Hedgehog Legal States: Where Are Hedgehogs Legal? (50-State Table)

Unlike a raccoon or a monkey, a hedgehog is a small, non-native, captive-bred pet — so most states never restricted it at all. The famous “hedgehog is illegal” lists that circulate online are mostly out of date: Arizona (2015), Maine (2017) and Wyoming quietly removed hedgehogs from their restricted lists, and two states those lists still call “banned” — Massachusetts and Alaska — actually name the African pygmy hedgehog on their allowed lists. Below is the current status in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, each tied to the statute or rule behind it, with the real short list of places a hedgehog is genuinely illegal, the one permit state, and the city bans that catch people out.

Legal in most states African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)

• Legal framework — State exotic/non-native wildlife and restricted-species lists. The pet trade animal is the African pygmy (four-toed) hedgehog; European hedgehogs (Erinaceus) are separately restricted in a few states as a potential invasive.
• Most restrictive — California, Georgia, Hawaii, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. — outright bans with no pet permit.
• Only permit state — New Jersey — an Individual Hobby Wildlife Species Possession Permit (N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3).
• Federal law — No federal ban on owning a hedgehog; APHIS regulates only importation. Restrictions are entirely state and local.
• Common gotcha — City bans override a “legal” state — most notably New York City, which prohibits hedgehogs under its Health Code.
• Last verified — 2026-07-22

Where are hedgehogs legal? The short answer

Owning a pet hedgehog is legal, with no state permit, in 45 states. Only New Jersey requires a state permit. A hedgehog is flatly illegal in just four states — California, Georgia, Hawaii and Pennsylvania — plus Washington, D.C. That is the reverse of an animal like the raccoon, which is banned in most states; the hedgehog is a legal pet across the large majority of the country. The two things that trip people up are (1) outdated lists that still show states which have since legalized, and (2) city ordinances — New York City is the big one — that ban hedgehogs even where the state allows them. Find your state in the table, then read the notes.

Hedgehog legality by state (all 50 + D.C.)

Legal no permit Permit license required Banned not allowed as a pet Local ban legal statewide but banned in a major city. Statuses are for the African pygmy hedgehog kept as a personal pet. “Legal” means the species is not on that state’s restricted or prohibited-wildlife list; a city or county can still be stricter, so confirm your local code.

• 45 states allow a pet hedgehog with no permit
• 1 state requires a permit — New Jersey
• 4 + DC states ban hedgehogs outright

Where hedgehogs are banned

Only five jurisdictions prohibit a pet hedgehog outright, and each ban runs through a different mechanism:

• California. Hedgehogs are restricted under 14 CCR § 671, which lists “Order Insectivora — Shrews, Moles, Hedgehogs, etc. All species (D)” — the “detrimental” designation. No pet permit exists. Full detail in our guide to whether hedgehogs are legal in California.
• Georgia. The Department of Natural Resources classifies hedgehogs (Order Erinaceomorpha) as wild animals requiring a Wild Animal License under Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-8 and O.C.G.A. § 27-5-5 — and that license is not issued for pet-keeping, so possession as a pet is prohibited.
• Hawaii. Under Haw. Admin. Rules § 4-71-6.5, only animals on the conditional-approval list may be brought in. Hedgehogs are not listed, so importing or keeping one is illegal — part of Hawaii’s strict invasive-species regime.
• Pennsylvania. The Game Commission does not issue a possession permit for pet hedgehogs and bars their importation under the Game and Wildlife Code (34 Pa.C.S.; 58 Pa. Code). A 2018 bill (HB 1273) to legalize pet hedgehogs and sugar gliders was rejected by the state House, 120–71.
• Washington, D.C. The District uses a closed list of permitted pets under D.C. Code § 8-1808(j); hedgehogs are not on it, so they cannot be kept.

