Are ferrets legal in Australia?

Ferret rules at a glance

“Yes” means we found no state or territory law against keeping a pet ferret, in the sources named below. “None found” means those sources state no requirement, not that we read every regulation and council local law. The detail is under the law in each state and territory.

What is a ferret?

A ferret is a small, long-bodied carnivore, bred from the European polecat.

• Its family. The Queensland Government says the ferret is a descendant of the polecat and a member of the mustelid family, which includes stoats, weasels, badgers and otters. It says ferrets are native to Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia.
• Its size. The same page gives a body 20 to 45 cm long, a tail of 7 to 15 cm and a weight of up to 2.7 kg.
• Its history. The RSPCA says people have kept ferrets for more than 2,000 years, first to flush out rabbits for hunters and increasingly as pets.
• How many there are. The Queensland Government says up to 150,000 ferrets are kept as pets in Australia.

Laws use different scientific names for the same pet: Mustela putorius furo, Mustela furo or Mustela putorius.

Are ferrets legal in Australia?

There’s no single national rule on keeping a ferret. Each state and territory makes its own. Six allow pet ferrets, one of them with a licence. Two don’t. National law deals with bringing a ferret in from overseas.

Can you bring a ferret into Australia from overseas?

No, not as a pet.

• The pet rule. The agriculture department’s page on unique or exotic pets (updated 29 March 2023) names the animals that may be imported as pets: dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and selected species of birds, from approved countries. It says no other vertebrate animals are approved.
• The list. A live animal has to be on Australia’s live import list to be brought in. The domestic ferret is on Part 2, the part for animals that need an import permit. Its entry reads: “Research only. High security facilities only.” We read the list as in force on 28 January 2026.
• The penalty. Importing an animal on Part 2 without a permit carries up to 10 years in prison, 1,000 penalty units, or both (section 303EK of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, as in force on 24 August 2026). The environment department’s Live Import List page (updated 24 September 2026) puts the fine at up to $364,000 for a person.

Nothing we read gives a pet ferret a way back in after a trip overseas. Ask the agriculture department on 1800 900 090 before you take one out of the country.

The law in each state and territory

We read the law in all eight. Each section says what we found, and which version we read.

Queensland

Banned. The Queensland Government says the ferret is a prohibited invasive animal under the Biosecurity Act 2014 (page updated 24 September 2026). It says you must not keep, move, give away, sell or release one, and that you must report all sightings to Biosecurity Queensland immediately.

• How the law is written: the regulation under the Act makes every mammal that isn’t native to Australia prohibited matter, apart from restricted matter and a list of named animals. That list has the dog, the cat, the guinea pig and the house mouse. It has no ferret (Biosecurity Regulation 2016, section 4 and Schedule 1, Part 4).
• The penalty: the Biosecurity Act 2014’s maximum for dealing with prohibited matter is 1,000 penalty units or 1 year in prison (section 37). Dealing includes keeping, breeding, distributing, importing and transporting. Failing to tell an inspector about prohibited matter you have carries the same maximum (section 36).
• Permits: a Queensland Government risk assessment (first published 2009, updated 2016) says certain entities, such as zoos, can apply for permits to keep ferrets, and that pets are prohibited.
• Who to tell: Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23.

We read the Act and the regulation as in force from 27 April 2026.

Northern Territory

Banned. The Northern Territory Government says it is illegal to import or keep ferrets in the NT. Its page lists ferrets among the animals banned from introduction to the Territory.

• How the law is written: under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976, a vertebrate animal that isn’t native to the Territory is a “prohibited entrant” unless the regulations say otherwise (section 52). The regulations’ list of exempt mammals has the dog, the cat, the guinea pig and domestic rabbits. It has no ferret.
• The penalty: bringing a prohibited entrant into the Territory, having one or releasing one, without authority, carries up to 100 penalty units or 12 months in prison for a person (section 67B).
• Permits: the Act lets a person apply for a permit to bring in or keep a prohibited entrant (section 55). The government’s page says applications are assessed case by case. It also names ferrets as an example of exotic animals that are not allowed.
• Who to tell: Parks and Wildlife’s wildlife operations on 0401 115 702. That’s the 24-hour number on the Territory Government’s wildlife crime page, which says you can report anonymously.

