to protect public safety and animal welfare. The federal law was designed to close exactly those gaps.
Beyond the legal penalties, there are practical consequences worth considering. Privately owned big cats are subjected to neglect and abuse and face high mortality rates and significant long-term health problems, as well as high prospects for abandonment and euthanasia. By the time they are fully grown, big cats are often too difficult for private owners to manage, resulting in substantial neglect and mistreatment.
If your interest in large wild cats stems from genuine curiosity about Wyoming’s wildlife, there is plenty to explore closer to home. Take a look at the animals that prey on mountain lions, or explore the broader world of Wyoming’s native wildlife. For anyone thinking about other types of animal ownership in the state, our overview of goat ownership laws in Wyoming and roadkill laws in Wyoming covers the rules for animals that are actually within reach of private ownership.
The bottom line is straightforward: owning a lion in Wyoming is illegal under both state and federal law, carries serious criminal and civil penalties, and no permit pathway exists for private individuals. If you encounter a facility claiming to offer legal lion ownership or cub experiences, Born Free USA maintains resources for reporting suspected violations to the appropriate authorities.