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Are Quaker Parrots Legal in Your State? Monk Parakeet Laws, All 50

By Bird Cage ReviewPublished 4 min readHow we research

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Twelve states ban the Quaker parrot, also called the monk parakeet, as a pet: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Idaho, Kansas and Rhode Island allow one only with a state permit, and New York, Ohio and Virginia allow them with conditions. The other 32 states and DC have no state rule on the bird. Choose your state below to see what the law says and read the regulation itself; every restriction links to the rule we read. Local ordinances can be stricter, so check your city or county too.

Can you own a Quaker parrot in your state?

Texas

No state restriction

No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

State law only. Cities, counties and homeowners' associations can add their own pet rules, and federal law and airline rules apply when you move a bird. Quaker parrot and monk parakeet are the same species, Myiopsitta monachus.

Quaker parrot (monk parakeet) laws, all 50 states and DC

12

States that ban them as pets

3

Permit required

Idaho, Kansas, Rhode Island

3

Legal with conditions

New York, Ohio, Virginia

32

No state restriction

plus DC

Banned as a pet: a private owner cannot get one legally today, though some states let existing birds stay. Permit required: legal with the state's written permission. Legal with conditions: no permit, but a rule applies (no release, clipped wings or a closed band). No state restriction: no state rule names the bird.

Showing 51 of 51 jurisdictions

  • AlabamaAL
    No state restriction

    Not on Alabama's list of restricted imported wildlife.

    Rule
    Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.26

    Source: Read the rule: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.26

  • AlaskaAK
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • ArizonaAZ
    No state restriction

    Not on Arizona's restricted live wildlife list.

    Rule
    A.A.C. Title 12, Ch. 4, Art. 4

    Source: Read the rule: A.A.C. Title 12, Ch. 4, Art. 4

  • ArkansasAR
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • CaliforniaCA
    Banned as a pet

    Listed as a 'detrimental' restricted species, a threat to native wildlife or agriculture. Importing, transporting or possessing one needs a state restricted species permit, and the permits are for zoos, breeders, exhibitors, research and similar uses.

    Exceptions
    The only care permit for private keepers covers animals legally held in California before January 1992.
    Rule
    14 CCR 671(c)(1)(M)

    Source: Read the rule: 14 CCR 671(c)(1)(M)

  • ColoradoCO
    Banned as a pet

    A prohibited species: all other parrots are unregulated, but the monk parakeet is not allowed in Colorado.

    Rule
    CPW Regulation Chapter W-0, #008; Chapter W-11, #1103

    Source: Read the rule: CPW Regulation Chapter W-0, #008; Chapter W-11, #1103

  • ConnecticutCT
    Banned as a pet

    A Category Two wild animal, the same list as crocodilians and venomous snakes. Only veterinarians, zoos, parks, nature centers, museums, exhibitors and research facilities may import or possess one.

    Rule
    Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 26-55-6

    Source: Read the rule: Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 26-55-6

  • DelawareDE
    No state restriction

    Delaware's exotic animal program exempts all birds from permits.

    Rule
    Delaware Department of Agriculture exotic animals

    Source: Read the rule: Delaware Department of Agriculture exotic animals

  • District of ColumbiaDC
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • FloridaFL
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • GeorgiaGA
    Banned as a pet

    A regulated wild animal since December 4, 2022. Wild animal licenses go to dealers and exhibitors and cannot be issued for pet ownership.

    Exceptions
    Anyone keeping monk parakeets under a wild animal license that was current on December 4, 2022 may keep them under that license.
    Rule
    Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-8 (wild animal rules, Dec 4, 2022)

    Source: Read the rule: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-8 (wild animal rules, Dec 4, 2022)

  • HawaiiHI
    Banned as a pet

    On Hawaii's prohibited animal list; prohibited animals cannot be imported.

    Rule
    HAR § 4-71-6 (List of Prohibited Animals)

    Source: Read the rule: HAR § 4-71-6 (List of Prohibited Animals)

  • IdahoID
    Permit required

    Listed as an invasive species. Possessing, importing or transporting one requires a state possession permit, granted case by case.

