Can You Legally Own an Alligator as a Pet in Florida?

Florida allows its residents to own a wide variety of odd animals. Although it may seem easy to purchase one of these permits, there are a few roadblocks set up to ensure you can properly care for the animal. Can you own an alligator as a pet in Florida? Actually, yes. You can legally own an alligator as a pet in Florida but it’s not as simple as that.

The FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) are the rule makers and are in charge of issuing permits for these types of animals. You are not required to own a permit for your average house cat or dog. For exotic animals or ones that can pose a threat to humans, the FWC has special class permits for ownership. You must only obtain these animals through captive-bred, legally permitted sources. Alligators are one of the most dangerous animals in Florida, but if you want to own one, here's how.

Let’s start with Class III Wildlife. Exotic birds (parakeets, parrots), small mammals (fox, skunk, raccoon, lemurs), and some reptiles (snakes, lizards) are included. You will need to obtain a Class III Wildlife personal pet permit. These permits last two years and are no cost to the owner. There are a few exceptions to this wildlife class and you will have to show evidence of previous experience and have the necessary caging for the possession of spider, wooly and capuchin monkeys.

Class II Wildlife includes the American Alligator. These are animals that are “considered to present a real or potential threat to human safety” according to the FWC. These permits cost $140 per year. You will have to show documented proof of extensive experience handling these animals and have the proper caging and acreage. Other animals that are listed as class II wildlife are giraffes, various big cats, ostriches and more. 

Lastly, the most dangerous of animals are listed under Class I Wildlife. Class I Wildlife animals “may not be possessed as a personal pet” as laid out by the FWC and do require a special permit for ownership. Before any permit is issued, a ‘substantial’ amount of experience, cage requirements, and proof of commercial activity must be presented before a permit is issued. A few animals considered to be Class I Wildlife are tigers, lions, elephants, crocodiles, and hippos.

According to the FWC, if you want to bring your Class II or Class III animals out in the public, you will need to obtain an exhibition permit.

For more information on keeping exotic wildlife as a pet, visit here.

There are a lot of dangerous animals in Florida. But if you ever wondered what the most dangerous are? This list was put together by A-Z Animals. Between 1999 and 2019 only 247 people in Florida died as a result of an animal attack. Florida ranks as the third deadliest state in the United States for animal attacks. Texas is number one with 520 and California is number two with 299. Those findings come from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

So, what is the first animal that you think of when you think dangerous in Florida? You probably think of the Alligator, but that isn’t the number one overall dangerous animal in Florida. The Great White Shark is the most dangerous animal in Florida. While not on the land in Florida Great White Sharks swim the waters around the state of Florida. Back in 2020 Florida had 16 shark bites on record. Second was Hawaii with only five.

The dangerous animals in Florida that didn’t make the top five are some that you may have thought could’ve been higher. Firstly, number six on the list is the Black Widow Spider followed by the Florida Panther. The Florida Panther is the state animal. It was chosen in 1982 by a vote of students throughout the state. Following the Florida Panther on the list is the Wild Boar. You can find the Wild Boar in all 67 counties of Florida. Their estimated population is over half a million.

Next is the Timber Rattlesnake. It is also known as the canebreak rattlesnake and it is a species of pit viper. The Timber Rattlesnake has a Chevron pattern and a stripe running down its body. Finally, coming in number 10 on the list is the American Crocodile. They are found along the coast of Florida as north as the Hillsborough/Pasco County border on the west side of Florida.

Below, you can find the top five most dangerous animals in Florida.

Yes, Great White Sharks are found in the waters around Florida. A almost 1,200 pound shark that was almost 13 feet in length was tracked back in March of this year.

#1 and #2 on the list are sharks. They are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. They grow to about 11 feet and can live about 24 years.

Alligators live in all 67 counties in Florida. You can find alligators in any body of water including lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps and man-made canals. We've seen multiple reports this year of gator attacks, even some fatal ones.

They are found in pine flatwoods, longleaf pine and turkey oak hammocks, sand pine scrub areas, and coastal barrier islands. Yes it is venomous.

It is venomous and can be found throughout Florida. It is called a cottonmouth because of the white color of the inside of its mouth.