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

Keeping / owning   Legal

Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-10

10 V.S.A. §4709 bars possessing any wild animal without a Fish & Wildlife permit, but Reg. 881 (10 App. V.S.A. §18) exempts any species on the Unrestricted Wild Animal List. The July 2025 list names Rattus rattus to the exact species level (Genus Rattus / species rattus, common name ‘Domesticated rat’), so no importation or possession permit is required to keep a roof rat. The earlier ‘is rat = which species?’ ambiguity is fully resolved by the explicit listing.

Sources: Vermont General Assembly, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department

Breeding   Legal

Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-10

Breeding roof rats is unregulated at the state level. Because R. rattus is on the Unrestricted List it falls outside the wild-animal permit scheme, and Vermont’s commercial breeder law applies only to other species: a ‘Pet Dealer’ (20 V.S.A. §3901(7)) is defined strictly as someone selling cats, dogs, or wolf-hybrids from three or more litters, rodents are deliberately omitted, so a home breeder of any scale never triggers municipal Pet Dealer permitting. Commercial-scale sale from a storefront is handled under the Pet Shop license (see sell_give); federal USDA/AWA licensing can apply to wholesale/sight-unseen sales (see United States).

Sources: Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Vermont General Assembly, Vermont General Assembly

Selling or giving away   Legal with a permit

Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-10

Private/face-to-face sales and giveaways are unregulated: a roof rat breeder is exempt from the Pet Dealer rule (rodents excluded, 20 V.S.A. §3901(7)) AND from the Pet Shop rule when selling ‘from a private dwelling’ (20 V.S.A. §3901(11) explicitly excludes a private dwelling from the Pet Shop definition). Only a non-residential retail operation, a storefront, a flea-market booth, or a detached commercial building, is a ‘Pet Shop’ (rodents ARE included in that definition) and needs a state Pet Shop License with inspection. Status is set to legal_with_permit to capture that commercial-storefront layer; ordinary hobbyist placement needs no license. (Federal USDA/AWA licensing applies to wholesale/sight-unseen sales, see United States.)

Sources: Vermont General Assembly, Vermont General Assembly

Transport & import   Legal

Confidence: High · Last verified 2026-06-10

Because R. rattus is on the Unrestricted Wild Animal List, no Fish & Wildlife import permit is needed to bring or move one into/within Vermont (10 V.S.A. §4709; Reg. 881). The list’s ‘(Captive Bred Only)’ tag, which would trigger a statement-of-origin/CVI, is applied species-by-species and is NOT placed on either Rattus line, so no CVI is mandated by Fish & Wildlife for a pet roof rat. VAAFM’s domestic-animal import rule (Rule #98074) requires a CVI in practice mainly for livestock, poultry, and rabies-vector species (dogs/cats/ferrets); private small companion rodents are not subject to border CVI enforcement. Never release a roof rat.

Sources: Vermont General Assembly, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

• If selling only from your private dwelling: no Pet Shop license needed, you’re statutorily exempt.
• If operating any non-residential retail space (storefront, flea-market booth, detached building): apply for a Pet Shop License and pass the pre-licensing inspection.
• Confirm which agency currently processes the application during the Act 167 transition (legacy VAAFM Animal Health vs. the new DPS Division of Animal Welfare).

Where: Vermont Pet Shop licensing, currently transitioning from VAAFM (Animal Health Section) to the DPS Division of Animal Welfare (Act 167, phased 2024–2025) · Fees: Pet Shop license historically ~$150/yr (plus inspection); civil penalties up to $1,000/violation under Act 167. No fee for private-dwelling sales.

Source: Vermont General Assembly, Vermont General Assembly

• Provide food, water, shelter, and veterinary care
• Never release or abandon a roof rat, rehome or surrender responsibly

Source: Vermont General Assembly