Ferrets are legal to own as pets throughout New York State, with one major exception: New York City bans them outright in all five boroughs. If you live anywhere else in the state, you can keep a ferret without a permit, though you must vaccinate it against rabies. If you live in the city, possession alone is a health code violation.
Why Ferrets Are Banned in New York City
Section 161.01 of the New York City Health Code prohibits residents from keeping any fur-bearing mammal in the family Mustelidae and names ferrets specifically, alongside weasels, mink, badgers, skunks, otters, and wolverines.1NYC Rules. NYC Rules Title 24, Section 161.01 – Wild and Other Animals Prohibited The city classifies ferrets as wild animals even though the state does not, and enforcement runs through the Department of Health.
The ban has been in place since 1999. The Board of Health considered lifting it in 2015 and declined to do so. The city’s 311 service continues to list ferrets among prohibited animals, grouped with wolves and big cats for enforcement purposes, and keeping one can lead to seizure of the animal and fines.2NYC311. Illegal Animal Passing through the city with an otherwise legally owned ferret does not create an exception; the ban applies to possession within the five boroughs regardless of your destination.
Ferret Ownership in the Rest of the State
Outside New York City, no state permit or license is required to own a ferret. The state’s dangerous animal regulation, 6 NYCRR Part 180, lists the species considered too dangerous for private possession. Wolverines and badgers appear on that list individually, but the broader Mustelidae family is not restricted, and domestic ferrets (Mustela furo) are not named.3New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 6 NYCRR Part 180 – Dangerous Animal Species List
New York’s Environmental Conservation Law also prohibits keeping “wild animals” as pets, but that provision targets genuinely wild species.4New York State Senate. New York Code ENV 11-0512 The state itself treats domestic ferrets as companion animals and requires rabies vaccination for them alongside cats and dogs.
One thing to check before you bring a ferret home: local ordinances. A handful of counties and towns may impose their own restrictions, so a quick call to your county or town clerk is worth making.
Rabies Vaccination Is Required
New York law requires rabies vaccination for all cats, dogs, and domesticated ferrets.5New York State Department of Health. Rabies Information for Pet Owners Your ferret’s first shot is due no later than four months after birth, or three months in New York City. A second vaccination follows within one year of the first, and boosters are given either annually or every three years after that, depending on which vaccine your veterinarian uses.
Keeping the records current is not just paperwork. If your ferret ever bites someone and you cannot produce proof of vaccination, the handling of the animal changes significantly.
Bringing a Ferret Into New York
Moving to the state with a ferret, or traveling through, requires a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and official animal identification before entry, under rules administered by the Department of Agriculture and Markets.6Agriculture and Markets. Animal Import and Export You also need to meet any disease-testing requirements that apply to your animal. In practice, visit your vet before the move for a current health certificate and confirm the rabies vaccination is up to date.
If Your Ferret Bites Someone
Any ferret bite that breaks the skin starts a mandatory reporting chain. A health care provider treating the bite victim must notify the local health authority immediately, before starting rabies post-exposure treatment, unless delay would harm the patient. If no provider is involved, the victim (or a child’s parent or guardian) must report it.7New York State Department of Health. State Sanitary Code, Chapter 10, Health
Once notified, the local health authority can order the ferret confined for ten days of observation, whether or not the animal is vaccinated. The owner pays the cost of confinement. If the owner cannot be identified, whoever requested the confinement pays. An owner can instead consent to immediate euthanasia so the animal’s head can be submitted for rabies testing at a state-approved laboratory.
Pending Legislation on Declawing and Descenting
Assembly Bill A796, introduced in the 2025–2026 session, would prohibit declawing and descenting ferrets in New York State unless a licensed veterinarian determines the procedure is medically necessary to treat an illness, infection, injury, or abnormal condition.8New York State Senate. Assembly Bill A796 – Prohibiting the Declawing and Descenting of Ferrets Cosmetic reasons and owner convenience would not qualify, and violations would carry a civil penalty of up to $1,000.
As of early 2026, the bill sits with the Assembly’s Codes Committee and has not been voted on.9New York State Assembly. Assembly Bill A00796 – Actions No current proposal to lift the New York City ban is moving forward.