Which Animals Need a Licence to Buy or Sell in Punjab? A Buyer and Seller Guide

Buying or selling an animal in Punjab starts with one question: is it a domestic pet or a wild animal? The Punjab Wildlife Act, 1974 lists wild animals in schedules, and each schedule shapes the documents a buyer and seller need.

This guide shows which animals are covered, what each side needs and how to complete a sale with the right paperwork.

Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. It uses the Act as published on the Trade Information Portal, plus news reports of later changes. Section 45 lets the Punjab Government change the schedules by notification, so confirm your species with the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department before a sale.

Quick Answer: What Buyers and Sellers Need

Which Animals Are Covered by the Punjab Wildlife Act?

The Act defines a wild animal as a bird or animal listed in its schedules. Here is what each schedule means for a sale.

First Schedule: game animals

These animals may be hunted under a licence or permit, and they are also "game animals" for buying and selling:

• Water birds: ducks, bar-headed and lesser white-fronted geese, snipe, coots, moorhens, lapwings, plovers, curlew, waders and cranes other than the Arctic crane.
• Land birds: Himalayan snowcock, chukar, see-see, black and grey partridge, common and rain quail, pigeons, doves, sandgrouse, houbara bustard, stone curlew and coursers.
• Birds of prey: hawks, buzzards, harriers and falcons.
• Mammals: desert and cape hares, fishing cats, jungle cats, nilgai and urial.

Check the fishing cat with the department before any sale, as our Endangered Animals page lists it as endangered in Pakistan.

Second Schedule: animals that need a certificate

This schedule is a document rule, not an animal list. It covers live game animals, their trophies and meat, and trophies of Third Schedule animals.

Third Schedule: protected animals

These animals are protected all year, and a seller cannot lawfully supply one caught from the wild:

• Birds: swans, pelicans, egrets, herons, storks, ibises, spoonbills, flamingos, hill pheasants, great Indian bustard, eagles, vultures, kites and starlings, along with listed ducks and waders.
• Mammals: black bear, leopard, caracal, civets, otter, striped hyena, rhesus monkey, hill fox, barking deer, hog deer, chital, chinkara, black buck, goral and Indus dolphin.
• Reptiles: monitor lizards, spiny-tailed lizards, pythons, rat snakes and crocodiles.

Fourth Schedule: "unprotected" animals

This list includes crows, nightjars, munias, weaver birds, mongooses, wolves, jackals, fruit bats, porcupines, rats, mice, squirrels and wild boar. The label "unprotected" does not make them free to trade. The Act counts them as wild animals, and its definition of "game animal" includes them, so the same documents apply.

A Guide for Buyers

The Act has no separate buyer's licence. A private buyer needs a certificate of lawful possession under Sections 12 and 13, and must receive it at the same time as any Second Schedule animal, whether bought or received as a gift.

Buyer's checklist

• ☐ Identify the exact species, not just "parrot" or "lizard."
• ☐ Find the species in the Act's schedules.
• ☐ Ask to see the certificate of lawful possession before you pay.
• ☐ Ask to see the seller's dealer's licence or breeder registration.
• ☐ Check the ring number on a native parakeet against its registration.
• ☐ Ask for import records for imported birds and reptiles.
• ☐ Get a written receipt showing the seller's name, contact details, species and date.
• ☐ Book a health check with a vet in Lahore or Islamabad.
• ☐ Keep digital copies of every document.

Buying parrots and parakeets

Dawn reported in September 2025 that four native parakeets can be licensed at Rs1,000 per bird per year for home pets, with each bird ringed with a unique code. Wild birds cannot be captured or netted, so buy only a registered bird from a registered seller.

The Act page lists rose-ringed and Alexandrine parakeets in the Fourth Schedule, while Dawn places wild populations under Schedule 3. Follow the stricter position when you compare parrots for sale or birds in Lahore.

Dawn also reported no separate licensing procedure for African greys and macaws. Ask for breeder or import records for these birds, and for cockatiels and other imported species.

Registering a new parakeet

Daily Ausaf published this online registration process:

1. Install the PASS app or open the Punjab Wildlife website.
2. Create an account with your CNIC and contact details.
3. Open the Wildlife section and choose Parrot Registration.
4. Enter each bird's species, age and colour, and upload clear photos.
5. Add the address where the bird lives, then pay and submit.

Buying reptiles

Pythons, rat snakes, monitor lizards and spiny-tailed lizards are Third Schedule animals. Get written approval from the department before you pay for one. For other species, check the schedules and ask for origin records when you browse reptile listings.

