Roof Rat Laws › United States › Texas
Summary. Texas does not regulate keeping, breeding, or selling pet roof rats at the state level, now confirmed in writing by TPWD (June 2026): as a non-native exotic rodent, Rattus rattus falls outside TPWD’s ‘nongame’ wildlife rules (indigenous species only), the ‘dangerous wild animal’ law, and TAHC’s ‘exotic livestock’ (hooved-animal) entry rules. A retail storefront still needs the local city’s pet-shop license, wholesale/sight-unseen sales trigger federal USDA licensing, and international movement is federally restricted (roof rats are ‘wildlife’). Releasing one is illegal.
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.- Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (Wildlife Permits Office), written reply June 2026: because roof rats (Rattus rattus) are not native to Texas, no TPWD permit is required to keep them. All TPWD permits regulate the possession, transport, and display of native/indigenous species only, so a non-native roof rat is entirely outside TPWD’s permit scope.
Local city & county rules
Status by activity
Keeping / owning Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-06
Texas regulates exotic-pet possession by banning specific hazardous species, not by a permit list. Rattus rattus is a non-native rodent, so it is outside TPWD’s ‘nongame’ wildlife rules (which cover only species INDIGENOUS to Texas, TPWC §67.001) and is not a listed ‘dangerous wild animal’ (Health & Safety Code ch. 822). No state possession permit is required. (Local ordinances may cap how many pets a household may keep.)
Sources: Texas Statutes, Texas Statutes
Breeding Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-06
There is no Texas breeder license for rodents, the Dog or Cat Breeders Act (Occupations Code ch. 802) covers only dogs and cats. Hobby and commercial rat breeding are unregulated by the state. (Federal USDA licensing still applies to WHOLESALE or sight-unseen sales, see United States.)
Sources: Texas Statutes
Selling or giving away Legal
Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-06
Selling or giving roof rats is unregulated by the state: the TPWD Commercial Nongame Dealer permit applies only to INDIGENOUS wildlife (31 TAC §65.325), so it doesn’t cover non-native rats. Two layers still apply: a retail storefront needs the local city’s pet-shop license, and wholesale or sight-unseen sales trigger federal USDA licensing (see United States).
Sources: Texas Parks & Wildlife, Texas Statutes
Transport & import Legal
Confidence: Medium · Last verified 2026-06-06
Within Texas and across state lines, no state permit or health certificate is required for pet rats: rodents are exempt from TAHC’s ‘exotic livestock’ entry rules (those cover hooved animals) and from the DSHS rabies transport ban (rodents are low-risk). Airlines typically require a vet health certificate to fly. International import/export is restricted at the FEDERAL level (USFWS Form 3-177; CDC African-rodent ban), see United States.
Sources: TAHC, Texas DSHS
Restrictions & responsibilities
- Check your city’s animal-establishment / pet-shop licensing if running a storefront
Where: Your city’s animal control / code enforcement · Fees: Set locally
Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife
Source: Texas Statutes
Official sources
- Tex. Parks & Wildlife Code §67.001, ‘nongame’ = species INDIGENOUS to Texas (excludes R. rattus), Texas Statutes
- Tex. Health & Safety Code ch. 822, Dangerous Wild Animals (rats not listed), Texas Statutes
- Tex. Occupations Code ch. 802, Dog or Cat Breeders Act (dogs/cats only), Texas Statutes
- 31 TAC §65.325 / TPWD Commercial Nongame, applies only to indigenous wildlife, Texas Parks & Wildlife
- Texas Animal Health Commission, Entry Requirements (rodents/pocket pets exempt from CVI), TAHC
- 25 TAC §169 / DSHS, rabies transport ban (foxes/skunks/coyotes/raccoons only; rodents low-risk), Texas DSHS
- Tex. Penal Code §42.092, Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals (abandonment), Texas Statutes
Search terms: Rattus rattus, roof rat, black rat, ship rat, rata negra, rata de los tejados.
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.