We read the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 and the regulations as in force on 13 September 2025, the current versions on the Territory’s legislation site. The government’s page shows no date.

ACT

Allowed with a licence. The ACT Government says you must have a licence to keep or sell an animal unless it’s on the Exempt List (page updated 15 May 2026). The list’s mammals are the domestic cat and dog, fancy mice and rats, the guinea pig, the llama, the domestic rabbit and stock. The ferret isn’t on it.

• Before you get one: apply for a nature conservation licence. A licence to keep lasts 3 years.
• Selling: a separate licence. The government says a seller must put their licence number in the advertisement, and sell to a person with an appropriate licence. Offering to sell without disclosing the licence and its number carries up to 50 penalty units (section 135 of the Nature Conservation Act 2014).
• Bringing one in or taking one out: a separate licence on every occasion. The government says there’s no fee for hobby purposes.
• Without a licence: keeping, selling, importing or exporting a non-exempt animal each carries up to 100 penalty units, 1 year in prison, or both (sections 133, 134, 136 and 137).
• A mandatory code: the Code of Practice for the Keeping and Breeding of Ferrets in the ACT has applied since 19 July 2024. Its mandatory standards cover vaccination, desexing, companionship, keeping ferrets cool, and never abandoning or releasing one (more below). The code says failing to meet a mandatory standard is an offence.
• Who to ask: Access Canberra Animal Regulation on 02 6207 2959.

We read the version of the Act effective from 26 December 2025, and the exempt list made on 11 May 2026.

Tasmania

Allowed, but none can be brought in. The Tasmanian Government says there are currently no restrictions on keeping, breeding or selling ferrets within Tasmania (page published 19 March 2025). It says ferrets are a prohibited import, and must not be brought in from other states and territories.

• How the law is written: the Nature Conservation Act 2002 makes it an offence to bring a controlled animal into the state without the department secretary’s prior written permission. The fine is up to 10 penalty units for each animal (section 32). The government says the ferret is a controlled animal.
• Letting one loose: causing or allowing a ferret to go at large carries up to 500 penalty units, 5 years in prison, or both, for each animal (section 32).
• Proof of origin: if you have a controlled animal, the Act presumes it was brought in without permission until the contrary is proved. Keep any record of where your ferret came from.
• Who to ask or tell: the Invasive Species Branch on 1300 368 550. To report a ferret in the wild, Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777.

We read the version of the Act current from 27 November 2023.

New South Wales

Allowed. We found no state permit. The Biosecurity Act 2015 prohibits any dealing with a non-native mammal, then lists the animals the ban doesn’t apply to (Schedule 3, Part 2). The ferret is on that list, with the dog, the cat, the guinea pig and the European rabbit.

• What that covers: keeping, buying, selling, breeding and bringing an animal into the state are all dealings (section 12). The ban on them doesn’t apply to ferrets. The word ferret appears once in the Act, in that list.
• What the RSPCA says: its knowledge base (How should I care for my ferrets?) lists ferrets in New South Wales as legal, with no licence required (information current 5 July 2023).

We read the version of the Act in force from 10 June 2026. We didn’t read council rules.

Victoria

Allowed. We found no state permit. Victoria declares pest animals under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Its declared pest animal list makes the weasel family (Mustelidae) a prohibited pest animal, with an exception for Mustela putorius, which it calls the “European Polecat (Ferret)”. The ferret isn’t on the list’s other schedules either.

• Welfare law: Animal Welfare Victoria’s guide to pet ferrets (updated 28 July 2026) says the welfare of all animals, including ferrets, is protected by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.
• Councils: local laws can cap numbers. Surf Coast Shire, for example, lists 4 ferrets without a permit in residential areas and 2 in flats and units. Ask your own council.

We read the list on a page updated 10 September 2026.

