Bringing a Nonhuman Primate into the United States
Monkeys
Monkeys and other nonhuman primates (NHPs) may not be imported as pets under any circumstances. Since 1975, the Federal Quarantine Regulations (42 CFR 71.53) have restricted the importation of NHPs. CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine carries out these regulations.
These regulations are in place to protect U.S. residents from severe infections that can spread from monkeys to humans. These infections include
- Viral hemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola virus disease
- B virus (herpes B, monkey B virus, herpesvirus simiae, and herpesvirus B)
- Mpox
- Gastrointestinal diseases (salmonellosis, shigellosis, campylobacteriosis)
- Yellow fever
- Simian immunodeficiency virus
- Tuberculosis
- Other diseases not yet known or identified
Importers of NHPs must register with CDC and implement infection control measures. They may only import and distribute NHPs for bona fide scientific, educational, or exhibition purposes, as defined in the regulations. These restrictions also apply to the re-importation of NHPs that originated in and are returning to the United States. For information on how to become a registered importer of NHPs, email NHPImporters@cdc.gov.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other federal, state, and local authorities may also have requirements for importing live NHPs and NHP products that importers must follow.
- CDC Regulation – Requirements for Importers of Nonhuman Primates (42 CFR Part 71.53)
- Questions and Answers about the Regulations for the Importation of Nonhuman Primates (42 CFR Part 71.53)
- Disinfection and Decontamination of Items Used in the Transportation or Quarantine of Nonhuman Primates Imported under 42 CFR § 71.53
- Reporting Illness and Screening Test Results in Nonhuman Primates Imported under 42 CFR § 71.53
- Treatment of Plasmodium Infections in Nonhuman Primates Imported under 42 CFR § 71.53