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Are pet turtles illegal to own? I heard they were banned in the US.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

We purchased a turtle 40 gallon starter kit, but now am reading they were banned and illegal as pets? Is that correct?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 25th, 2017

Since 1975 selling baby turtles that are less than 4 inches long has been illegal in the U.S. So, I'm not sure if you are referring to that or something else. Can you post again and be more specific in your question?

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