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

Keeping / owning   Unregulated / unclear

Confidence: Medium · Last verified 2026-06-15

No Pennsylvania statute or regulation requires a permit merely to keep a pet rat, and there is no application form or permit class for it. R. rattus is not regulated ‘exotic wildlife’ (34 Pa.C.S. §2961 lists only large carnivores, ‘includes, but is not limited to … all bears, coyotes, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, wolves’) and is not on the closed family ban in 58 Pa. Code §137.1(a) (Felidae, Canidae, Ursidae, Procyonidae, Capromyidae, Mustelidae, Primates, plus listed T&E/injurious species, the Monk Parakeet, and game/wildlife from the wild or held captive). But it is not affirmatively authorized either: a roof rat is literally a ‘wild animal’ under 34 Pa.C.S. §102 (‘All mammals other than domestic animals as defined in 1 Pa.C.S. § 1991’, i.e. only horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs), so the Commission retains broad wildlife authority over it. Possession of a pet roof rat therefore sits in a true regulatory void: no permit exists for it, and no rule bans it, but it is not a recognized ‘domestic animal’ under the Game Code. The identical analysis applies to the ordinary fancy rat (R. norvegicus). General animal-cruelty law (18 Pa.C.S. §5531 et seq.) still applies.

Sources: Pennsylvania General Assembly, Pennsylvania General Assembly, PA Game Commission / PA Code & Bulletin, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania General Assembly

Breeding   Legal with a permit

Confidence: Medium · Last verified 2026-06-15

On the face of the Game Code, breeding a roof rat for transfer requires a Game Commission Propagating Permit. 34 Pa.C.S. §2930(a) provides: ‘No person shall propagate any game bird, wild bird, game animal or wild animal which is presently found in a wild state within this Commonwealth for the purpose of sale, barter, gift or other transfer of possession … unless that person has first obtained a permit from the commission.’ A roof rat is a ‘wild animal’ (34 Pa.C.S. §102) and is genuinely ‘presently found in a wild state within this Commonwealth’ (the Game Commission’s mammal page states the black rat is ‘found in small numbers in southeastern Pennsylvania’), so breeding to sell, barter, or even give away the offspring trips this clause. The permit carries facility standards (§2930(c)) and animal-marking rules (§2930(d): a toe clipped from the right foot or a commission marker attached by six weeks of age, plus a delivery receipt/consignment document). Breeding purely for one’s own keeping, with no transfer, is not within §2930(a). This is the same exposure the fancy rat (R. norvegicus, found statewide) has. Whether the Commission enforces §2930 against small hobby breeders of domesticated rats is undocumented, hence the clarification ask.

Sources: Pennsylvania General Assembly, Pennsylvania General Assembly, Pennsylvania Game Commission

Selling or giving away   Legal with a permit

Confidence: Medium · Last verified 2026-06-15

Transferring a roof rat reads onto two permit clauses. (1) If the rat was bred in PA, the transferor needed a Propagating Permit and must comply with 34 Pa.C.S. §2930(d): the animal must be marked (toe clip or commission marker by six weeks) and a delivery receipt/consignment document provided on sale, barter, or gift. (2) If the rat was imported into PA as captive wildlife, 58 Pa. Code §137.1(e) requires a $50 transfer permit to convey it (or its progeny) ‘by sale, trade, barter or gift,’ limited to persons authorized to import wildlife. Separately, a high-volume commercial seller could fall under the PA Domestic Animal Law, which defines a ‘domestic animal’ broadly as ‘An animal maintained in captivity’ (3 Pa.C.S. §2303) and requires a Domestic Animal Dealer license ($50/year) for those who buy, receive, or negotiate the sale of domestic animals as a business (3 Pa.C.S. §2341); there is no codified hobbyist threshold, but ordinary private free rehoming is outside the commercial-dealer scope. Same exposure for the fancy rat.

