United States Circus Legislation
Local Restrictions Governing Traveling Shows and Circuses in the U.S.
California
Corona - Bans wild or exotic animal displays.
Encinitas - Bans wild or exotic animal displays.
Huntington Beach - Bans display of exotic animals.
Marin County - Regulates animal acts.
Newport Beach - Proclamation from Mayor that city will not display wild or exotic animals for entertainment.
Pasadena - Bans display of wild or exotic animals and rodeos on city property; restricts displays of domestic animals.
Rohnert Park - Bans wild or exotic animal displays.
Santa Ana - Bans wild or exotic animal displays.
Colorado
Boulder - Bans display of exotic animals.
Estes Park - Bans exhibition of wildlife.
Connecticut
Stamford - Bans carnivals, circuses, and wild west shows.
Florida
Hollywood - Bans animal displays.
Lauderdale Lakes - Bans exhibition of wild and exotic animals.
Pompano Beach - Bans animal displays on City property except for educational purposes; regulates display of animals on private property.
Hawaii
Maui County - Bans the display of cetaceans (whales and dolphins).
Indiana
St. John - Bans performing animal exhibitions.
Maryland
Takoma Park - Bans animal displays.
Massachusetts
Braintree - Town meeting members voted not to allow displays of non-domesticated animals for entertainment.
Provincetown - Bans the display of wild animals for entertainment.
Quincy - Bans the use of wild animals in circuses, carnivals, and competitive events.
Revere - Bans the display of wild animals for entertainment.
Weymouth - Bans circuses with animal acts.
Missouri
Richmond - Bans wild or exotic animal displays.
New York
Greenburgh - Bans wild or exotic animals from circuses; prohibits all rodeos on town property; bans exotic and wild animal species from "parades, carnivals, races, rides, public shows, trade shows, photo opportunities, or similar undertakings in which animals perform tricks, fight or participate in performances for amusement."
Southampton - Bans wild or exotic animal displays.
Wallkill - Bans public contact with exotic cats and bears.
North Carolina
Chapel Hill - Prohibits the display of wild and exotic animals.
Orange County - Bans the display of wild or exotic animals.
Vermont
Burlington - Bans the display of wild or exotic animals.
Virginia
Fairfax - Regulates public display of animals.
Fairfax County - Bans physical contact between people and exhibited exotic animals. Elephants used for rides are exempted.
Spotsylvania County - Bans physical contact between people and exhibited exotic animals.
Washington
Redmond - Bans wild or exotic animal displays.
Port Townsend – Bans the display of wild or exotic animals.
Wisconsin
Madison - Bans public displays of cougars and bears.
State Restrictions Governing Traveling Shows and Circuses in the U.S.
ARIZONA
Prohibits any animal on public exhibit or display from coming into contact with the general public. (ARIZ. ADMIN. CODE R12-4-428.)
CALIFORNIA
Requires that all traveling acts notify animal control services 14 days prior to the first performance in a municipality. (CAL. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE § 25989.1.)
DELAWARE
Prohibits direct public contact with wild mammals or reptiles. Thus, photo-ops with these animals are prohibited. However, public contact with elephants is allowed. (DEL. CODE REG. §13-100-012 and policy.)
FLORIDA
Public contact with exhibited wild animals is permitted only if there is an experienced handler present with the exhibited animal. However public contact is permitted with leopards, lions, tigers, and jaguars weighing under 25 pounds; great apes less than 6 months of age and weight not more than 25 pounds; and gibbons and siamangs not less than 4 months of age and not more than 2 years of age. (FLA. ADMIN. CODE ANN. R. 68A-6.0023.)
GEORGIA
Prohibits direct public contact between the public and any animal identified as inherently dangerous. Inherently dangerous animals includes but is not limited to wolves, bears, primates, elephants, large cats, crocodiles. Thus, no photo-ops with inherently dangerous animals or elephant rides. Also, each non-resident circus or exhibitor must notify the Department of Natural Resources at least 5 days prior to entering the state or provide an annual itinerary or list of dates and locations for appearances in Georgia. (GA. CODE ANN. § 27-5-6 and policy.)
MAINE
Prohibits public contact with potentially dangerous wildlife. This does not include elephant rides. (CODE ME. R. § 09-137-007.)
MASSACHUSETTS
Prohibits direct public contact with exhibited animals that pose a safety risk to the public. These animals include cats, primates, bears, and all other carnivore species. However, public contact with elephants is not prohibited. (Policy.)
MISSISSIPPI
Prohibits direct public contact with exhibited animals defined as inherently dangerous. Inherently dangerous animals includes, but is not limited to, primates, bears, wolves, and large cats. Thus, no photo-ops and leash walking of inherently dangerous animals. However, public contact with elephants is permitted. (CSMS 19-000-069 – Public Notice N. 3523.002.)
MISSOURI
Prohibits direct public contact with Class II wildlife. Class II wildlife includes copperhead snakes, cottonmouth snakes, timber rattlesnakes, pygmy rattlesnakes, massasauga rattlesnakes, mountain lions or mountain lion-hybirds, wolves or wolf-hybrids and black bears or black bear-hybrids. (MO. CODE REGS. ANN. tit 3, § 10-9, 220.)
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Prohibits public contact with wildlife except by a person who is licensed by the state. Thus, no elephant rides and photo opportunities where the general public is holding or touching an animal. (N.H. CODE ADMIN. R FIS 810.01.)
NEW JERSEY
Prohibits public contact with exhibited exotic and nongame wildlife. Thus, no photo-ops, leash walking or hand-feeding of these animals. However, elephant rides are banned only for animals with a history of injuring people. (Policy.)
PENNSYLVANIA
Prohibits public contact with wildlife. Wildlife does not include chimpanzees and elephants if these animals are under the immediate control of a handler. Covers photos and walking on leash. (58 PA. CODE § 147.282.)
SOUTH CAROLINA
Prohibits public displays of marine mammals. (S.C. CODE ANN. § 50-5-2310.) Circuses shall not be licensed for a time exceeding 48 hours at one place in any one year. (S.C. CODE ANN. § 52-1-30.)
TENNESSEE
Public contact with Class I animals is prohibited except that public contact with lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, and bears is permitted only with animal who are under twenty-five (25) pounds in weight and less than three (3) months of age. Class I wildlife includes large cats, great apes, wolves, bears, rhinoceroses, hippopotamus, crocodiles, alligators, poisonous snakes, and poisonous amphibians. (TENN. COMP. R. & REGS. 1660-1-18.04.)
VIRGINIA
Prohibits public contact with dangerous reptiles and amphibians. (Policy.)
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