Updated November 2026 · By the Dragon's Diet Team · General information only, not legal advice. Rules are checked against the official agency sources listed at the end of this article.
Short answer: Dubia roaches are widely sold as reptile feeders across most of the continental U.S., but Florida and Hawaii are exceptions. Florida's Department of Agriculture (FDACS) doesn't permit Blaptica dubia for pet keepers, and Hawaii doesn't allow them in. In Canada, importing live Dubia needs a CFIA permit. Confirm with your local agency before you order.
Dubia roaches (Blaptica dubia) are one of the most popular staple feeders for bearded dragons, leopard geckos and other insect-eating reptiles. They're also a non-native tropical cockroach, so a few places restrict them to protect local farms and ecosystems. Here's where Dubia are restricted, which agency makes the call, and what to feed instead if you live in one of those places.
Dubia roach rules at a glance
| Location | Can pet keepers get live Dubia? | Agency to check with |
|---|---|---|
| Most of the continental U.S. | Widely sold and kept as feeders | Your state department of agriculture |
| Florida | No. FDACS doesn't permit them for pet keepers | FDACS Division of Plant Industry |
| Hawaii | No. Not on Hawaii's approved import lists | Hawaii Plant Quarantine Branch |
| Alaska | We don't ship there (live-arrival reasons, not a legal ban) | Alaska Division of Agriculture |
| U.S. territories (e.g., Puerto Rico) | Federal permit needed to move listed insects there | USDA APHIS |
| Canada | Import permit required; not listed for pet or feed use | Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) |
This is a summary of public agency guidance as of November 2026. Rules change, and permits are decided case by case, so treat it as a starting point and confirm with the agency.
Are Dubia roaches legal in Florida?
Short answer: Not for pet keepers. In Florida, non-native insects are regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry (FDACS-DPI). Anyone bringing non-native arthropods into Florida, or moving them within the state, needs a permit. FDACS's current guidelines put pet-trade feeder roaches, Blaptica dubia by name, in their most restricted categories.
FDACS sorts imported arthropods into four groups: approved, conditional, restricted and prohibited. Its July 2026 guidelines list "pet trade feeders including but not limited to: Blaptica dubia (dubia roach)" under Prohibited. FDACS's permitting handout uses the Dubia roach as its example of a species "permitted only to educational or zoological institutions." Either way, a Florida home keeper can't legally get Dubia for a pet.
FDACS's stated goal is to keep non-native organisms from harming Florida's agriculture and natural resources. Dubia are a tropical roach, and Florida's warm, humid climate gives any escaped feeder a better chance of surviving than it would have in most states.
What Florida keepers can feed instead
FDACS has deregulated several common feeders for movement into Florida. Its July 2026 list includes house crickets, mealworms, superworms, silkworms, waxworms and discoid roaches (Blaberus discoidalis). It also keeps a list of commonly permitted feeders. Federal USDA rules may still apply, so email DPI-Permits@FDACS.gov if you're unsure about a species.
Are Dubia roaches legal in Hawaii?
Short answer: No. Hawaii bans bringing in any live non-domestic animal unless it's on the state's conditionally approved or restricted lists, or has an approved permit. Blaptica dubia isn't on the conditionally approved list or the restricted list for private and commercial use.
Hawaii's Plant Quarantine Branch (part of the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity) enforces these rules under Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 4-71. Island ecosystems and farms are especially vulnerable to new species, which is why Hawaii's import rules are among the strictest in the country.
Even common feeders face rules there. Mealworms are on Hawaii's conditionally approved list and house crickets are on its restricted list, so both still need an import permit. USDA APHIS also requires a federal permit to move listed insects to Hawaii and the U.S. territories. If you keep reptiles in Hawaii, call Plant Quarantine at (808) 832-0566 before ordering any live feeder from the mainland.
What about Alaska?
Alaska is on our no-ship list for a different reason. Our shipping policy says Dubia roaches are illegal to own in Florida and Hawaii, but we don't ship to Alaska because it's very difficult to ensure live arrivals there. Long transit times and extreme cold are hard on any live insect. If you're in Alaska, check with the Alaska Division of Agriculture before ordering live feeders from anyone.
Are Dubia roaches legal in Canada?
Short answer: Importing live Dubia into Canada needs a permit. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) lists Blaptica dubia in Appendix 1 of its D-12-02 directive only for exhibition use, with a permit to import. It has no permit-free listing for pet or feed use.
CFIA regulates live insects under the Plant Protection Act. It says authorization is required when an organism isn't listed in Appendix 1 as "no permit to import required" for the end use and country of origin. We can't tell you whether CFIA would approve a permit for a hobby keeper, and provinces may have their own rules. Check with CFIA directly before you try to bring Dubia across the border.
The same CFIA list allows house crickets, mealworms, superworms and silkworms to be imported from the continental U.S. without a plant-protection import permit. Other import requirements, like customs, may still apply.
Where Dragon's Diet ships
We raise our Dubia roaches in Kentucky and ship them USPS Priority from Taylor Mill, KY, within the U.S. only. We follow our own policy, too:
- We do not ship live insects to Florida, Hawaii, or Alaska. Owning Blaptica dubia is illegal in Florida and Hawaii, and live arrivals are very difficult to ensure in Alaska. If you're in one of those states, please don't place a live insect order, because we won't be able to ship it.