Sources: Pennsylvania General Assembly, PA Game Commission / PA Code & Bulletin, Pennsylvania General Assembly (via FindLaw), PA Department of Agriculture

Transport & import   Legal with a permit

Confidence: Medium · Last verified 2026-06-15

Intrastate transport of a lawfully held pet rat within Pennsylvania is unrestricted, provided it is secured against escape. Importing one from another state is where permits attach. 58 Pa. Code §137.1(a)(11) classifies ‘Game or wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation,’ and because a roof rat is a ‘wild animal’ (34 Pa.C.S. §102), bringing a captive-bred roof rat in from out of state reads as importing captive wildlife: §137.1(d) requires an importation permit (‘$50 for each transaction’) and §137.1(f) provides that ‘Live wildlife imported for any reason shall be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection signed by an accredited veterinarian.’ So under the Game Commission rule, the CVI is mandatory for an imported pet rat, not merely recommended. The PA Department of Agriculture’s separate pocket-pet guidance only notes that ‘Not all states require a CVI for small animal (cats, dogs, pocket pets, etc.) imports’ and to check the destination state, so the PDA piece does not itself impose a PA CVI mandate; the operative CVI requirement here flows from §137.1(f). Same exposure for the fancy rat. International movement adds federal CDC/USDA/USFWS rules (the CDC bars rodents of African origin; R. rattus is Asian in origin). Never release a roof rat into the wild (58 Pa. Code §137.1(a) bars releasing the listed wildlife and the Game Code bars releasing captive wildlife generally).

Sources: PA Game Commission / PA Code & Bulletin, Pennsylvania General Assembly, PA Dept of Agriculture, BAHDS, USDA APHIS / CDC

• If breeding pet rats to rehome or sell, contact the Game Commission License Division to ask whether a Propagating Permit is required for domesticated R. rattus, and request the answer in writing.
• If a permit is required, meet the §2930(c) enclosure standards (secure indoor caging that confines the animals and excludes wild rodents).
• Mark transferred offspring per §2930(d) (toe clip from the right foot OR commission marker by six weeks of age) and provide a delivery receipt/consignment document to each recipient.

Where: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Bureau of Wildlife Protection / License Division, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797. · Fees: Propagating permit fee per Commission schedule; commission markers furnished ‘at a reasonable cost’ (§2930(d)).

Source: Pennsylvania General Assembly, Pennsylvania Game Commission

• Before bringing a pet roof rat into PA from another state, ask the Game Commission License Division whether an importation permit (§137.1(d)) is required for a domesticated pet rodent, and request the answer in writing.
• If required, obtain the $50 importation permit before transport.
• If later transferring imported stock or its progeny, obtain the $50 transfer permit (§137.1(e)) if the Commission applies it to pet rodents.

Where: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Special Permits / License Division, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797. · Fees: $50 per importation transaction (§137.1(d)); $50 per transfer permit (§137.1(e)).

Source: PA Game Commission / PA Code & Bulletin

• Before importing, have a USDA-accredited veterinarian in the origin state examine the rat and issue a CVI.
• Carry the CVI with the animal during transport into PA (§137.1(f)).
• Confirm with PA Dept of Agriculture (BAHDS) and the Game Commission whether the CVI/importation rules are applied to a domesticated pet rodent.

Where: CVI issued by a USDA-accredited veterinarian in the state of origin; PA Dept of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Health & Diagnostic Services administers animal-health import rules. · Fees: No state fee for the CVI; the issuing veterinarian charges an examination/paperwork fee. (Game Commission importation permit is separate, $50.)

