Roof Rat Laws › Canada › Ontario
Summary. Ontario does not regulate roof rats at the provincial level. Rattus rattus is not listed as prohibited or restricted under the Invasive Species Act, and as a non-native species it falls outside the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (which covers native ‘game’ and ‘specially protected’ wildlife). So keeping, breeding, selling, and transporting roof rats is unregulated by the province. The real rules are MUNICIPAL: city bylaws on exotic/pet animals, breeder/pet-shop licensing, animal limits, and the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act (PAWS) care standards.
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.Status by activity
Keeping / owning Unregulated / unclear
Confidence: Medium · Last verified 2026-06-06
Rattus rattus is not listed under the Invasive Species Act (unlike wild pigs or nutria) and is not native ‘game’ or ‘specially protected’ wildlife under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, so it is outside the Ministry of Natural Resources’ regulatory scope, and no provincial permit is needed to keep one. We code keeping unregulated / unclear rather than a flat ‘legal’ to stay consistent with how we treat the same statutory-silence facts elsewhere (India and Canada-federal are coded unregulated / unclear on materially identical silence). Ontario is a genuine negative-list province, so in practice keeping is permitted provincially; the binding rules are MUNICIPAL (exotic-pet bylaws, animal-number caps) plus the PAWS care standards.
Sources: Government of Ontario, Government of Ontario
Breeding Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-06
The province has no jurisdiction over rat breeding. Breeding is governed by municipal bylaws, animal-control rules, and the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act (PAWS) care standards. Operating commercially in a residential zone often needs a municipal kennel/pet-shop licence.
Sources: Government of Ontario
Selling or giving away Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-06
Selling or giving roof rats is unregulated provincially. A retail storefront needs the municipality’s pet-shop / commercial-establishment licence; private face-to-face placement and giveaways do not.
Sources: Government of Ontario, Government of Ontario
Transport & import Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-06
No provincial permit is required to move roof rats within or across Ontario’s borders. Interprovincial transport is subject to the destination province’s rules (you cannot bring one into Alberta).
Sources: Government of Ontario
Restrictions & responsibilities
- Check your municipality’s animal/exotic-pet bylaw and any breeder/pet-shop licensing
- Meet PAWS minimum care standards
Where: Your municipality; Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) · Fees: Set locally
Source: Government of Ontario
Source: Government of Ontario
Official sources
- Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 41 (covers native wildlife; R. rattus outside scope), Government of Ontario
- O. Reg. 666/98, Possession, Buying and Selling of Wildlife (native wildlife), Government of Ontario
Search terms: Rattus rattus, roof rat, black rat, ship rat.
Last reviewed 2026-06-06, which is when a person last read this page against its sources. Spotted an error, or know the law has changed? Email blonderoofrat@gmail.com. And if you write to the agency yourself and get an answer in writing, please forward it. Written agency replies are how 31 of these pages stopped being research and became confirmed.