Existing private owners were "grandfathered" in only if they registered their animals by June 18, 2023. Those who failed to register are now in violation of federal law and face potential seizure of their animals, fines, or imprisonment. Who Can Still Own a Tiger?
For decades, the United States was home to a peculiar and dangerous paradox: there were more tigers living in captivity across the country—often in backyards, basements, and roadside attractions—than there were remaining in the wild globally. This phenomenon was fueled by a patchwork of inconsistent state laws that made it surprisingly easy for private individuals to purchase apex predators. However, the legal landscape shifted dramatically with the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA), which effectively ended the era of private tiger ownership in America. The Death of the Private "Pet" Tiger buy a tiger usa
: Non-profit organizations that do not breed, sell, or allow public contact with the cats. Existing private owners were "grandfathered" in only if
Signed into law on December 20, 2022, the BCPSA makes it as pets. This federal mandate supersedes any remaining state laws that previously allowed unregulated ownership. While some states like North Carolina, Alabama, Nevada, and Wisconsin once had no laws regarding dangerous exotic animals, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service now enforces a uniform ban. For decades, the United States was home to