- We don't ship outside the U.S., so we can't send Dubia to Canada.
- Weather add-ons: a heat pack in winter and a cold pack when it's 85°F or hotter. Our cold- and hot-weather shipping guide explains when to add them.
Everywhere else we ship, our live Dubia roaches are gut-loaded before they ship, so they arrive ready to support your reptile's health. Every order comes with a 100% live arrival guarantee when you follow our live arrival policy: send a photo within 3 hours and we'll make it right.
Keep your Dubia contained, wherever you live
Even where Dubia are legal, good containment is part of being a responsible keeper. Dubia can't climb smooth plastic or glass, but a secure bin keeps them safe, healthy and where they belong.
- Keep them in a smooth-sided, ventilated bin or Critter Keeper with a secure lid.
- Feed from a smooth-sided feeding dish so roaches don't wander off into the enclosure.
- Never release feeder insects outdoors, and freeze any extras before you throw them away.
Our Dubia roach care guide covers bins, food and water between feedings.
Why Dubia are worth it where they're allowed
If you live where Dubia are allowed, they're one of the easiest staple feeders to keep. VCA Animal Hospitals lists calcium-dusted Dubia cockroaches among appropriate protein sources for bearded dragons. They're quiet, they can't climb smooth plastic or glass, and they're easy to gut-load. See are Dubia roaches good feeders for reptiles? and our Dubia roaches vs crickets comparison for the full picture.
Are Dubia Roaches Legal? FAQ
Are Dubia roaches legal in Florida?
Not for pet keepers. Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) regulates non-native insects, and its current guidelines list Blaptica dubia among pet-trade feeder roaches it won't permit for general keepers. Ask FDACS's Division of Plant Industry at DPI-Permits@FDACS.gov about legal alternatives such as crickets, superworms or discoid roaches.
Can you own Dubia roaches in Hawaii?
No. Hawaii bans bringing in live non-domestic animals unless they're on the state's conditionally approved or restricted lists, or have a permit, and Dubia roaches aren't on those lists. Even mealworms and house crickets need an import permit. Contact Hawaii's Plant Quarantine Branch at (808) 832-0566 before ordering any live feeder insects.
Are Dubia roaches legal in Canada?
Importing live Dubia into Canada requires a permit. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) lists Blaptica dubia only for exhibition use with a permit to import, with no permit-free listing for pets or feed. Check with CFIA before trying. House crickets, mealworms, superworms and silkworms can be imported from the continental U.S. without a plant-protection permit.
Why are Dubia roaches illegal in some places?
They're a non-native tropical cockroach. Places with warm climates or fragile ecosystems, like Florida and Hawaii, restrict non-native insects so escaped feeders can't become established and harm farms or native species. The rules are about prevention, so they apply even if you plan to keep your roaches indoors.
Does Dragon's Diet ship Dubia roaches to Florida, Hawaii or Alaska?
No. We don't ship live insects to Florida, Hawaii or Alaska, and we only ship within the U.S. Owning Blaptica dubia is illegal in Florida and Hawaii, and live arrivals are hard to ensure in Alaska. Everywhere else, our Dubia roaches for sale ship USPS Priority, gut-loaded and covered by our live arrival guarantee.
How do I check if Dubia roaches are legal in my state?
Contact your state department of agriculture, which usually handles non-native insects, and ask about Blaptica dubia by its scientific name. Moving insects to Hawaii or U.S. territories also requires a USDA APHIS permit. If you're outside the U.S., check with your national plant-protection agency, such as CFIA in Canada, before ordering.
Where Dubia are legal for you
If Dubia roaches are legal where you live, our Dubia roaches for sale come in Small (3/8"), Medium (1/2") and Large (3/4"), gut-loaded before they ship. Use our Dubia roach size chart to pick the right size. New customers can use code NEWCUSTOMER on their first order.
Sources
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, "Permits for Arthropods, Invertebrates and Plant Pests"
- FDACS-DPI, "Guidelines for Importing Arthropods and Other Invertebrates into Florida" (July 2026)
- FDACS-DPI, "Arthropod Regulations in Florida"
- FDACS-DPI, "Commonly Permitted Feeder Arthropods / Deregulated Feeder Arthropods" (July 2026)
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Plant Quarantine Branch, "Non-Domestic Animal and Microorganism Lists" and "Animal Guidelines"
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, "D-12-02 Appendix 1" and "Importing and handling invertebrates and micro-organisms"
- USDA APHIS, "Insects and Mites FAQs"
- VCA Animal Hospitals, "Feeding Bearded Dragons"
This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws and permit policies change. Confirm the current rules with the agency where you live before buying or moving live insects.
About the author
Written by the Dragon's Diet Team. We've kept and cared for reptiles for 25 years, and we raise and ship live feeder insects from Taylor Mill, Kentucky. Our care guides draw on that hands-on experience and on veterinary sources like VCA Animal Hospitals and the RSPCA.