Source: PA Game Commission / PA Code & Bulletin, PA Dept of Agriculture, BAHDS

Source: PA Game Commission / PA Code & Bulletin, Pennsylvania Game Commission

In Pennsylvania the bare act of keeping a pet roof rat (Rattus rattus) is unregulated: there is no possession permit, R. rattus is not ‘exotic wildlife’ under 34 Pa.C.S. §2961 (which names bears, big cats, wolves, coyotes), and it is not on the closed family ban in 58 Pa. Code §137.1 (cats, dogs, bears, raccoons, nutria, skunks, primates). The snag is the Game Code’s definitions. A roof rat is a ‘wild animal’ under 34 Pa.C.S. §102, which defines that term as ‘All mammals other than domestic animals as defined in 1 Pa.C.S. § 1991’, and 1 Pa.C.S. §1991 lists only horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs as domestic animals. So on paper every pet rodent, including the common fancy rat (Rattus norvegicus) sold in pet shops, is a ‘wild animal.’ Two clauses then bite because R. rattus is genuinely present in the Pennsylvania wild (the Game Commission’s own mammal page says the black rat is ‘found in small numbers in southeastern Pennsylvania’). First, 34 Pa.C.S. §2930 requires a Game Commission Propagating Permit, with toe-clip or commission-marker tagging by six weeks of age, to propagate any wild animal ‘presently found in a wild state within this Commonwealth’ ‘for the purpose of sale, barter, gift or other transfer of possession.’ Second, 58 Pa. Code §137.1(a)(11) classifies ‘Game or wildlife held in captivity or captive bred in another state or nation,’ so bringing a captive-bred roof rat in from another state reads as importing captive wildlife, which §137.1(d) ties to a $50 importation permit and §137.1(f) to a certificate of veterinary inspection. The issue is not a statute that bans roof rats; it is that broad definitions written for game and large carnivores literally sweep in domesticated pet rodents, with no written confirmation from the Commission that it does not apply these clauses to companion rats. The fancy rat already kept in thousands of Pennsylvania homes is caught by the identical wording, which is the strongest sign this is over-broad drafting rather than a considered rule for pet rodents.

The ask: Ask the Pennsylvania Game Commission for a short written clarification (an informal letter or a formal declaratory ruling) confirming that a captive-bred, domesticated roof rat kept as a pet is treated the same as the common fancy rat already kept across the state: that the Commission does not require a Propagating Permit under 34 Pa.C.S. §2930 to breed and rehome domesticated pet rats, and does not require an importation permit or certificate of veterinary inspection under 58 Pa. Code §137.1(d), (f) to bring a pet rat in from another state, notwithstanding the literal ‘wild animal’ definition in 34 Pa.C.S. §102 and the species’ incidental presence in the wild. On the definitional point, the same wording reaches the dog (descended from the wolf) and the cat (descended from a wild felid), yet both are treated as domestic because what matters is domestication, generations bred for tameness, not the wild origin of the species. The fancy rat is itself the wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), domesticated only in the 19th century (https://blonderoofrat.com/how-the-sewer-rat-became-the-fancy-rat/), so a captive-bred R. rattus is the same case one species over. Whether a captive-bred R. rattus sits outside these permit clauses on that basis is for the Commission to confirm, not a result it is asked to presume. Separately, ask the PA Department of Agriculture (BAHDS) whether a certificate of veterinary inspection is required to bring a pet rodent into the state. If the Commission takes the position that the literal definitions do apply to pet rodents, support House Bill 692 of 2025, which would amend 34 Pa.C.S. §2961 to exclude rats (and rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs) from ‘exotic wildlife’ regardless of captive breeding or import.

Where the lever really is: This is primarily an AGENCY clarification problem with a live LEGISLATIVE backstop. The Game Commission’s actual permit machinery for companion exotics, the §2961 ‘exotic wildlife’ definition and the §137.1 family ban, contains no rodent, so there is no positive permit class for a pet rat and no prohibition list to be removed from. The friction comes entirely from over-broad definitional language (34 Pa.C.S. §102 / 1 Pa.C.S. §1991) feeding two activity clauses (§2930 propagation-for-transfer and §137.1(a)(11) imported-captive-wildlife) that the species trips only because R. rattus happens to live wild in southeastern PA. The cleanest fix is therefore a written Commission clarification or declaratory ruling that it does not apply §2930 or §137.1 to domesticated pet rodents, which the agency can issue without any legislative change and which would also resolve the identical exposure of the fancy rat. The Legislature is a genuine secondary lever here, not a remote fallback, because a fix is already drafted: HB 692 of 2025 would amend §2961 to exclude rats, rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs from ‘exotic wildlife’ regardless of captive breeding or import, and HB 201 of 2021 and SB 263 of 2013 proposed similar Muridae carve-outs. Use the legislator contact to support HB 692 (or a successor) if the Commission either declines to clarify or confirms that it does read the literal definitions to reach pet rodents. The Department of Agriculture is a separate, narrow touchpoint only for the import CVI question, which is an animal-health document, not a keeping or dealer ban.

