Is it legal to own a serval in Missouri?
The short answer
Yes at the state level. Missouri's dangerous wild animal list names lions, tigers, leopards, ocelots, jaguars, cheetahs, margays, mountain lions, Canada lynx, bobcats, jaguarundis, hyenas, wolves, bears, primates, and venomous reptiles — the serval isn't on it, so no state registration applies. Local ordinances are the constraint.
What Missouri law says
RSMo §578.023 works by explicit list; servals fall outside it and outside MDC's native-wildlife permitting.
Which agency regulates servals in Missouri
No state agency regulates serval (Leptailurus serval) possession in Missouri — 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; local penalties where ordinances apply.
Local city and county rules
St. Louis and Kansas City restrict exotic cats — verify your municipal code.
Legal alternatives in Missouri
- Sugar Glider in Missouri — A palm-sized gliding marsupial, legal in most states but banned in a handful of cities and states.
Frequently asked questions
Missouri registers ocelots but not servals?
Correct — the statute lists ocelots, margays, and jaguarundis by name but not servals, another example of species lists that don't map to intuitions. We verified against the current statutory text.
Are Savannah cats legal in Missouri?
Yes — hybrids of domestic cats aren't on the list, and later generations are treated as domestic.
Sources
More animals in Missouri
- Is it legal to own a raccoon in Missouri?
- Is it legal to own a monkey in Missouri?
- Is it legal to own a fennec fox in Missouri?
See all animals on the exotic pet laws in Missouri page, or compare every state on the pet serval laws by state page.
Last verified 2026-07-03 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.