# Can you get a ferret permit with an educational YouTube channel **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219 "2022-05-27T15:40:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![poppy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@poppy1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poppy1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/1 "2022-05-27T15:40:10Z")
i live in California and after loosing my beloved rats i was thinking of maybe taking on a ferret sometime over summer. i know they are illegal and i’m not even going to consider getting one illegally. on the California fish and wildlife, it states “In California, domestic ferrets are legal to import, transport, or possess only by permit. Permits are issued for specific purposes, such as for medical research or for transportation" i was wondering it i could get a ferret in California with a educational YouTube channel and how much that would cost thankyou for taking the time to read this 🙃 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/2 "2022-05-27T15:48:01Z")
I don’t know for sure, but a little poking around shows [this page](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Restricted-Species), which has permits for various restriected animals for various purposes. I think the closest to an “educational YouTube channel” would be as a commercial exhibitor, which, c’mon, that’s not what it is. It seems extremely unlikely you’ll get one for an educational YouTube channel, especially if you’re not already running a well-known channel of the sort. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/3 "2022-05-27T15:50:43Z")
A YouTube channel is free except for your own time and equipment to produce videos (camera, mic, computer, video editing software, internet connection). Honestly a smart phone could suffice (albeit not great). I’d be surprised if California would deem such videos sufficient for a license but I do not know. It’d be best if you asked the responsible agency and got a ruling from them in advance (in writing). ---
**Author:** ![poppy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@poppy1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poppy1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/4 "2022-05-27T15:57:02Z")
yes, thats what i thought thankyou ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/5 "2022-05-27T16:02:42Z")
Also, I really want to know how one uses a ferret for “transportation”. ---
**Author:** ![poppy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@poppy1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poppy1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/6 "2022-05-27T16:05:30Z")
yes 🤣 i guess some one who drives ferrets to diffrent stores?! idk ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/7 "2022-05-27T16:07:39Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > Also, I really want to know how one uses a ferret for “transportation”. Same way you use buggy horses or sled dogs. You just need many more of them. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/8 "2022-05-27T16:09:34Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I don’t know for sure, but a little poking around shows [this page](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing/Restricted-Species) Dude, what’s wrong with you? You could have said that you managed to ferret that out. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/9 "2022-05-27T16:32:44Z")
If you are interested in keeping a ferret, I suggest contacting [https://www.legalizeferrets.org](https://www.legalizeferrets.org) and work to change the law. It doesn’t look like there’s much wiggle room in the current framework. It looks like California Fish and Game has used its classification powers to make ferrets illegal, but the actual law does not specify. So Fish and Game could simply declare ferrets legal, or it could go through the legislature. Either change is going to require a lot of support of potential ferret owners. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/10 "2022-05-27T17:29:28Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Dude, what’s wrong with you? You could have said that you managed to ferret that out. In Ferret Queries (FQ), we must elide even subtle wordplay. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/11 "2022-05-27T17:30:37Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > Also, I really want to know how one uses a ferret for “transportation”.   [![](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/woman-ride-ferret-young-pretty-fearless-riding-animal-81681991.jpg) ](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/woman-ride-ferret-young-pretty-fearless-riding-animal-81681991.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/12 "2022-05-27T19:45:15Z")
First I ever heard of ferret illegality, but then I’m not in California. Is there a deep and meaningful reason for the ban, or is it just some chicken-loving civil servant being autocratic? Wouldn’t they eventually creep in from Oregon? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/13 "2022-05-27T20:00:10Z")
As I understand it, the worry is that they’ll become an invasive species and decimate Californian wildlife. I have no idea who grounded a fear that is, but that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/14 "2022-05-27T20:41:05Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > In Ferret Queries (FQ), we must elide even subtle wordplay. You’re not weaseling out of this one. You missed a straight line, fair and square. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/15 "2022-05-27T20:57:03Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > First I ever heard of ferret illegality, but then I’m not in California. Is there a deep and meaningful reason for the ban, or is it just some chicken-loving civil servant being autocratic? It’s California. I’m sure they can figure out how to put a [Proposition 65](https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/about-proposition-65) warning on a ferret. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/16 "2022-05-27T21:01:02Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > As I understand it, the worry is that they’ll become an invasive species and decimate Californian wildlife. I have no idea who grounded a fear that is, but that’s it. Given the history of humans releasing pets or other domestic animals into the wild and the resulting issues, I think the fears are grounded in reality. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/17 "2022-05-27T21:27:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Given the history of humans releasing pets or other domestic animals into the wild and the resulting issues, I think the fears are grounded in reality. All ferrets sold in the US are spayed and neutered. I heard (don’t quote me) that it **was** the chicken lobby in so far as a lot of people in the Hispanic communities of L.A. have pet chickens and the worry was that a ferret would get out and kill the chickens. Of course, being awoke by the neighbor’s rooster every morning, it was tempting. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/18 "2022-05-28T01:05:02Z")
Looking through the list of enumerated rights, I think that your best bet for a Constitutional challenge would be to start a religion. Something called “Ferretianism” already appears to have been invented by a sci-fi writer. Which bodes well, since that’s the origin of Scientology. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/19 "2022-05-28T16:59:14Z")
Maybe it means the old use as cable pullers? (Got a wiggly hard-to-access pipe you need to get a cable through? Simply tie a string to a ferret and wave a chicken leg where you want the cable to come out, then use the string to pull the cable through! Simple) Since the advent of flexible cable cameras actual ferrets are kind of obsolete in the role (darn robots stealing jobs from hard-working ferrets), and I’m not sure if that’s ‘transportation’ exactly, but maybe that’s what they’re getting at…? ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219/20 "2022-05-28T18:11:10Z")
I had ferret years ago when I lived in Cleveland. It was an OK pet, but not as fun as I expected (not as fun as most cats for example). However, after watching a number of videos featuring Russian sables, they appear to be much more fun and active than typical ferrets. They are both in the weasel family; the sable is a bit larger. I don’t know if the laws are the same in the U.S. for sables as ferrets, or if you can even buy a sable legally in the U.S., but if you can, you may want to consider a sable over a ferret. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Uzl7-EnCbjk/hqdefault.jpg "Sable Hides Reindeer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzl7-EnCbjk) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/M0n2bsl2J1c/maxresdefault.jpg "Buddy the sable top 3 games!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0n2bsl2J1c) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ESPFBqCmdEE/maxresdefault.jpg "Woman Has Adorable Pet Sable") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESPFBqCmdEE) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-a-ferret-permit-with-an-educational-youtube-channel/965219.md?page=2)