No, in almost every part of the United States you cannot own a bat as a pet. Federal law protects endangered bat species and tightly restricts importing and moving bats across state lines, and the vast majority of states ban private individuals from possessing native bats at all. Permits do exist in some places, but they are written for licensed wildlife rehabilitators, researchers, and educators. Wanting a bat as a companion is not a qualifying reason, and applications filed on that basis are denied.
Why Native Bats Are Off-Limits
Several U.S. bat species are protected under the Endangered Species Act, including the Indiana bat and the gray bat, both listed as endangered.1U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) The northern long-eared bat was reclassified from threatened to endangered in 2023 after severe population losses from white-nose syndrome.2Federal Register. Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat
The statute uses the word “take” to describe what’s prohibited, and the definition is broad. It covers capturing, harming, harassing, and collecting a listed species, along with any attempt to do so. You do not need to kill an endangered bat to violate the law. Removing one from a roost or keeping one in a cage counts.3U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Endangered Species Act
Bats that aren’t federally listed usually still fall under state wildlife protection. Most states classify bats as protected wildlife and prohibit private possession outright. Where permits are theoretically available, they go to wildlife rehabilitators, zoos, accredited educational programs, and scientific researchers. Cities and counties can layer on their own bans, so a species that state law tolerates may still be illegal locally.
Why Imported Bats Aren’t a Workaround
Some prospective owners look at non-native species, hoping to sidestep U.S. wildlife protection. That path is blocked at several points.
The CDC restricts the importation of all live bats into the United States because of the public health risks they carry. Anyone trying to bring one in has to apply through the CDC’s Electronic Import Permit Program and submit detailed standard operating procedures for housing, handling, and quarantine.4Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Importation of Bats Questions A separate U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit is also required.5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additional Requirements – Import Permit Program
On top of that, the Lacey Act classifies all 65 species of fruit bats in the genus Pteropus, commonly called flying foxes, as injurious wildlife. That designation has been in place since 1952 and makes it illegal to import these animals into the United States or transport them across state lines.6U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Summary of Species Currently Listed as Injurious Wildlife Under (18 USC 42) Lacey Act A violation can bring up to six months in federal prison.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 42 – Importation or Shipment of Injurious Mammals, Birds, Fish
Bat species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) add another layer. International trade requires export permits from the country of origin, and species on CITES Appendix I need both an import and an export permit, with commercial trade effectively banned.8U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. CITES Appendices
The Egyptian Fruit Bat Question
The one species that periodically surfaces in the exotic pet trade is the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). It belongs to a different genus than the banned Pteropus flying foxes, so the Lacey Act’s injurious wildlife rule does not reach it.
Not federally banned is a long way from legal. State wildlife laws still apply, and most states either prohibit any bat as a pet or require permits that private individuals cannot realistically get. States that do allow it can impose cage specifications, veterinary care requirements, and reporting obligations. Your state wildlife agency is the only reliable source for what your jurisdiction actually permits.
Who Actually Gets a Bat Permit
Permits, where they exist, are built around a professional purpose backed by documentation. Rehabilitators log supervised hours at licensed centers. Educators submit outreach plans. Research facilities present approved study protocols. Facilities are inspected before a permit is issued, and enclosures must allow flight, control temperature and humidity, and prevent escape. Anyone exhibiting bats publicly also needs a USDA Class C Exhibitor license under the Animal Welfare Act, which involves a veterinary care plan and a pre-licensing inspection.9USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. New License Application – Exhibitor Handlers must also carry proof of pre-exposure rabies immunization.
None of this is available to someone whose purpose is companionship.
Rabies Is the Reason
Rabies drives nearly every bat ownership restriction in the country. Between 1960 and 2018, roughly 70% of the human rabies cases acquired in the United States were traced to bat exposures.10Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notes from the Field – Three Human Rabies Deaths Attributed to Bat Exposures, August 2021 Bat teeth are small enough that a bite may leave no visible mark, and the CDC treats even proximity without confirmed contact, such as waking up with a bat in the room, as a potential exposure warranting evaluation for post-exposure treatment.11Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Assessment of Risk for Exposure to Bats in Sleeping Quarters
Medical providers are required to report potential rabies exposures to local health authorities, typically within 24 hours. A bat bite cannot be handled quietly, and the report is often how illegal possession comes to light in the first place.
What Happens If You Keep One Anyway
The most immediate consequence of getting caught is losing the animal. There is no approved way to test a live animal for rabies. The only definitive method requires examining brain tissue after death.12Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Laboratory Methods for Rabies Testing If anyone had contact with the bat, health authorities will not wait for symptoms.
Legal penalties come at two levels.
Under the Endangered Species Act, a knowing violation involving a protected bat species can bring criminal fines up to $50,000 and up to one year in prison. Civil penalties have been adjusted for inflation and can reach $65,653 per violation.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 US Code 1540 – Penalties and Enforcement14eCFR. Subpart D – Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustments Under the Lacey Act, illegally importing or moving a Pteropus fruit bat across state lines can bring up to six months in prison and a federal fine.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 42 – Importation or Shipment of Injurious Mammals, Birds, Fish
State penalties vary but typically include fines from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. In many states illegal wildlife possession is a misdemeanor, which can carry jail time, probation, and a criminal record. Some states assess civil penalties separately and revoke any existing wildlife permits the violator holds. A single illegally kept bat can generate charges at both levels of government at once.