The one permit state: New Jersey

New Jersey is the only state where a hedgehog is legal but requires a permit. Under N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.3, hedgehogs are an exotic species needing an Individual Hobby Wildlife Species Possession Permit from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish & Wildlife. A licensed pet store may issue a temporary permit at the point of sale, but the buyer must still register with the DEP to complete the individual permit. It is a genuine requirement, not a formality — keeping a hedgehog without the permit is a violation. For how state permit systems work in general, see our exotic pet permits guide and the glossary.

The outdated-list problem: states that already legalized

Most “hedgehog illegal states” lists online were written years ago and copied ever since. Several are simply wrong today:

• Arizona — legalized 2015. The Game and Fish Commission amended R12-4-406 effective December 5, 2015 so that the genus Atelerix — the pet pygmy hedgehog — is not restricted. Older tables still say “permit required” or “illegal.”
• Maine — legalized 2017. Maine added the African pygmy hedgehog to its unrestricted-species list in 2017; no importation permit is needed anymore.
• Wyoming. The Game and Fish Department does not regulate the pet hedgehog as an exotic; no permit is required, despite older “permit” listings.
• Massachusetts — actually legal. The four-toed (African pygmy) hedgehog is named on the 321 CMR 9.01 exemption list, so no MassWildlife permit is needed — the opposite of what several “banned” lists claim.
• Alaska — actually legal. The African pygmy hedgehog is on Alaska’s “clean list” under 5 AAC 92.029 and needs no permit.

If you have seen a list calling any of these five “illegal,” it is out of date. Our table above reflects the current rules, verified 2026-07-22.

City and county bans to check

State law is the floor, not the whole story. A city or county can be stricter than the state and ban an animal the state allows:

• New York City. Legal in New York State, but the five boroughs prohibit hedgehogs under NYC Health Code § 161.01, which lists animals that may not be kept.
• Formerly restrictive localities. Some cities and counties have carried their own bans — Omaha, Nebraska once prohibited hedgehogs (since lifted), and Fairfax County, Virginia restricted them until 2019. These change, so always check your municipal animal-control code.

“Legal statewide” does not mean legal on your street. Before acquiring a hedgehog, confirm both the state status in the table above and your city or county ordinance — a local ban is the most common reason a legal-on-paper hedgehog gets an owner in trouble. If you rent, check your lease too.

Is a hedgehog legal in California?

No. California is the most-searched hedgehog ban, and it is a real one: under 14 CCR § 671, the entire Order Insectivora — “Shrews, Moles, Hedgehogs, etc. All species” — is restricted and carries the “(D)” detrimental designation, and the Department of Fish and Wildlife issues no pet permit for restricted species. Penalties under Fish & Game Code § 2125 include a misdemeanor (up to six months and/or a $1,000 fine) plus a $500–$10,000 civil penalty and seizure of the animal. We break down the statute, the permit reality, and the legal small-pet alternatives in our full Are hedgehogs legal in California? guide. Notably, hedgehogs’ “(D)” label is genuine — unlike California’s sugar glider ban, which rests on a “(W)” welfare listing (see our sugar glider guide), and like the state’s ferret ban, which is also “(D).”

African pygmy vs. European hedgehog

The status in the table is for the African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), the only hedgehog commonly kept as a pet. A few states draw a sharp line between it and the larger European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), which is treated as a potential invasive: Idaho (IDAPA 02.04.27) and Oregon both allow the African pygmy while restricting or banning the European species. If a listing says “hedgehog” without specifying, assume it means the pet African pygmy — but if you are somehow acquiring a European hedgehog, verify separately.

Frequently asked questions

What states are hedgehogs illegal in?

A pet hedgehog is illegal in four states — California, Georgia, Hawaii and Pennsylvania — plus Washington, D.C. New Jersey allows them only with a state permit. Separately, New York City bans hedgehogs even though the rest of New York State allows them. Every other state permits them with no state license.

Are hedgehogs legal in Georgia?