    Rule
    IDAPA 02.06.09, Sections 120 and 122

    Source: Read the rule: IDAPA 02.06.09, Sections 120 and 122

  • IllinoisIL
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • IndianaIN
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • IowaIA
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • KansasKS
    Permit required

    Importation, possession and release are prohibited except under a wildlife importation permit from the Secretary.

    Rule
    K.A.R. 115-18-10(a)(13)

    Source: Read the rule: K.A.R. 115-18-10(a)(13)

  • KentuckyKY
    Banned as a pet

    Listed among exotic wildlife that may not be imported, transported into Kentucky or possessed because it is potentially injurious to native ecosystems. Kentucky's general exemption for parrots names the monk parakeet as the exception.

    Exceptions
    Accredited zoos, and a commissioner's exemption for limited types of facilities.
    Rule
    301 KAR 2:082, Section 4

    Source: Read the rule: 301 KAR 2:082, Section 4

  • LouisianaLA
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • MaineME
    Banned as a pet

    A prohibited species under Maine's wildlife importation rules.

    Exceptions
    Research institutions, under § 7.06(2).
    Rule
    09-137 CMR ch. 7, § 7.18

    Source: Read the rule: 09-137 CMR ch. 7, § 7.18

  • MarylandMD
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • MassachusettsMA
    No state restriction

    Parrots (Psittacidae) are on the list of birds that may be kept without a permit.

    Rule
    321 CMR 9.01

    Source: Read the rule: 321 CMR 9.01

  • MichiganMI
    No state restriction

    Not on Michigan's prohibited and restricted species lists.

    Rule
    NREPA Part 413

    Source: Read the rule: NREPA Part 413

  • MinnesotaMN
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • MississippiMS
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • MissouriMO
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • MontanaMT
    No state restriction

    Montana lists parrots (Psittacidae) as noncontrolled exotic birds.

    Rule
    MCA 87-5-706

    Source: Read the rule: MCA 87-5-706

  • NebraskaNE
    No state restriction

    No permit is needed for non-native pets such as parrots; animals brought from another state must be on Nebraska's import list.

    Rule
    Nebraska Game and Parks captive wildlife rules

    Source: Read the rule: Nebraska Game and Parks captive wildlife rules

  • NevadaNV
    No state restriction

    Not on Nevada's list of prohibited live wildlife.

    Rule
    NAC 503.110

    Source: Read the rule: NAC 503.110

  • New HampshireNH
    No state restriction

    Parrots (Psittaciformes) are non-controlled species and need no importation permit.

    Rule
    N.H. Admin. R. Fis 803.03

    Source: Read the rule: N.H. Admin. R. Fis 803.03

  • New JerseyNJ
    Banned as a pet

    A potentially dangerous species. A permit can be issued only to experienced applicants, and the rule says potentially dangerous species may not be kept as a pet or for hobby purposes.

    Rule
    N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8 and 7:25-4.9

    Source: Read the rule: N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.8 and 7:25-4.9

  • New MexicoNM
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • New YorkNY
    Legal with conditions

    A regulated invasive species: legal to possess, buy, sell, breed and transport, but illegal to release.

    Rule
    6 NYCRR § 575.4

    Source: Read the rule: 6 NYCRR § 575.4

  • North CarolinaNC
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • North DakotaND
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • OhioOH
    Legal with conditions

    Designated a dangerously harmful plant pest. You may keep one only if its wings are clipped and kept clipped, or it is otherwise incapable of free flight.

    Exceptions
    Or with authorization from the director of agriculture.
    Rule
    Ohio Admin. Code 901:5-42-01

    Source: Read the rule: Ohio Admin. Code 901:5-42-01

  • OklahomaOK
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • OregonOR
    No state restriction

    Not on Oregon's prohibited species list.

    Rule
    OAR 635-056-0050

    Source: Read the rule: OAR 635-056-0050

  • PennsylvaniaPA
    Banned as a pet

    Unlawful to import, possess, sell, offer for sale or release.

