Exempt, prohibited and species class listings
Exempt species
Exempt species can be kept without a licence and are considered:
- easy to keep
- abundant in the market, and
- do not pose a public safety or conservation risk in the event of an escape.
The exemption does not apply to the take, keep, use or release of the species in the wild, which will still require an authorisation.
All invertebrates, except for those listed as protected crayfish and yabbies, scorpions (genus Urodacus) and tarantulas (family Theraphosidae) under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, will remain exempt from requiring a licence.
The list of exempt bird species has been expanded from 22 to 68 species and only applies to the captive-bred industry. Some fish species have also been added to the exempt animals list.
Further information on licences and permits to take protected animals.
There are no exemptions for reptiles and amphibians, as detailed in the Decision Regulatory Impact Statement .
Class 1 and 2 animals
Class 1 species are animals that are considered:
- easy to keep
- established in the captive-bred market
- not to pose a public safety risk in the event of an escape, and
- to have minimal impact to wild populations from illegal take activities.
Several species have been downgraded from the previous ‘restricted’ category to Class 1, for example Aspidites ramsayi (woma) and Morelia viridis (green python).
All scorpions of the Urodacus genus and spiders of the family Theraphosidae (tarantulas) that are native to Australia will be regulated under the animal licensing framework as Class 1 animals. More information on these animals is available in the keeping protected scorpions and spiders fact sheet .
Class 2 species are animals that meet at least one of the following criteria:
- are not commonly kept and traded in Queensland
- require a specialised keeping environment
- pose a risk to public safety in the event of escape, or
- may be targeted by illegal take activities because of their attractiveness or rarity.
Prohibited animals
Animals not listed as exempt, Class 1 or Class 2 are by default prohibited from being kept and traded on a Standard, Specialised or Advanced Licence. Some animals are prohibited on transition, for example Varanus doreanus (blue-tailed monitor) and Tiliqua adelaidensis (pygmy blue-tongued skink).
If you are currently authorised to keep an animal that is prohibited from 22 August 2020 you can continue to keep it under a specific permit arrangement that may allow you to keep the animals you currently have. The permit will not authorise the breeding or sale of existing animals, or the acquisition of additional animals of the same species or trade of any kind.
Prohibited species will be reviewed periodically to ensure the framework continues to align with keeping practices and conservation needs.