Roof Rat Laws › New York › New York City
Summary. Good news if you live in New York City: we checked, and a pet rat is allowed. NYC’s famously strict Health Code (Article 161, Section 161.01) bans a long list of wild animals, including ‘all large rodents’ such as gopher, muskrat, beaver, prairie dog, and capybara, plus squirrels and bats. But that list targets large and wild rodents, not small domesticated ones. A pet rat (like the common fancy rat that New Yorkers already keep) is a small domesticated rodent and is not on the prohibited list. A pet roof rat is allowed, the same as New York State. Selling rats commercially at retail needs a DOHMH Class P pet-shop permit; keeping one, or placing or giving one away privately, needs no permit.
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 Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-20
NYC Health Code Section 161.01 (‘Wild and other animals prohibited’) lists prohibited species including, at item (14), ‘all large rodents (Rodentia), including, but not limited to, gopher, muskrat, nutria, paca, woodchuck, marmot, beaver, prairie dog, capybara, sewellel, viscacha, porcupine and hutia,’ plus all squirrels and all bats. Small domesticated rodents (the common pet rat, mouse, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig) are not on that list and are kept as pets throughout the city. A domesticated roof rat is a small rodent, not a ‘large rodent’ or wild animal, so it is not prohibited. Not stricter than New York State.
Sources: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Breeding Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-20
No local rodent-breeding restriction; the state’s permissive rule applies.
Sources: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Selling or giving away Legal with a permit
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-07-02
In New York City, commercial retail sale of rats requires a Class P ‘Pet Shop’ permit from DOHMH (NYC Health Code §161.09; ch. 5), the same permit documented on the parent New York page. Rats remain sellable in NYC even after Local Law 132 (2024) banned the retail sale of dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Private, face-to-face placement and giveaways need no permit.
Sources: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Transport & import Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-20
No local transport restriction on a pet rat; the state’s rule applies.
Sources: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Restrictions & responsibilities
- If running an NYC retail storefront, obtain a DOHMH Class P pet-shop permit
Forms: NYC Health Code Ch. 5, Pet Shops · Where: NYC DOHMH · Fees: Municipal pet-shop permit fee
Source: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Official sources
- NYC Health Code Section 161.01 (Wild and Other Animals Prohibited; item (14) ‘all large rodents’, not small pet rodents), New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
- NYC Health Code Ch. 5, Pet Shops (Class P permit; Local Law 132/2024), New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Search terms: Rattus rattus, roof rat, pet, exotic animal, rodent.
Last reviewed 2026-06-20, 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.