State Laws / Skunk Ownership

15.18 WILDLIFE IMPORTATION RESTRICTIONS. It shall be unlawful to import, ship,
transport, or carry into the state by any means any of the following animals:
  (A) Any live member of the cervidae family, including, but not limited to 
      white-tailed deer and elk.
  (B) Raccoons.
  (C) Bats.
  (D) Skunks.
  (E) Coyotes that originate from or have lived in Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,
      Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,
      Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Canada.
  (F) Gray and Red Foxes that originate or have lived in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho,
      Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
      New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming,
      and Canada.
  (G) Rodents captured in the wild from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, 
      Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and 
      Wyoming.
PENALTY: $500.00 to $1000.00

(a) Prohibited conduct. - 
   (1) A person may not import into Maryland, offer for sale, trade, barter or 
       exchange as a household pet any live:
        (i) Fox, skunk, raccoon, or bear;
       (ii) Alligator or crocodile;
      (iii) Member of the cat family other than the domestic cat; or
       (iv) Any poisonous snakes specifically in the family groups of Hydrophidae, 
            Elapidae, Viperidae, or Crotolidae.
   (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, a person 
       may offer these species for sale, trade, barter, import, or exchange to a 
       public zoo, park, museum, educational institution, or to a person holding 
       valid State or federal permits for educational, medical, scientific, or 
       exhibition purposes.
(b) Penalty. - Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty 
of a misdemeanor and upon conviction, in the case of an individual, shall be fined 
not more than $1,000; or in the case of any person other than an individual, by a 
fine of not more than $10,000.
(c) Exceptions. - Exempted from the provisions of this section are those species of 
wildlife not being kept as household pets and which are individually exempted by a 
permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources.

Subdivision 1. Prohibition. In order to protect the public health
and prevent human and domestic animal exposure to rabies, it shall be
unlawful to:

(a) Import into or export out of this state any live skunk, for sale,
barter, exchange or gift for any purpose whatsoever;

(b) Acquire, sell, barter, exchange, give, or purchase any live skunks.

Subd. 2. Exception. The provisions of subdivision 1 do not apply 
to the importation, acquisition, or exportation of a skunk by a publicly 
or privately owned zoological park or circus or any other show where a 
skunk is exhibited but is not in physical contact with the public, or by 
scientific or educational institutions for research or educational purposes.

50-23-101. Definitions. Unless the context requires otherwise, in this part, the 
following definitions apply: 
 (1) "Department of livestock" means the department of livestock provided for in 
     Title 2, chapter 15, part 31. 
 (2) "Department of public health and human services" means the department of public 
     health and human services provided for in 2-15-2201. 
 (3) "Person" means an individual, group of individuals, partnership, corporation, 
     firm, or association. 
 (4) "Wild animal" means a skunk, fox, raccoon, or bat. Other species of normally 
     nondomesticated animals known to be capable of transmitting rabies may be added 
     to this list through the adoption of rules by the department of public health 
     and human services, with the approval of the department of livestock. 
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 448, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 124, Ch. 418, L. 1995; amd. 
         Sec. 302, Ch. 546, L. 1995. 

50-23-102. Prohibition of possession of wild animals -- exceptions. No person 
may possess a wild animal unless he possessed it for at least 6 months prior to 
January 1, 1982, or it is used in a fur-bearing enterprise, contained in a 
zoological exhibition in such a manner that it may not come in physical contact with 
members of the public, or acquired by an educational institution for scientific 
research.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 448, L. 1981. 

LAW 37-477
Certain animals kept in captivity; permit required; exceptions; rules and regulations.

(1) No person shall keep in captivity in this state any wild birds, any wild 
mammals, any nongame wildlife in need of conservation as determined by the commission 
under section 37-805, or any wildlife determined to be an endangered or threatened 
species under the Endangered Species Act or section 37-806 without first having 
obtained a permit to do so as provided by section 37-478 or 37-479.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, no person shall keep in 
captivity in this state any wolf, any skunk, or any member of the families Felidae 
and Ursidae. This subsection shall not apply to (a) the species Felis domesticus, 
(b) any zoo, park, refuge, wildlife area, or nature center owned or operated by a 
city, village, state, or federal agency, or (c) any person who holds a captive 
wildlife permit issued pursuant to section 37-479 and who raises Canada Lynx ( Lynx 
canadensis ) or bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) solely for the purpose of producing furs for 
sale to individuals or businesses or for the purpose of producing breeding stock for 
sale to persons engaged in fur production.
(3) Any person legally holding in captivity, on March 1, 1986, any animal subject to 
the prohibition contained in subsection (2) of this section shall be allowed to keep 
the animal for the duration of its life. Such animal shall not be traded, sold, or 
otherwise disposed of without written permission from the commission.
(4) The commission shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations governing the 
purchase, possession, propagation, sale, and barter of wild birds, wild mammals, and 
wildlife in captivity.

Source:
Laws 1957, c. 151, § 1, p. 490; Laws 1971, LB 733, § 9; Laws 1986, LB 558, 

§ 1; Laws 1987, LB 379, § 1; R.S.1943, (1993), § 37-713; 

Laws 1998, LB 922, § 187; Laws 1999, LB 176, § 56.

