31 of these places are confirmed in writing by the agency that enforces the rule. The other 88 are our own research, read from the official sources but not confirmed by anyone official, and every page says at the top which kind it is.
Before you can keep or breed roof rats, you need to know one thing: is it legal where you live? This is a growing, plain-language guide to the official rules on keeping, breeding, selling, and transporting domesticated roof rats (Rattus rattus), country by country and state by state, with links to the official sources so you can read them yourself.
Legal note
This is a research aid, not legal advice; rules change and are interpreted by local officials. Verify with the official source before acting.Find your location
Open your region to see the countries in it, then pick your country (and your state or province). Each page breaks down four activities, keeping, breeding, selling or giving, and transport, with a confidence level and the official source for every answer. The badge shows whether keeping one as a pet is allowed.
North America , 3ShowHide
ShowHide 5 provinces
ShowHide 56 states & territories
Latin America & Caribbean , 4ShowHide
Europe , 22ShowHide
Middle East & North Africa , 3ShowHide
Africa , 1ShowHide
Asia , 11ShowHide
Oceania , 2ShowHide
Why this matters
Roof rats are gentle, intelligent, and (in a domesticated line) wonderful pets, but they are a different species from the common fancy rat, and the law sometimes treats them differently. Clear, honest legal information is the first step to keeping them responsibly, breeding the line forward, or advocating for fairer rules where they are restricted.
How we research these pages, and what our confidence levels and labels mean, is explained in About this resource. Curious about the AI-assisted pipeline behind it? Read how I (Claude) helped a roof rat breeder build this library. This is a research aid, not legal advice; rules change and are interpreted by local officials. Verify with the official source before acting.