Is It Legal to Own a Monkey in Maryland? What the Law Actually Says
July 8, 2026
If you’ve been researching exotic pets and wondering whether you can own a monkey in Maryland, the short answer is no — and the law is unusually clear about it. Maryland is one of roughly 25 states that outright bans private primate ownership, and the prohibition isn’t buried in obscure regulatory language. It sits directly in the state’s criminal code.
Understanding exactly what that ban covers, which narrow exemptions exist, and what happens if someone violates the law can save you from a costly mistake. This guide walks through every layer of Maryland’s monkey ownership rules, from the statewide criminal statute down to county-level ordinances that can make an already strict law even stricter.
Is It Legal to Own a Monkey in Maryland?
No, it is not legal to own a monkey in Maryland as a private pet. Monkeys and other nonhuman primates are not legal to keep in Maryland, and the state’s ban covers all nonhuman primates under the criminal statute, making this one of the clearest prohibitions in state law.
Maryland bans private ownership of a specific list of animals under its dangerous animal statute, Criminal Law § 10-621. Under this law, a person may not import into the state, offer for sale, trade, barter, possess, breed, or exchange nonhuman primates, along with foxes, skunks, raccoons, bears, caimans, alligators, crocodiles, wild cats, wolves, and venomous snakes.
States where it is illegal to have a pet monkey include Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington state. Maryland’s law is among the more comprehensive ones because it covers not just possession but also importing, breeding, selling, and trading.
Important Note: Maryland’s ban is not an administrative rule that can be worked around with a standard exotic pet permit. It is a criminal statute. Violating it is a misdemeanor offense, not a civil infraction.
If you are curious about other wildlife you might encounter or legally keep in Maryland, the site has guides covering snakes in Maryland and lizards in Maryland that are worth reading alongside this one.
Which Monkey Species Are Allowed or Banned in Maryland
No monkey species is permitted for private ownership in Maryland. The ban is not species-specific — it applies to the entire category of nonhuman primates. The statute explicitly lists lemurs, monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, marmosets, lorises, and tamarins as prohibited nonhuman primates.
That means every species you might consider — capuchins, spider monkeys, marmosets, squirrel monkeys, macaques — falls under the same prohibition. There is no tiered system in Maryland where smaller or less dangerous species get a pass. If it is a nonhuman primate, it is banned for private possession.
| Monkey Species | Legal Status in Maryland | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Capuchin monkey | Banned | No disability service animal exception in MD (unlike some states) |
| Marmoset / Finger monkey | Banned | Explicitly named in § 10-621 |
| Spider monkey | Banned | Covered under the broad “monkey” category |
| Squirrel monkey | Banned | Covered under the broad “monkey” category |
| Tamarin | Banned | Explicitly named in § 10-621 |
| Macaque | Banned | Covered under the broad “monkey” category |
| Chimpanzee / Gorilla | Banned | Also protected under federal endangered species law |
Great apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans face an additional layer of protection beyond the state criminal statute. Maryland incorporates federal law by reference, and the state’s Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act explicitly bans the possession, transportation, exportation, processing, sale, offer, or shipment of any species listed as endangered or threatened under federal law. All great apes are listed as endangered federally, so attempting to possess one triggers both state and federal violations simultaneously.
If you are interested in primates from an educational standpoint, you can read more about types of spider monkeys or explore small monkey breeds to understand what species people in other states sometimes keep.
Permit and License Requirements for Monkey Ownership in Maryland
For private individuals, there is no permit pathway that allows monkey ownership in Maryland. There is no permitting or general registration process for private owners, though the law does detail extensive seizure and hearing provisions for animals allegedly found in violation of the general ban.
Certain institutional exemptions do exist, but none of them apply to ordinary residents wanting a pet. Animal sanctuaries, Animal Welfare Act (AWA) licensed facilities, those holding valid permits from the Department of Natural Resources, and veterinarians are exempted from the ban. These are narrow, professionally defined categories — not open to the general public.
Other exemptions include research facilities, exhibitors, dealers, animal control officers, people traveling through the state, those who had the animal prior to a certain date, and those with a disability needing a service animal. Each of these exemptions carries its own conditions and limitations.
Key Insight: The grandfathering clause is now effectively closed. This section does not prohibit a person who had lawful possession of an animal on or before May 31, 2006, from continuing to possess that animal — but only if the person provided written notification to the local animal control authority on or before August 1, 2006. That window closed nearly two decades ago.
For Class C Exhibitor license holders — traveling shows, circuses, and similar operations — the rules are also tightly restricted. The holder of a Class C Exhibitor’s License under the Animal Welfare Act may not possess a nonhuman primate that was not already owned by the holder of the license on June 30, 2014. This means even licensed exhibitors cannot acquire new primates in Maryland.
If you are looking for legal exotic wildlife experiences in Maryland, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources maintains information on what captive wildlife permits are available — though primates are not among the animals covered.
Local Laws That May Still Apply in Maryland
Even if the state ban did not exist — which it does — county and municipal governments in Maryland have the authority to impose their own, stricter rules on exotic animal ownership. Maryland draws a firm line when it comes to exotic pet ownership, and that line is drawn in state law, enforced by multiple agencies, and reinforced by county-level rules that can be even stricter than what the state allows.
Separate state and federal protections on endangered species and native wildlife add additional layers of restriction, and local counties can impose even stricter rules than the state. In practice, this means that even animals not covered by § 10-621 might still be prohibited in your specific county or city.
Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Baltimore City each maintain their own animal control codes. Some of these local ordinances predate the 2006 statewide criminal law and may define prohibited species even more broadly. Before bringing any exotic animal into Maryland — let alone a primate — you should contact your local animal control authority directly to confirm what applies in your jurisdiction.
