Are Roof Rats Legal in Minnesota? Keeping, Breeding & Selling

Keeping / owning   Legal

Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-14

Minn. R. 6216.0270, subp. 4 designates ‘rat (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus)’ as an ‘unregulated nonnative species,’ and subp. 1 provides that ‘These nonnative species are not subject to regulation under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 84D.’ Because chapter 84D holds the state’s prohibitions on possessing, importing, purchasing, selling, and propagating invasive species, naming R. rattus in the unregulated tier removes every ecological barrier to keeping one. Separately, the exotic-pet ‘regulated animals’ law, Minn. Stat. 346.155, defines ‘regulated animal’ as only Felidae (except domestic cats), bears, and nonhuman primates, so no rodent requires an exotic-animal registration, insurance, or microchip. No DNR or other state permit is needed to keep a captive-bred roof rat. The keeper is bound by the codified pet-rodent care standards of Minn. Stat. 346.41 and by general anti-cruelty law (Minn. Stat. 343.21).

Sources: Minnesota DNR / Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes

Breeding   Legal

Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-14

Breeding is unregulated at the state level. As an ‘unregulated nonnative species’ (Minn. R. 6216.0270), the roof rat is exempt from chapter 84D propagation bans, so no DNR permit applies to breeding. The state’s Commercial Breeder Law (Minn. Stat. 347.57-347.64) defines a ‘commercial breeder’ for dogs and cats only: Minn. Stat. 347.57 ties the definition to producing ‘litters of puppies or kittens,’ and the chapter’s ‘animal’ means ‘a dog or a cat.’ There is no state-level commercial-rodent-breeder license, per-animal fee, or facility inspection, whether a hobbyist produces one litter a year or a larger operation produces many. Federal USDA/AWA licensing can reach a wholesale or sight-unseen dealer, but breeders selling directly to the public face-to-face are covered by the AWA retail-pet-store exemption regardless of volume, and rats of the genus Rattus bred for research are excluded from the AWA entirely.

Sources: Minnesota DNR / Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, USDA APHIS

Selling or giving away   Legal

Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-14

Selling or giving away a captive-bred roof rat needs no state permit. As an unregulated nonnative species, R. rattus is exempt from the chapter 84D ban on selling and purchasing invasive species (Minn. R. 6216.0270). Minnesota has no state-level pet-shop or pet-dealer license for small mammals; the state’s agricultural dealer licenses (Minn. Dept of Agriculture) apply only to livestock market agencies, stockyards, and meatpackers, and the ‘pet lemon law’ consumer protections (Minn. Stat. 325F.791) cover only dogs and cats. State law imposes no transaction limit on a private breeder rehoming or selling rats directly. Two caveats: a commercial retail storefront must obtain a local municipal pet-shop license where one exists (for example Minneapolis and St. Paul license pet shops); and the pet-rodent care standards of Minn. Stat. 346.41 bind whoever holds the animals. Unlike Kentucky, Minnesota’s import/sale CVI requirement is framed around importation of mammals (Board of Animal Health), not around the in-state act of offering an animal for sale, so a purely intrastate sale/transfer is not what triggers the CVI.

Sources: Minnesota DNR / Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, City of Saint Paul, City of Minneapolis

Transport & import   Legal with a permit

Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-14

Intrastate transport (moving a roof rat between Minnesota locations) is unregulated for an unregulated-nonnative species, subject only to the transport-enclosure provisions of Minn. Stat. 346.41 (a chew-proof container giving fresh air, room to stand and turn, and food/water on trips over six hours). Importing a roof rat into Minnesota from another state or country is the restricted case: the Board of Animal Health’s import rule and official import guidance state that ‘All birds and mammals imported into Minnesota, unless specifically exempted below, must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI),’ and the listed exemptions name only specific livestock and dog/cat/ferret situations, with no exemption for rodents or pocket pets. So a roof rat brought into the state must travel with a CVI issued by an accredited veterinarian in the state of origin (typically within 30 days before entry), attesting the animal shows no clinical signs of infectious, contagious, or communicable disease. No advance import permit, and no rabies or TB/brucellosis testing, applies to a rodent. Beginning July 1, 2026, the Board requires all import/export CVIs to be electronic (eCVI); paper certificates are no longer accepted. International movement is governed by federal CDC/USDA rules (the CDC bars rodents of African origin). Never release a roof rat into the wild: it is a nonnative species and abandonment is also a cruelty offense (Minn. Stat. 343.21, subd. 5).

Sources: Minnesota Board of Animal Health / Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Board of Animal Health, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota DNR / Office of the Revisor of Statutes, USDA APHIS / CDC

• Before importing, have a USDA-accredited veterinarian in the state of origin examine the rat and issue a CVI (records species, sex, age, number of animals, and origin/destination details).
• Obtain the CVI typically within 30 days before entry into Minnesota.
• For movement on or after July 1, 2026, ensure the certificate is an electronic CVI (eCVI); paper certificates are no longer accepted.
• No advance import permit and no rabies/TB/brucellosis testing apply to a rodent.
• Confirm with the Board of Animal Health whether any disease screening beyond a visual exam is expected for a pet rodent, and how the eCVI workflow accommodates a single private pet import.

Forms: Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) / eCVI · Where: Issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian in the state of origin; the veterinarian forwards a copy to the origin-state animal health officials for transmittal to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health. · Fees: No state fee for the CVI; the issuing veterinarian charges an examination/paperwork fee.

Source: Minnesota Board of Animal Health / Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Board of Animal Health

• House the rat in a chew-resistant, fully cleanable enclosure with safe flooring, good ventilation, and room to exercise.
• Provide fresh food daily and clean water by free choice.
• For transport, use a chew-proof container with fresh air and room to stand and turn; supply food and water on trips over six hours.

Where: Enforced by local animal control, local law enforcement, or the Board of Animal Health.

Source: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes

Source: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota DNR / Office of the Revisor of Statutes