Are Pet Monkeys Legal In Texas?

Most of us in the Lone Star state have pets.  The most exotic animal my family owned was a rabbit.  I know... not very exotic.  However, Shapoppy (yes, named after the song in "The Music Man" or the episode of "Family Guy" - that depends on how old you are) was a great and fun pet.  Another great and potentially fun pet is a monkey.  I'm talking about the small monkeys, of course, think more the monkey from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," than the chimp pushed to the edge in the movie "Nope."

Is legal to own a pet monkey in Texas? Well, our crack research team found out from The A-Z Animals website...

"You can legally own a monkey in Texas. Texans also don’t need an exotic pet license to buy a monkey, making ownership extremely easy in the Lone Star state. This blanketing somewhat extends to other primates, including lemurs, which can also be legal pets. Only dangerous animals in Texas require oversight or may be prohibited.

Many states in the US have slipshod laws regarding the sale and ownership of monkeys, and Texas is one of them. The question of whether you can own a monkey in Texas is more of an ethical one than legal, for now."

So there you go - to break down that quote - you can own a monkey - but should you? Would you be able to give the monkey the proper environment to become a happy monkey and a good pet? If you answer "yes" to both of those questions...you may be a have a very useful pet monkey in your future.