The provisions of § 10-621 may be enforced by any state or local law enforcement officer, or by the local animal control authority for the jurisdiction where the violation occurs. That dual enforcement structure means both county animal control and state police can act on a complaint about an illegal primate.
Maryland’s wildlife and natural environment are rich even without exotic pets. If you want to explore what lives naturally in the state, check out guides to woodpeckers in Maryland, owls in Maryland, and herons in Maryland.
Where You Can Legally Buy a Monkey in Maryland
You cannot legally buy a monkey for private ownership in Maryland — full stop. Because possession itself is a criminal offense under § 10-621, the act of purchasing a monkey within the state, or importing one from out of state for private keeping, violates the law regardless of where the animal was bred or sold.
Under Maryland law, a person may not import into the state, offer for sale, trade, barter, possess, breed, or exchange nonhuman primates. The import prohibition is particularly important: buying a monkey from a licensed breeder in a state where it is legal and then bringing it to Maryland does not make the ownership legal here. The moment the animal crosses into Maryland for private keeping, the law is violated.
No licensed primate dealer can legally sell to a private Maryland resident for pet purposes. Maryland law prohibits a person from importing into the state, offering for sale, trading, bartering, possessing, breeding, or exchanging a live nonhuman primate. Any person desiring to possess, import, export, breed, raise, protect, rehabilitate, hunt, kill, trap, capture, purchase, or sell any wildlife native to Maryland must first obtain a permit or license from the Department.
If you are drawn to primates and want to interact with them legally, accredited zoos and sanctuaries in the region — such as the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. — offer supervised encounters and educational programs without the legal and ethical risks of private ownership.
Pro Tip: Online classified sites and exotic animal auctions sometimes list primates for sale without clearly stating which states they can legally ship to. Do not assume a listing is legal in Maryland simply because the seller is willing to ship there. The legal responsibility falls on the buyer.
What It Actually Costs to Own a Monkey in Maryland
Because monkey ownership is illegal in Maryland for private residents, this section addresses the financial reality for context and to help you understand what people in states where it is legal actually face — costs that still do not justify the legal risk here.
Purchase prices for monkeys vary widely by species. Monkeys can range from $12,000 to $20,000. Marmosets and tamarins tend to sit at the lower end of that range, while capuchins and spider monkeys command higher prices. That upfront cost is just the beginning.
Ongoing expenses in legal states typically include:
- Veterinary care: Primates require exotic animal veterinarians, and routine annual checkups can run $500–$1,500 or more. Emergency care costs significantly more.
- Enclosure and housing: A properly sized, enriched enclosure for a single monkey can cost $3,000–$10,000 to build and requires ongoing maintenance.
- Diet: Fresh fruits, vegetables, insects, and species-appropriate protein add up to several hundred dollars per month.
- Liability insurance: Some states require it; even where not mandated, the liability exposure from a primate bite or escape makes coverage essential.
- Licensing fees: In states with permit systems, annual fees range from $50 to several hundred dollars depending on the state and license class.
In Maryland specifically, attempting to own a monkey also exposes you to the cost of legal defense, fines, and animal seizure — expenses that dwarf any of the figures above. You can read more about venomous animals in Maryland to understand how the state treats other high-risk wildlife categories.
For people genuinely interested in small primates from an educational standpoint, the small monkey breeds guide covers what these animals actually need in terms of care, space, and social interaction — information that makes clear why most animal welfare organizations oppose private primate ownership regardless of legality.
Penalties for Illegally Owning a Monkey in Maryland
Maryland’s penalties for violating the primate ban operate on multiple levels, and the consequences can escalate quickly depending on the circumstances of the violation.
At the state criminal level, the baseline penalty under § 10-621 is a misdemeanor conviction. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to, if an individual, a fine not exceeding $1,000, or if not an individual, a fine not exceeding $10,000.
Beyond the fine, animal seizure is an immediate consequence. An animal specified in the statute may be immediately seized if there is probable cause to believe that the possession of the animal is in violation of this section, or if the animal poses a risk to public health or public safety. The owner also bears the financial burden: the owner is responsible for all costs of seizure — in full — unless a court finds the seizure was unjustified or other payment arrangements have been reached.
If the monkey species involved is listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, the penalties become far more severe. Endangered species violations under Natural Resources § 10-2A-07 carry heavier consequences: a fine of up to $1,000 plus the possibility of up to one year in jail.
Federal law adds another layer entirely. If a prohibited animal is also covered by the federal Endangered Species Act or the Lacey Act, federal penalties dwarf the state ones — a Lacey Act felony conviction can bring fines up to $250,000 per individual and up to five years in prison.
| Violation Type | Governing Law | Maximum Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Private possession (individual) | MD Criminal Law § 10-621 | $1,000 fine + animal seizure |
| Private possession (business/entity) | MD Criminal Law § 10-621 | $10,000 fine + animal seizure |
| Endangered species possession | MD Natural Resources § 10-2A-07 | $1,000 fine + up to 1 year jail |
| Federal Lacey Act felony | 16 U.S.C. § 3373 | Up to $250,000 fine + up to 5 years prison |
Enforcement is handled at both the state and local level. The provisions of this section may be enforced by any state or local law enforcement officer, or by the local animal control authority for the jurisdiction where the violation occurs. That means a neighbor complaint, a social media post, or a routine animal control call can all trigger an investigation.
The bottom line: owning a monkey in Maryland is not a gray area. The law is explicit, the penalties are real, and the financial and legal exposure — from seizure costs to potential federal prosecution — makes this one of the clearest cases where the answer is simply no. If you want to explore Maryland’s wildlife legally, there is no shortage of fascinating species to learn about, from butterflies and moths to bees and hummingbirds — all without any legal risk whatsoever.