South Australia

Allowed, except on Kangaroo Island. South Australia declares animals in classes under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. On the state’s list of declared animals (PDF) (dated 11 September 2024), the domestic ferret is in Class 4, with the pet dog and the cat. For that class, the Act’s bans on keeping and selling don’t apply. Two provisions do:

• Releasing one is an offence, with a maximum of $125,000 or 2 years in prison (section 189).
• Keeping one means following any instructions an authorised officer gives about it (section 191).

Kangaroo Island. The same list puts the ferret in a separate class for the island (Class 20). There, the bans on bringing one in, keeping one and selling one apply. For this category of animal, each carries up to $12,500 (sections 186, 187 and 188). The Kangaroo Island Landscape Board says no permits will be issued for rabbits, foxes, ferrets or deer.

How we read the list. It also puts the species Mustela putorius, which it calls the ferret, western polecat or European polecat, in a class that’s banned across the state (Class 2). The list says a taxonomic name “includes all subspecies unless the subspecies is identified in another Class within this document”. The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is named in Class 4 and in the Kangaroo Island class, so those are the classes we’ve applied. That’s our reading. To confirm it, ask the state’s Invasive Species Unit on (08) 8429 0823.

We read the version of the Act dated 25 November 2023, the current one on the state’s legislation site.

Western Australia

Allowed. No permit to keep. The state’s organism list has the domestic ferret as a declared pest under section 22(2) of the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007, in the “exempt” keeping category. The list’s legend says no permit or conditions are required for keeping an animal in that category. We looked the ferret up on 11 October 2026.

• In the wild: the entry’s control category is C1, exclusion, for ferrets at large in the wild. It adds that none are to be introduced to islands.
• Bringing one in: the list says a declared pest must satisfy any import requirements that apply. A state bulletin from February 2019, Importing and keeping introduced animals in Western Australia (PDF), lists the domestic ferret among mammals that need no keeping permit, and as exempt from the state’s barrier animal inspection. Ask before you travel, in case that has changed.
• Who to ask: the department’s Pest and Disease Information Service on (08) 9368 3080.

Why are ferrets banned in Queensland and the Northern Territory?

Both governments give the same reason: the risk that escaped or released pets would go wild and prey on native animals.

Queensland. The state’s risk assessment rated the ferret an “extreme” threat species. It says:

• Predation. If ferrets went wild in Queensland, their main impact would likely be as a new predator of small to mid-sized native animals, such as possums, bandicoots, birds, lizards and frogs. Ground-dwelling and ground-nesting birds would be particularly at risk.
• Poultry. Poultry may also be at risk, because ferrets tend to kill more prey than they can eat at one time.
• Disease. It describes Australia as free of rabies and bovine tuberculosis. In an outbreak, feral ferrets could carry either disease and make it very hard to contain.
• Escape. Without restrictions on keeping and selling, it rates the risk of pet ferrets escaping as high.
• Climate. Wild ferrets would most likely survive in the cooler, upland parts of south-east Queensland. The subtropics and tropics appear unsuitable.

The assessment points to New Zealand, where it says ferrets were introduced in the 1880s to control rabbits and formed the largest wild ferret population in the world.

Queensland’s Illegal pets fact sheet (2026) sums up the thinking behind the Act: “prevention is much cheaper than cure”.

The Northern Territory. The Territory Government says ferrets would pose a high risk to the Territory’s biodiversity and environment if they escaped and established populations in the wild. It says they may impact severely on native birds, mammals and reptiles if released, and that there is a serious concern about ferrets spreading disease.

Have ferrets gone wild in Australia?

No established wild population is confirmed in any source we read.

• Queensland. The Queensland Government says a naturalised population has never been confirmed. It says anecdotal evidence suggests a small feral population may exist near Inglewood, in southern Queensland, and that ferrets have been detected and seized as illegal pets.
• Tasmania. The Tasmanian Government says ferrets were introduced to Australia in the late 1880s, that reports of wild ferrets occur occasionally, and that no permanent populations are known to have established. In Tasmania, it says a population at South Arm was believed eradicated in 1999 to 2000, and that there have been no confirmed captures of feral ferrets.
• Nationally. A pest alert published by the Western Australian Government in 2008 (PDF) said no established ferret populations were confirmed in the wild in Australia.

