Do I need a licence to keep a rabbit in India?

Not from the forest department. The domestic rabbit is not in the Wildlife Act's Schedules, and the Pet Shop Rules, 2018 list it as a pet animal. Some cities have their own pet registration rules, mostly for dogs, so check your municipal corporation if you are unsure.

Is it legal to keep a wild hare as a pet?

No. India's native hares are protected: the hispid hare in Schedule I and the desert, Indian and woolly hares in Schedule II of the Wildlife Act as amended in 2022. Capturing or keeping one counts as hunting. If you find a baby hare, leave it or call the forest department.

Can I sell baby rabbits from home?

The Pet Shop Rules, 2018 treat any place where pet animals are sold, including online, as a pet shop, which needs registration with the State Animal Welfare Board. Shops must not sell un-weaned animals. Ask your State Board how the Rules apply to small-scale breeding in your state.

Does a rabbit bite need a rabies vaccine?

NCDC's 2019 national guidelines say exposure to domestic rodents, hares and rabbits does not ordinarily require rabies post-exposure treatment, though rodent bites in forest areas do. Still clean any bite with soap and running water and see a doctor, who decides whether treatment is needed.

Petym Answers 5 min read

Is it legal to keep a rabbit in India?

Updated October 2026By PetymFacts checked against official sources on 21 October 2026

Quick answer

Yes. A domestic rabbit is legal to keep in India and needs no forest department permission. The Pet Shop Rules, 2018 name the rabbit as a pet animal, and it is not in any Schedule of the Wild Life (Protection) Act. Wild hares differ: India's native hares are in Schedule I or II, so keeping one is an offence.

The animal welfare law applies to every pet rabbit. Buy from a pet shop registered with the State Animal Welfare Board, give it space to move and company, and never buy a 'rabbit' sold as caught from fields or forest, which is likely a protected hare.

Why is a rabbit legal when a hare is not?

The law protects wild Indian species by name. The domestic rabbit is neither wild nor Indian.

The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, published in the Gazette of India on 20 December 2022, lists the hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) in Schedule I, and the desert hare, the Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis) and the woolly hare in Schedule II. Section 9 forbids hunting any animal in those Schedules, and the Act's definition of hunting includes capturing and trapping.

The domestic rabbit kept as a pet is not named in either Schedule. In Schedule IV, which reproduces the CITES appendices, the rabbit and hare family appears only for two species in Appendix I: the hispid hare and the Mexican volcano rabbit. So a domestic pet rabbit needs no registration under the 2024 Living Animal Species Rules.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018 settle the point from the other side: their definition of 'pet animal' expressly includes the rabbit, along with dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters and pet birds.

Rabbit or hare: which can you keep?

From the 2022 Gazette text. If you are not sure what an animal is, ask a vet or the forest department before you take it home.

	Where it is listed	Can you keep it?
Domestic rabbit (any pet breed) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site)	Not in Schedules I, II or IV; named as a pet animal in the Pet Shop Rules	Yes
Hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research)	Schedule I and Schedule IV Appendix I	No
Indian hare, also called the black-naped hare (Lepus nigricollis) Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research)	Schedule II	No
Desert hare (Lepus tibetanus) Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research)	Schedule II	No
Woolly hare (Lepus oiostolus) Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research)	Schedule II	No

What rules still apply to a pet rabbit?

The welfare law, from the Pet Shop Rules, 2018 and section 11 of the PCA Act, 1960.

Buy from a pet shop registered with the State Animal Welfare Board; no pet shop may get a local licence without that registration. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site)
Shops must keep rabbits in enclosures at least 48 inches high, with a solid floor (never wire mesh) and things to dig, chew and play with. Aim for at least that at home. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site)
Shops must keep rabbits in a room not shared with cats and dogs. At home, keep a rabbit's space safe from them. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site)
Shops may not sell un-weaned animals, so do not buy a baby rabbit that is too young to eat on its own. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site)
A cage too small for reasonable movement is cruelty under section 11(1)(e) of the PCA Act. Animal Welfare Board of India
An owner who fails to provide enough food, water or shelter commits an offence under section 11(1)(h). Animal Welfare Board of India

What do people get wrong about rabbits and the law?

You may have read
Rabbits are wildlife, so you need a forest licence.
Myth
What the sources say
Only wild Indian hares are scheduled. The domestic rabbit is not in any Schedule of the Wildlife Act. Gazette of India (copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research)
You may have read
A baby hare from the fields is just a wild rabbit, so it is fine to raise.
Myth
What the sources say
India's native hares are in Schedule I or II. Capturing one counts as hunting under the Act. MP Forest Department (copy of the Act, pre-2022 text)
You may have read
If a rabbit bites, you need rabies injections.
Myth
What the sources say
NCDC's national guidelines say exposure to domestic rodents, hares and rabbits does not ordinarily require rabies post-exposure treatment. See a doctor for any bite that breaks the skin. National Centre for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
You may have read
One rabbit on its own is happiest.
Myth
What the sources say
The RSPCA says rabbits should not live alone unless a vet advises it, and do best with a friendly rabbit companion. RSPCA

Can a housing society or landlord stop you keeping a rabbit?

The Wildlife Act does not decide that; your lease, your society's bye-laws and the general law on pets do. Our guides to pets in housing societies and in rented homes explain what a society can and cannot do. A rabbit kept indoors is quiet, which helps.

What about breeding and selling rabbits?

The Pet Shop Rules, 2018 define a pet shop broadly: any shop, place or premises, including a weekly market stall and online platforms, where pet animals are sold or kept for sale. Anyone running that kind of business needs a certificate of registration from the State Animal Welfare Board and must meet the housing standards in the Rules, including the rabbit space table. If you plan to breed rabbits for sale, contact your State Board first.

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Questions owners ask

Do I need a licence to keep a rabbit in India?: Not from the forest department. The domestic rabbit is not in the Wildlife Act's Schedules, and the Pet Shop Rules, 2018 list it as a pet animal. Some cities have their own pet registration rules, mostly for dogs, so check your municipal corporation if you are unsure.
Is it legal to keep a wild hare as a pet?: No. India's native hares are protected: the hispid hare in Schedule I and the desert, Indian and woolly hares in Schedule II of the Wildlife Act as amended in 2022. Capturing or keeping one counts as hunting. If you find a baby hare, leave it or call the forest department.
Can I sell baby rabbits from home?: The Pet Shop Rules, 2018 treat any place where pet animals are sold, including online, as a pet shop, which needs registration with the State Animal Welfare Board. Shops must not sell un-weaned animals. Ask your State Board how the Rules apply to small-scale breeding in your state.
Does a rabbit bite need a rabies vaccine?: NCDC's 2019 national guidelines say exposure to domestic rodents, hares and rabbits does not ordinarily require rabies post-exposure treatment, though rodent bites in forest areas do. Still clean any bite with soap and running water and see a doctor, who decides whether treatment is needed.

Keep reading

Rabbits as petsHay, heat and care while you are away.
Can you keep a wild animal as a pet in India?
Pets in housing societies
Pets in rented homes
Animal cruelty law in India

Services that help

Sources

Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources