In What States Is It Legal to Own Piranhas As Pets?

It is legal to own piranhas in some states including Michigan, New Hampshire, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, North and South Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming and Wisconsin. Their sale and possession is banned or regulated in Alabama, Alaska, California, New York, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Florida, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Mississippi, Utah, Texas, Washington, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, Virginia, Idaho, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The federal Lacey Act prohibits the sale and importation of any plant or wildlife taken in violation of the law. Fines in states where their sale is banned can range into tens of thousands of dollars.