Do other governments see the same risk?

Yes, and they’ve made different laws. The Tasmanian Government calls the ferret an extreme threat, bars imports and release, and doesn’t restrict keeping.

Can you take a ferret interstate?

It depends where you’re going. Check the rule for your destination before you travel.

• To Queensland: no. The ban covers moving and keeping a ferret, and the Biosecurity Act 2014 counts transporting one as dealing with it.
• To the Northern Territory: no. Bringing one in without a permit is an offence.
• To Tasmania: no. The Tasmanian Government’s guide for travellers (published 15 January 2026) says ferrets can’t be brought into Tasmania.
• To the ACT: you need a licence to keep the ferret, and a separate licence to bring it in. Taking a ferret out of the ACT needs a licence too.
• To Kangaroo Island: no. The landscape board says no permits will be issued for ferrets.
• To Western Australia: the ferret is a declared pest, and any import requirements that apply must be met. Ask the Pest and Disease Information Service first.
• To New South Wales, Victoria or mainland South Australia: we found no state rule against bringing a pet ferret in.

Moving to Queensland with a ferret? You can’t take it. The Queensland Government’s page on exotic pets (updated 2 June 2026) says you can surrender a prohibited pet to Biosecurity Queensland or your local government, or make other arrangements. Its example is leaving a pet rabbit with a friend in New South Wales, where rabbits are legal. For a ferret, that means a home in a state where ferrets are allowed.

Never release a ferret. It’s an offence in Tasmania (Nature Conservation Act 2002), South Australia (Landscape South Australia Act 2019) and the ACT (Nature Conservation Act 2014) under the laws above, and the ACT’s code (Animal Welfare (Keeping and Breeding of Ferrets in the ACT) Mandatory Code of Practice 2024) says an owner who can’t keep a ferret must make every effort to rehome it or surrender it to a shelter or a reputable rescue.

What should you check before you buy a ferret?

Start with the law, then the seller, then the ferret. The points below come from the RSPCA’s guides on caring for ferrets and where to get one (both updated 29 January 2024).

The law. The RSPCA says to be sure it’s legal to own a ferret where you live. In the ACT, get your licence first.

Whether a ferret suits you. The RSPCA says:

• Lifespan and company. The average lifespan is 5 to 7 years. Ferrets are social and must have companionship, ideally from other compatible ferrets.
• Food and space. They are carnivores. They need as much room and entertainment as you can give them, and they chew what they find.
• Smell and nips. They have a strong, musky smell, and they can nip.
• Other pets and children. Keep them away from smaller pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs and kittens. Any time children spend with ferrets must be supervised.
• Vet care. They need yearly health checks, vaccinations, and flea, worming and heartworm prevention, from a vet who sees ferrets.

Heat. Animal Welfare Victoria says ferrets can suffer heat stress, and that you must check on them regularly once the temperature passes 30°C.

The seller. The RSPCA says to buy from a reputable source, whether that’s a breeder, a pet shop or a rescue. For a breeder, it suggests you:

• ask for references from earlier buyers, and check them
• visit, if you can, to see how the ferrets are kept
• ask which vaccinations the ferret has had, and see a vet’s proof with the date the next one is due
• ask about health problems in this ferret, its parents and its siblings
• get a written health guarantee if you’re buying a kit (a young ferret)
• ask whether they’ll take the ferret back if it doesn’t work out.

If you have doubts about a seller, the RSPCA says it may be best to go somewhere else.

The ferret. The RSPCA’s signs of a healthy ferret include clear, bright eyes, clean and dry nostrils, a coat with no bald patches or fleas, clean teeth, and a ferret that’s inquisitive, alert and moving freely. It says care should start with a check by a vet with ferret experience.

Adoption. The RSPCA says reputable shelters and rescue groups make sure their ferrets are vaccinated and health checked before they’re adopted. See rescue and adoption.

Do ferrets have to be desexed, vaccinated or microchipped?