7 NMAC 4.2.12 POSSESSION OF SKUNKS
Due to the presence of rabies in skunks and the hazard to the public 
health of rabies developing in skunks kept as pets, no person shall 
import into the state, nor capture with intent to keep as a pet, nor 
buy, sell, trade nor possess any skunk except in connection with a 
recognized zoological park or research institution or by permit from 
the department. Permits may be approved only for skunks born in 
captivity. Application for permit shall be made on a form provided by 
the Division. [08-27-79; 10-31-96]

52B.0212 IMPORTATION REQUIREMENTS: WILD ANIMALS
(a) A person shall obtain a permit from the State Veterinarian before 
   importing any of the following animals into this State:
    (1) Skunk;
    (2) Fox;
    (3) Raccoon;
    (4) Ringtail;
    (5) Bobcat (includes Lynx and other North and South American 
        felines as cougars, jaguars, etc.);
    (6) Coyote;
    (7) Marten;
    (8) Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula).
(b) Permits for the importation into this State of any of the animals 
listed in Paragraph (a) of this Rule shall be issued only if the 
animal(s) will be used in a research institute, or for exhibition by a 
USDA licensed exhibitor, or organized  entertainment as in zoos or 
circuses.
(c) [ED: Does not apply to skunks.]
(d) Any species or hybrid of a mammal not otherwise covered in the 
Administrative Code that is found to exist in the wild or naturally 
occurs in the wild must be accompanied by a valid certificate of 
veterinary inspection.

Title 50 - Fish, Game and Watercraft
CHAPTER 16. IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE

SECTION 50-16-10. "Wildlife" defined. 
For the purpose of this chapter, "wildlife" means a member of the animal kingdom 
including without limitation a mammal, fish, bird, amphibian, reptile, mollusk, 
crustacean, arthropod, or other invertebrate. 

SECTION 50-16-20. Importation of wildlife for certain purposes prohibited; 
investigation; permit.
 
(A) It is unlawful for a person to import, possess, or transport for the purpose 
of release or to introduce or bring into this State any live wildlife of the 
following types without a permit from the department: 
(1) a furbearer, a member of the family Cervidae, a nondomestic member of the 
families Suidae (pigs), Tayassuidae (peccaries), Bovidae (bison, mountain goat, 
mountain sheep), coyote, bear, or turkey (genus Meleagris). Furbearer includes, 
but is not limited to, red and gray fox, raccoon, opossum, muskrat, mink, skunk, 
otter, bobcat, weasel, and beaver; 

[ED: additional text deleted.]

(B) A permit may be granted only after the investigations and inspections of the 
wildlife have been made as the department considers necessary and the department 
approves the possession, transportation, or importation into the State. The 
department may not issue a permit unless it finds: 

(1) the wildlife was taken lawfully in the jurisdiction in which it originated; 

(2) the importation, release, or possession of the wildlife is not reasonably 
expected to adversely impact the natural resources of the State or its wildlife 
populations. 

[ED: text deleted.]

SECTION 50-16-40. Exception to permit requirement for wildlife imported 
for exhibition to purposes. 

Wildlife imported for exhibition purposes only by state wildlife departments, 
municipal zoos or parks, public museums, public zoological parks, and public 
scientific or educational institutions operated not for profit, and transient 
circuses are not required to procure a permit under Section 50-16-20. Nothing in 
this chapter prohibits the department or its duly authorized agents from 
possessing, importing, or releasing wildlife. 

[ED: text deleted.]

SECTION 50-16-60. Exception to permit requirement for certain wildlife 
imported for sale as pets.
 
The importation of the following wildlife for sale in the pet trade does not 
require a permit: 
1. tropical fishes 
2. rats and mice 
3. rabbits 
4. canaries 
5. gerbils 
6. shell parakeets 
7. love birds 
8. cockatiels 
9. parrots 
10. toucans 
11. mynah birds 
12. finches 
13. hamsters 
14. guinea pigs 
15. reptiles 
16. amphibians. 

The provisions of this section do not privilege the import or possession of a species 
otherwise protected or regulated by other provisions of this title. 

SECTION 50-16-70. Penalties. 
A person violating the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon 
conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more 
than six months, or both.

Penalty-
(a) It is unlawful for any person to import, possess,or cause to be 
imported into this state any type of live skunk, or to sell , barter, 
exchange or otherwise transfer any live skunk,except that the 
prohibitions of this section shall not apply to bona fide zoological 
parks and research institutions.
(b) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor 
(Acts 1974,ch 622, @ 1;1982,ch 738 @ 31;T.C.A. @ 51-514; 
 Acts 1989, ch 591 @ 113) 
 Cross- reference penalty for Class C misdemeanor @ 40-35-111

WAC 246-100-191 Animals, birds, pets -- Measures to prevent human disease.
(1) All persons and entities are prohibited from:
    (a) [ED: subparagraphs of (1) do not apply to skunks.]
(2) Except for bonafide public or private zoological parks, persons 
    and entities are prohibited from:
    (a) Importing into Washington state any bat, skunk, fox, raccoon, 
        or coyote without a permit from the director of the Washington 
        State Department of Agriculture, as required in WAC 16-54-125 ;  and 
    (b) Acquiring, selling, bartering, exchanging, giving, purchasing, 
        or trapping for retention as pets or for export any:
       (i) Bat,
      (ii) Skunk,
     (iii) Fox,
      (iv) Raccoon, and
       (v) Coyote.
[ED: remaining paragraphs do not apply to skunks.]

Possession of non-licence animals
135(1) Subject to subsection (2), a person may possess any live non-licence animal except
 a raccoon, a skunk or a bat of a kind that is a wildlife animal.
(2) A person may possess a live raccoon, skunk or bat referred to in subsection (1) temporarily
 for the purpose of capturing it and relocating it from that person’s property.