    Rule
    58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(9)

    Source: Read the rule: 58 Pa. Code § 137.1(a)(9)

  • Rhode IslandRI
    Permit required

    Most parrots need no permit, but the monk parakeet is the named exception and needs an exotic animal possession permit.

    Rule
    250-RICR-40-05-3

    Source: Read the rule: 250-RICR-40-05-3

  • South CarolinaSC
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • South DakotaSD
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • TennesseeTN
    Banned as a pet

    Class V wildlife, which state law allows to be held only in zoos.

    Rule
    Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1660-01-18-.03; Tenn. Code § 70-4-403(5)

    Source: Read the rule: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1660-01-18-.03; Tenn. Code § 70-4-403(5)

  • TexasTX
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • UtahUT
    No state restriction

    Utah's rule lists parrots not native to North America as noncontrolled birds.

    Rule
    Utah Admin. Code R657-3

    Source: Read the rule: Utah Admin. Code R657-3

  • VermontVT
    No state restriction

    Not among the exceptions to Vermont's unrestricted wild animal list, which are the species needing an importation and possession permit.

    Rule
    10 V.S.A. App. § 18; VFWD exceptions list

    Source: Read the rule: 10 V.S.A. App. § 18; VFWD exceptions list

  • VirginiaVA
    Legal with conditions

    On Virginia's list of nonnative animals that need a permit, with an exception: no permit is needed for a monk parakeet that was captive bred and wears a closed band with no seam (a seamless band, in the rule's words).

    Rule
    4VAC15-30-40(C)

    Source: Read the rule: 4VAC15-30-40(C)

  • WashingtonWA
    No state restriction

    Not on Washington's prohibited species list.

    Rule
    WAC 220-640-030

    Source: Read the rule: WAC 220-640-030

  • West VirginiaWV
    No state restriction

    No state law or rule naming the monk parakeet turned up in our search of official sources.

  • WisconsinWI
    Banned as a pet

    A prohibited invasive species: no one may transport, possess, transfer or introduce one.

    Exceptions
    Pets legally obtained and in Wisconsin before the species was listed may be kept but not released, and their offspring may not be transferred. DNR permits cover research, public display and other purposes it specifies.
    Rule
    Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04(2)(f)1 and (3)

    Source: Read the rule: Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04(2)(f)1 and (3)

  • WyomingWY
    Banned as a pet

    Importation is prohibited, and Wyoming Game and Fish lists it as a prohibited bird.

    Rule
    WGFD Chapter 10 regulation

    Source: Read the rule: WGFD Chapter 10 regulation

Each restriction is linked to the statute or regulation we read, checked Oct 12, 2026. For 19 of the unrestricted states and DC we found no rule naming the bird in a search of official sources rather than reading a full species list; the cards say which. Not legal advice; rules change, so confirm with your state wildlife or agriculture agency before buying.

The short answer

RuleStates
Banned as a petCalifornia, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Wyoming
State permit requiredIdaho, Kansas, Rhode Island
Legal with conditionsNew York (no release), Ohio (clipped wings or flightless), Virginia (captive bred with a closed band that has no seam)
No state restrictionThe other 32 states and DC

Why states regulate one parrot

No state bans cockatiels, so why this bird? The regulations say it plainly. California lists the monk parakeet as a "detrimental" animal, its term for species that threaten native wildlife or agriculture. Kentucky lists it among exotic wildlife "potentially injurious to native ecosystems." Idaho, Wisconsin and New York regulate it as an invasive species, and Ohio's Department of Agriculture classifies it as a dangerously harmful plant pest. The concern behind every one of these rules is the same: escaped birds establishing themselves in the wild.

Birds that were already here

Several bans let existing birds stay. Georgia added the monk parakeet to its wild animal list on December 4, 2022, but anyone holding a current wild animal license for the birds on that date may keep them under the license. Wisconsin lets pets that were legally owned and in the state before the species was listed stay, but they may not be released and their offspring may not be transferred. California's only private-keeper permit covers animals held legally in the state before January 1992. None of these exceptions helps someone buying a bird today.