In the ACT, vaccination is required by law, and so is reproductive control for female ferrets. Microchipping isn’t. Elsewhere, the pages we read give advice.

• The ACT. The mandatory code requires every ferret to be vaccinated against distemper by a vet, and every female ferret to be desexed or have her reproductive cycles managed by a vet. Ferrets must have companionship and be kept cool. Microchipping is a guideline in the code, not a mandatory standard.
• Tasmania and Victoria. Each government’s page says pet ferrets should be desexed and vaccinated (Tasmanian Government). Animal Welfare Victoria suggests distemper vaccinations at 8, 12 and 16 weeks, then again at one year, and desexing at around 6 months.
• The other states. We found no rule in the pages and Acts we read. We didn’t check every state’s animal welfare codes.

Why it matters. The RSPCA’s guide to reproductive control in ferrets (updated 29 January 2024) says a female ferret who isn’t mated can stay in heat, and that this can become life-threatening. It says surgical desexing and hormone implants each have benefits and risks, and that you should weigh them up with your vet.

Can you list a ferret on Pet Sales Australia?

Yes, unless you’re selling from Queensland or the Northern Territory.

Our Listing Rules set out what can’t be listed. One line rules out “Ferrets from Queensland or Northern Territory sellers”. Another rules out any animal “that’s illegal to sell, give away or keep where you are”.

How the form applies it. Once listings open, a ferret listing is stopped if the listing, your seller details or the address on your ID check is in Queensland or the Northern Territory. The message reads: “We can’t list ferrets from sellers in Queensland or the Northern Territory.”

Sellers elsewhere. You can list ferrets from the other states and the ACT. Free to list. A one-off $9.95 ID check before your first listing. For rescues and shelters, the ID check is free once we’ve checked the organisation. Listings open soon. See sell your pet or rehome a pet.

ACT sellers. ACT law asks for more than our form does. You need a licence to sell a ferret, your licence number has to be in the ad, and the buyer needs a licence of their own. Our form has no field for an ACT licence number, so check with Access Canberra how to meet that rule before you list.

Buyers. We don’t check where a buyer lives. Our rules don’t allow ferret listings from sellers in Queensland or the Northern Territory. If you live in either place, don’t buy a ferret: you can’t lawfully keep it or bring it home. In Tasmania, buy from a Tasmanian seller, because a ferret can’t be brought in. In the ACT, get your licence first.

What we check, and what we don’t. Before any listing goes live, the seller must pass an ID check. It doesn’t prove the seller is honest or owns the ferret, that the ferret exists or is healthy, or that the person messaging you is the one we checked. Our microchip and 8-week checks are for dogs and cats. A ferret’s age, health, desexing and vaccinations are the seller’s own statement, so ask for the vet’s paperwork. See what we check before a listing goes live.

What should you do if you see a ferret advertised in Queensland or the Northern Territory?

Don’t buy it. Keeping one there is against the law, so treat the ad as a warning sign. See how to spot a pet scam.

• In Queensland, tell Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23. The government asks people to report the trade or keeping of illegal animals.
• In the Northern Territory, tell Parks and Wildlife’s wildlife operations on 0401 115 702.
• Report the ad to the site it’s on.
• If you’ve already paid, call your bank now, then read what to do next.

If a ferret listing from Queensland or the Northern Territory appears on Pet Sales Australia, email info@petsales.net.au.

Before you pay for a ferret

• Meet the seller and the ferret in person before you pay anything, including a deposit. A video is a first look, not a visit.
• Never pay a seller for transport, crates or insurance. These are common scam fees. Book any transport yourself.
• Be wary of a price far below others. A fair price doesn’t prove an ad is real either.

Pet Sales Australia doesn’t hold or protect payments between buyers and sellers. You pay the seller directly, and we can’t get your money back.

Where to look for a ferret

See ferrets for sale, or ferrets in Victoria, Melbourne, NSW, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. Listings open soon.

Queensland’s list of prohibited pets also has rabbits, hamsters and gerbils. See are hamsters illegal in Australia? and are gerbils legal in Australia?