A Guide for Sellers

Your paperwork depends on whether you sell as a business.

When you need a dealer's licence

Section 15 requires a dealer's licence to buy, sell or deal in wild animals, trophies or meat as a profession, trade or business. The same licence covers preparing trophies or making goods from them. It lasts one year and is renewable, and fees depend on the class of dealer.

Seller's checklist

• ☐ Confirm the species and its schedule before you advertise.
• ☐ Hold a valid dealer's licence for any wild animal trade.
• ☐ Renew your licence every year.
• ☐ Hand the buyer a certificate of lawful possession with each Second Schedule animal.
• ☐ Keep the register of dealings that Section 15 requires, ready for inspection.
• ☐ Ring and register native parakeets and their chicks.
• ☐ Give buyers a written receipt and any health records.
• ☐ Buy your stock only from licensed or registered sources.
• ☐ Get a permit before moving Second Schedule animals in or out of Punjab.

Parakeet breeders and shops

Dawn reported a yearly fee of Rs30,000 for breeding farms of 3 marla to 1 kanal, and Rs50,000 for farms above 1 kanal. The Express Tribune reported Rs10,000 breeding licences and shop licences of Rs30,000 or Rs50,000, so get your fee confirmed in writing. It also reported that chicks must be registered separately.

Breeding wild animals on private land

Under Section 20, the Punjab Government can declare a private collection used for breeding, sale and exchange to be a private wildlife breeding farm. Apply through the department if this fits your business.

Selling on Titans Pet

Follow these rules before you post a listing:

• Our Advertising & Listing Policy does not allow protected or endangered species, wild-caught species or animals restricted by wildlife law.
• Our Ethical Sales Charter asks you to disclose any breeder licence or registration, and to share vaccination and health records.
• Animals under 8 weeks old cannot be listed.

All other rules are on our Legal Policies page. Food and supply sellers can register on Pet Mall.

Big Cats: Do Not Buy or Sell for the Home

Lions, tigers, pumas, leopards and jaguars are not pets. Aaj reported a ban on keeping these animals at home in February 2025, and the Express Tribune reported plans for a ban on commercial sale. In March 2026, it said no final notification had been issued on private ownership, so check with the department before any dealings.

Do You Need a Licence to Hunt the Animal You Sell?

Yes, for game animals. The First Schedule allows listed birds, hares and wild cats to be hunted under an ordinary shooting licence, in set seasons and within daily limits. Nilgai and urial need a special permit. Third Schedule animals cannot be hunted at all, and the Act's definition of hunting includes taking nests and eggs. Sellers should never buy or offer animals taken outside these rules.

Domestic Pets: The Simple Choice

The schedules do not list ordinary domestic animals, so you need no wildlife licence to buy or sell dogs, cats, rabbits, hens or horses. You can also browse pets for adoption. Buyers should still ask for vaccination records, and sellers should provide them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which animals need a licence to sell in Punjab?

Every wild animal in the First, Third and Fourth Schedules needs a Section 15 dealer's licence when sold as a business. Native parakeet breeders and shops also need registration.

Do I need a licence to buy a wild animal for myself?

You need a certificate of lawful possession, not a dealer's licence. Sections 12 and 13 require it, and you must receive it at the time of purchase for a Second Schedule animal.

What documents should a seller give a buyer?

A seller should give the certificate of lawful possession, a written receipt and any health records. Native parakeets also need a ring and registration details.

How long does a dealer's licence last?

A dealer's licence lasts one year and is renewable. Section 15 also requires dealers to keep records for inspection.

Do I need a licence to buy a parrot in Punjab?

Yes for the four native parakeets, which need registration and a coded ring. Dawn reported a fee of Rs1,000 per bird per year, and no separate procedure for African greys and macaws.

Do I need a licence to sell a dog or cat in Punjab?

No wildlife licence applies, as the Act's schedules do not list dogs or domestic cats.

Can I sell a bird I caught from the wild?

No. Wild parakeets cannot be captured or netted, and the Act bans hunting protected animals. Sell only animals with lawful documents.

Can I sell animals online in Punjab?

Yes for domestic pets, and for regulated animals only when you hold the correct licence and documents. Titans Pet does not allow protected, endangered or wild-caught species.

Can I buy a monitor lizard or python?

Only with written approval from the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department, because both are Third Schedule protected animals.

Final Thoughts

A good sale starts with the species. Buyers should find its schedule and see the documents before paying. Sellers should hold the correct licence and hand over the paperwork with the animal. Contact the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department if your species is not clear.

Ready to find or list a pet? Browse Titans Pet listings.