Most people assume owning a coyote is flatly illegal, but Arkansas actually allows it under a narrow set of rules set by the state’s wildlife agency. Whether you can legally keep a coyote in Arkansas depends on how the animal was obtained, when it was acquired, and whether you’ve secured the right paperwork.
This guide breaks down exactly what Arkansas law permits, what it forbids, and where local restrictions might still stand in your way even after you clear the state’s requirements.
Is It Legal to Own a Coyote in Arkansas
Yes, but only through two specific pathways recognized by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). The first applies to coyotes taken from the wild by hand before a hard cutoff date, and the second applies to coyotes purchased from a licensed source.
Under state regulation, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, and red fox captured by hand prior to July 1, 2022 may be kept as personal pets for the animal’s lifetime. That cutoff has already passed, so wild-caught coyotes acquired after that date do not qualify under this provision…