No. Georgia classifies hedgehogs (Order Erinaceomorpha) as wild animals requiring a Wild Animal License under Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-8 and O.C.G.A. § 27-5-5, and that license is not granted for keeping one as a pet — so hedgehogs are effectively banned as pets in Georgia.

Are hedgehogs legal in Arizona?

Yes, since December 5, 2015. Arizona removed the pet pygmy hedgehog (genus Atelerix) from its restricted-wildlife list in R12-4-406, so no permit is required. Lists that still call Arizona “illegal” or “permit required” for hedgehogs are out of date.

Do I need a permit or license to own a hedgehog?

Only in New Jersey, which requires an Individual Hobby Wildlife Species Possession Permit. In the other 44 legal states no state permit is needed, though Wisconsin requires a veterinary health certificate to import one, and local ordinances can add their own rules.

Why are hedgehogs banned in some states?

The main reason cited is invasive-species risk: an escaped or released hedgehog could establish in the wild and harm native ground-nesting birds, insects and reptiles (New Zealand is the textbook cautionary case). Hawaii and California cite ecological threat directly; Georgia and D.C. reach the same result through wild-animal-license and permitted-pet-list systems.

Sources & verification

Each restricted status is tied to the state’s statute, administrative rule or wildlife agency below. A “Legal” status means the African pygmy hedgehog is not listed on that state’s restricted or prohibited-wildlife list; because that is a negative finding, always confirm your specific state and local code before acquiring one. Last verified: 2026-07-22. Laws change; if you spot an error, tell us and see our editorial & sourcing policy.

1. California Code of Regulations, Title 14, § 671 — restricted animals list; Order Insectivora “(D)”. law.cornell.edu. Primary regulation.
2. California Fish & Game Code §§ 2118, 2125 — restricted-species framework and penalties. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Primary statute.
3. Georgia Comp. R. & Regs. R. 391-4-8 (Wild Animals) — license required; O.C.G.A. § 27-5-5. law.cornell.edu. Primary regulation.
4. Hawaii Administrative Rules § 4-71-6.5 — permitted/restricted animal introductions. law.cornell.edu. Primary regulation.
5. Pennsylvania — Game and Wildlife Code (34 Pa.C.S.) & 58 Pa. Code permits chapter; no pet-hedgehog permit issued. animallaw.info. Secondary (reproduces the code).
6. District of Columbia — D.C. Code § 8-1808(j), prohibited animals. code.dccouncil.gov. Primary statute.
7. New Jersey Administrative Code § 7:25-4.3 — exotic species requiring a possession permit. law.cornell.edu. Primary regulation.
8. Arizona Administrative Code § R12-4-406 — restricted live wildlife (genus Atelerix unrestricted, eff. 2015). law.cornell.edu. Primary regulation.
9. Massachusetts 321 CMR 9.01 — exemption list (four-toed hedgehog exempt). law.cornell.edu. Primary regulation.
10. Alaska 5 AAC 92.029 — permit for possessing live game / clean list. law.cornell.edu. Primary regulation.
11. Idaho — Rules Governing Deleterious Exotic Animals (IDAPA 02.04.27); African pygmy excluded, European restricted. animallaw.info. Secondary (reproduces the rule).
12. Florida Administrative Code r. 68A-6.002 — Class III captive wildlife; personal-pet possession without permit. animallaw.info. Secondary (reproduces the rule).
13. New York City Health Code § 161.01 — animals not permitted to be kept. nyc.gov. Primary (city) code.

Informational only — not legal advice. Exotic-pet laws change and local ordinances vary. “Legal” states are those where the African pygmy hedgehog is not on a restricted or prohibited-wildlife list; for a handful (e.g. Delaware, Indiana, South Dakota) that status rests on the absence of a listing plus agency guidance rather than a hedgehog-specific statute, so confirm with your state wildlife or agriculture agency and your city before acquiring or moving a hedgehog. Compare other animals on our species A–Z or browse the state-by-state index. Last verified: 2026-07-22.