Is it legal to own a serval in Illinois?
The short answer
Surprisingly, yes at the state level. Illinois's Dangerous Animals statute lists lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, lynx, bobcat, and jaguarundi — but not the serval. That leaves servals outside the state ban, though Chicago and other municipalities prohibit wild cats locally. (Several websites wrongly claim servals are banned statewide — the statutory list says otherwise.)
What Illinois law says
720 ILCS 5/48-10(a) defines 'dangerous animal' by an explicit species list, and servals aren't on it. Non-native cats outside the list aren't covered by IDNR's native-wildlife permits either. The practical constraints are municipal ordinances and civil liability.
Which agency regulates servals in Illinois
No state agency regulates serval (Leptailurus serval) possession in Illinois — authority rests with local animal control. See the state wildlife agency for related rules.
Is there a permit for pet servals?
No permit is required at the state level.
Penalties and enforcement
None at the state level for ownership. Local ordinance violations carry municipal penalties; escape or injury creates serious civil exposure.
Local city and county rules
Chicago bans wild cats outright, and many suburbs follow. Outside those, verify your municipal code — this is a state-level gap, not a statewide green light.
Legal alternatives in Illinois
- Fennec Fox in Illinois — The world's smallest fox — and one of the few foxes legal to own in several U.S. states.
- Sugar Glider in Illinois — A palm-sized gliding marsupial, legal in most states but banned in a handful of cities and states.
Frequently asked questions
Why do so many sites say servals are illegal in Illinois?
They conflate the serval with the listed species (ocelot, margay, jaguarundi) in 720 ILCS 5/48-10. The statutory list simply doesn't include servals — we verified against the current text.
Are Savannah cats legal in Illinois?
Yes — domestic hybrids aren't dangerous animals under the statute, and later-generation Savannahs are treated as domestic cats even in many stricter municipalities.
Sources
More animals in Illinois
- Is it legal to own a raccoon in Illinois?
- Is it legal to own a monkey in Illinois?
- Is it legal to own a fennec fox in Illinois?
See all animals on the exotic pet laws in Illinois page, or compare every state on the pet serval laws by state page.
Last verified 2026-07-02 against the cited primary sources. This is a research directory, not legal advice — confirm current rules with your local animal-control authority before acquiring any animal.