Where to send it (more than one channel helps):

• Pennsylvania Game Commission – Contact Us / staff inquiry form (executive / agency), official contact page
  Official PGC public contact form (linked from the Commission’s own Contact Information page) for routing a question to staff. Use it to request written confirmation that the Commission does not apply the §2930 propagating-permit clause or the §137.1 importation-permit/CVI clause to a captive-bred, domesticated pet roof rat, given the species’ incidental presence in the southeastern PA wild and the identical exposure of the fancy rat.
• Pennsylvania Game Commission – License Division (executive / agency), pgclicdiv@pa.gov
  Verified official Commission inbox (listed on the PGC Contact Information page) handling licensing/permit questions; the right place to ask, in writing, whether a Propagating Permit (34 Pa.C.S. §2930) or an importation permit plus CVI (58 Pa. Code §137.1(d), (f)) is actually required for a domesticated pet rat, and to request that the answer be put in writing.
• PA Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Animal Health & Diagnostic Services (BAHDS) (executive / agency), official contact page
  Owns the animal-health import rules. Its public guidance says only that ‘Not all states require a CVI for small animal (cats, dogs, pocket pets, etc.) imports’ and to check with the destination state, so whether PA itself requires a CVI for an incoming pet rodent is unconfirmed. Ask BAHDS directly (717-772-2852, option 3) whether a certificate of veterinary inspection is required to bring a pet rodent into Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania General Assembly – Find My Legislator (support HB 692 / successor) (legislature), official contact page
  Official tool to identify and contact your state senator and representative. Use it to support House Bill 692 of 2025 (amending 34 Pa.C.S. §2961 to exclude rats, rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs from ‘exotic wildlife’ regardless of captive breeding or import) if the Commission declines to clarify or confirms it reads the literal ‘wild animal’ definitions to reach pet rodents. This is a live, drafted fix, not just a contingency.

A starting-point message, please put it in your own words; a short personal note carries far more weight than an identical form letter:

To the Pennsylvania Game Commission,

I am writing to request a written clarification about keeping, breeding, and bringing home a captive-bred, domesticated pet roof rat (Rattus rattus). I want to comply fully and would like the Commission's position in writing.

As I read the law, roof rats are not regulated 'exotic wildlife' under 34 Pa.C.S. §2961, which lists only large carnivores, and no rat or rodent appears on the closed family ban in 58 Pa. Code §137.1. My concern is the broad definitions. Under 34 Pa.C.S. §102, a 'wild animal' is 'All mammals other than domestic animals as defined in 1 Pa.C.S. § 1991,' and that section lists only horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. On a literal reading that makes every pet rodent a 'wild animal,' including the common fancy rat (Rattus norvegicus) kept in homes across Pennsylvania. Because the black rat is, by the Commission's own mammal page, 'found in small numbers in southeastern Pennsylvania,' I am unsure whether the Commission would apply the Propagating Permit clause in 34 Pa.C.S. §2930 to someone breeding a few pet rats to rehome, or the importation-permit and certificate-of-veterinary-inspection clauses in 58 Pa. Code §137.1(d) and (f) to someone bringing a pet rat in from another state.

That same literal wording about wild origins would also reach the dog (descended from the wolf) and the cat (descended from a wild felid), which are recognized as domestic animals, because what makes an animal domestic is generations bred for tameness, not the wild ancestry of its species. The fancy rat is itself the wild brown rat, domesticated only in the 19th century, so a captive-bred roof rat is the same case one species over. I raise this only to ask the Commission to confirm how the definitions apply to a captive-bred pet rat, not to suggest any particular answer.

The rats I am asking about are captive-bred, hand-tame, kept entirely indoors as pets, and never released into the wild. They are kept no differently from the fancy rat.

Please confirm in writing whether a captive-bred, domesticated pet roof rat may be kept, bred, and rehomed, and brought in from another state, without a Propagating Permit, an importation permit, or any other Commission authorization, the same as the fancy rat already kept across the Commonwealth. A short clarification letter or declaratory ruling would settle the question for responsible owners.

Thank you for your time.

[Your name]
[Your county / contact information]

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