# Site General > Pet Related Laws & Legislation >  Illinois Ball Python Laws?

## medusasmorphs

Hey,
I'm from Illinois and was wondering if there is a limit to the amount of Ball Pythons one can have in their home before having to register or obtain a permit from some government agency? Also Is there any law with breeding/selling mice or rats?

Any other IL related legal issues concerning Ball Pythons and Mice/Rats would be appreciated.

Thanks guys...

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## zeion97

> Hey,
> I'm from Illinois and was wondering if there is a limit to the amount of Ball Pythons one can have in their home before having to register or obtain a permit from some government agency? Also Is there any law with breeding/selling mice or rats?
> 
> Any other IL related legal issues concerning Ball Pythons and Mice/Rats would be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks guys...


I haven't found one.... OR any, the only law I found was no venomous snakes, or snakes longer then 15 feet. Which angers me!  :Mad: 

But I'd also like to know if anyone can add to this.!

Sorry, not trying to steal your thread. I'm just curious as well.  :Smile:

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## jfmoore

No, there is no such legislation I'm aware of in Illinois concerning number of _non-native_ snakes you can keep. The relevant state law concerning _kinds_ of reptiles is the vaguely-worded Illinois Dangerous Animals Act http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs...4&ChapterID=53 .

However, where you can run afoul of the law is in your local ordinances. Many jurisdictions within the state regulate what and how many animals of all sorts you may keep. If you do any research on that, I recommend you do it on the q.t. The first rule of good reptile ownership these days is: keep your head down. No good can come of those in authority knowing what you have, unfortunately.

One other point, think long and hard before letting any current or potential insurance company know about your snakes. You might find yourself without a policy.

I don't know anything about the legalities of rodent-keeping in Illinois. I used to breed mice and rats. I certainly didn't advertise that fact.

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## KatStoverReptiles

> I haven't found one.... OR any, the only law I found was no venomous snakes, or snakes longer then 15 feet. Which angers me! 
> 
> But I'd also like to know if anyone can add to this.!
> 
> Sorry, not trying to steal your thread. I'm just curious as well.


Hmm...last I heard it was over 6ft you have to have a permit. And no venomous...which makes me sad cause I want a hognose!

I wish it was easier to find out what the laws were. Even when you ask dept. of ag or fish and wildlife, they don't seem to know.

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## jfmoore

> Hmm...last I heard it was over 6ft you have to have a permit....


There is no Illinois permit for exotic reptiles.

The 6 foot long limit you have heard about probably refers to the supposed maximum length of snakes that the Illinois Department of Agriculture limits for pet store sales. This is by _administrative regulation_, by the way, not state law regarding what you may own. So, for instance, a pet store could sell a hatchling gopher snake, but not one 6 feet or longer.

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_KatStoverReptiles_ (01-12-2012)

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## KatStoverReptiles

> There is no Illinois permit for exotic reptiles.
> 
> The 6 foot long limit you have heard about probably refers to the supposed maximum length of snakes that the Illinois Department of Agriculture limits for pet store sales. This is by _administrative regulation_, by the way, not state law regarding what you may own. So, for instance, a pet store could sell a hatchling gopher snake, but not one 6 feet or longer.


Ahhh...thanks for clearing that up  :Smile:

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## medusasmorphs

Thanks for the quick responses and info regarding this. I agree its best to keep your head down and fly under the radar which is what I've done for years. I just want to cover my bases since I don't see my collection growing any smaller - had 60+ born in 2011 and expecting double that for 2012  :Smile: , boy I cant wait, we've got some real exciting morphs being produced! I'll be sure to keep you all updated this year.

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## joepythons

The only city that i am aware of that has VERY strict laws is Galesburg.You can not posses ANY constricting snake.Well majority of snakes constrict so it includes them all  :Mad: .Then you can posses a snake up to 15ft then after that you could get in trouble if you have one in your possesion.Now onto the hognose snakes you CAN posses them ONLY after obtaining a permit from the DNR.The fun thing is getting in touch with the person who issues the permits.They then come to your home to inspect your enclosures and such.Then you can only posses ones bought from legal breeders and you MUST keep every reciept and report to them what you bought.I think i covered everything i am aware of  :Razz:

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## jfmoore

> ...Now onto the hognose snakes you CAN posses them ONLY after obtaining a permit from the DNR...


I'm not familiar with any City of Galesburg (or Knox County) herp regulations, so can't comment on that. But I did want to point out that Illinois state regulations regarding private ownership of hog-nosed snakes refer *only* to the state listed _Heterodon nasicus_, western hog-nosed snake. It is listed as Threatened. Possession of other species of hog-nosed snakes is not regulated by the Illinois DNR. 

When you think of it, we're probably pretty lucky to even be able to keep that species at all. Regardless of your politics, can you imagine trying to get a permit to keep some other species listed as Threatened or Endangered such as a songbird or mammal?

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