The three states with conditions

  • New York lists the monk parakeet as a regulated invasive species, which its rule says is legal to possess, buy, sell, breed and transport. Releasing one is illegal.
  • Ohio allows one only if its wings are clipped and kept clipped, or it otherwise cannot fly free, unless the director of agriculture authorizes otherwise.
  • Virginia puts the monk parakeet on its list of nonnative animals needing a permit, but exempts birds that were captive bred and wear a closed band with no seam.

Where other lists go wrong

The list most often repeated online says Quaker parrots are illegal in 13 states. It includes Kansas and Rhode Island, where the bird is legal with a state permit, and it leaves out New Jersey, whose rules put the monk parakeet on the potentially dangerous species list and say such species may not be kept as pets or for hobby purposes. We read each state's own rule; where a state has no rule naming the bird, the card says whether we read the state's full species list or found nothing in a search of official sources.

Before you buy or move

Bringing a Quaker into a state that bans it is importing a prohibited species, and the grandfather clauses above cover only birds already in the state. If you are moving, check the destination state's rule first. If you are buying in a permit or conditions state, get the permit, band record or breeder paperwork before the bird comes home. A Quaker is a conure-sized bird, so our conure cage guide and size guide by species cover the cage, and the bird toxins database covers what to keep away from it.

How we built this

For each of the 18 states that restrict the bird, we read the statute or regulation itself, linked on its card, on October 12, 2026. For 13 states with no restriction we read the state's full prohibited, restricted or exempt species list; for the other 19 states and DC we searched official state sources for the species and found no rule naming it. This is a summary of state law, not legal advice, and wildlife rules change; your state's wildlife or agriculture agency has the final word.

Frequently asked questions

Why are Quaker parrots illegal in some states?

States regulate them as a threat to agriculture and native wildlife. Their concern is escaped birds establishing themselves in the wild. California calls them detrimental animals, and Ohio classifies them as a dangerously harmful plant pest.

Are Quaker parrots legal in California?

No. California lists the monk parakeet as a detrimental restricted species, and its restricted species permits go to zoos, breeders, exhibitors and researchers. The only private care permit covers birds held legally in California before January 1992.

Are Quaker parrots legal in Texas and Florida?

We found no Texas or Florida state rule naming the monk parakeet, so they are not restricted at the state level in either state. Check your city or county ordinances.

Do I need a permit for a Quaker parrot?

In Idaho, Kansas and Rhode Island, yes. Virginia requires one unless the bird was captive bred and wears a closed band with no seam. Other states either ban the bird or do not regulate it.

Can I bring my Quaker parrot if I move to a state that bans them?

Generally no. Bringing one in is importing a prohibited species. Grandfather clauses in Georgia, Wisconsin and California cover only birds that were already legally in those states when the rule took effect.

Is a Quaker parrot the same as a monk parakeet?

Yes. Quaker parrot and monk parakeet are two common names for Myiopsitta monachus, and state rules usually use monk parakeet or the scientific name.

Sources

  1. 14 CCR § 671, Importation, Transportation and Possession of Live Restricted Animals, Cornell Legal Information Institute
  2. Restricted Species Permits, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
  3. Wildlife Possession, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
  4. Wild Animal Rules (effective Dec 4, 2022), Georgia Department of Natural Resources
  5. N.J.A.C. 7:25-4.9, Criteria for the possession of potentially dangerous species, Cornell Legal Information Institute
  6. 6 NYCRR § 575.4, Regulated invasive species, Cornell Legal Information Institute
  7. Ohio Admin. Code 901:5-42-01, Destructive or dangerously harmful plant pests, Cornell Legal Information Institute
  8. 4VAC15-30-40, Importation requirements, possession and sale of nonnative (exotic) animals, Virginia Law
  9. Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04, Prohibited invasive species, Wisconsin Legislature

Cover photo: caturrita, cotorra argentina, monk parakeet, perriche veuve by ivesklein, CC BY 4.0, via inaturalist. Cropped.

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