Are Pet Raccoons Legal In My State?
We here at Exotic Pet Wonderland understand how hard it can be to get straight info on the legality of exotic pet ownership, so we’ve created this list to more easily answer the question “Are pet raccoons legal in my state?”
How can I legally buy a raccoon?
Raccoons can only legally be bought from USDA licensed breeders. If someone is trying to sell a raccoon without a USDA license, even if they are licensed by the state or county, that is wildlife trafficking and is a federal crime.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Alabama?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Alabama.
Alabama law states that “No person, firm, corporation, partnership or association may possess, sell, offer for sale, bring, release, or cause to be brought or imported into the State of Alabama” any raccoon.
https://www.outdooralabama.com/prohibited-animal-regulation
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Alaska?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Alaska.
Alaska State Law states that “ The department may not issue a permit for the capture, possession, import, or export of any game animal, including a hybrid of a game animal and a species listed in (b) of this section, for use as a pet.”
In Alaska, Raccoons are considered “game animals”
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Arizona
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Arizona. (ARIZ. COMP. ADMIN R. & REGS. R12-4-406; R12-4-409; R12-4-417; R12-4-425; R12-4-426)
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Arkansas?
It is legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Arkansas.
You can keep up to six animals from Arkansas’s list, which includes raccoons, if they are taken “by hand” from the wild.
Once taken, the raccoon must remain in the owner’s custody. The raccoon cannot be sold or rehomed. If the owner wishes to get rid of the raccoon it can only be turned over to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Males and female raccoons are required to be kept in separate enclosures unless they have been neutered. These raccoons may only leave the state with permission from the Chief of Wildlife Management.
Captive bred raccoons are not legal in Arkansas.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in California?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in California.
California law states that it is illegal to import, possess, or transport raccoons unless permitted by the California Department of Fish and Game
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Colorado?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Colorado. This is what will happen if you have a pet raccoon, or any other illegal pet, in Colorado.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal In Connecticut?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Connecticut.
Raccoons are considered “potentially dangerous animals” in Connecticut and as such, are illegal.
Conneticut state law says “Any such animal illegally possessed may be ordered seized and may be relocated or disposed of as determined by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection. The Department of Environmental Protection shall issue a bill to the owner or person in illegal possession of such potentially dangerous animal for all costs of seizure, care, maintenance, relocation or disposal of such animal. Additionally, any person who violates any provision of this section shall be assessed a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand dollars, to be fixed by the court, for each offense.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Delaware?
It is not legal to keep a pet raccoon in Delaware, as they are native species.
According to the Delaware DNREC:
If it is a native species “the species is regulated by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and is prohibited from being owned as a pet.”
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Florida?
It is legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Florida with a Class III Personal Pet No-Cost Permit when the animal is purchased from a USDA permitted breeder.
You can apply for the permit here, and it must be renewed every two years. You may NOT bring your pet raccoon out in public with this license. More information about the Class III permit can be found here.
Taking raccoons from the wild is illegal in Florida. It is federally illegal to sell raccoons without a permit from the USDA and is considered wildlife trafficking.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Georgia?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Georgia.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Hawaii?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Hawaii.
https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/AR-71P.pdf
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Idaho?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Idaho.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Illinois?
It is legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Illinois with a fur-bearing mammal breeder permit when the animal is purchased from a USDA breeder.
The fur-bearing mammal breeder permit can be found here, is $25.50, and must be renewed yearly. While this permit allows the holder to sell raccoons, it is still federally illegal and considered a wildlife crime to sell raccoons without a USDA license.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Indiana?
It is legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Indiana with a Class II Wild Animal Possession permit when the animal is purchased from a USDA permitted breeder.
Indiana’s Class II Wild Animal Possession Permit for raccoons can be found here. The permit is $20 and must be renewed annually. In order to renew your permit for a pet raccoon in Indiana after the first year, you must provide proof your animal has been seen by a veterinarian, is properly vaccinated, and is being properly cared for at home.
More information on the permitting process for keeping a pet raccoon in Indiana can be found here
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Iowa?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Iowa. Iowa state law bans the possession of live furbearing mammals, which includes raccoons.
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/481A.38.pdf
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Kansas?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Kansas.
https://sos.ks.gov/publications/pubs_kar_Regs.aspx?KAR=28&Srch=Y
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Kentucky?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Kentucky.
https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/Transportation-and-Holding-of-Live-Exotic-Wildlife.aspx
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Louisiana?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Louisiana.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Maine?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Maine. Maine’s laws prohibit the private possession of any species native to the state, such as raccoons.
https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/captivity/index.html
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Maryland?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Maryland
https://www.animallaw.info/statute/md-exotic-pets-subtitle-6-crimes-relating-animals
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Massachusetts?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Massachusetts.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Michigan?
It is impossible to legally keep a raccoon as a pet in Michigan, as importing raccoons is illegal.
While it is technically legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Michigan with a permit to hold game in captivity when the Raccoon is purchased from a permitted USDA breeder, there are no USDA raccoon breeders in Michigan.
It is illegal to keep raccoons from the wild as pets in Michigan.
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/laws/orders/wildlife-conservation-order
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Minnesota?
You cannot legally have a raccoon as a pet in Minnesota. Individuals in Minnesota in possession of a raccoon must use them educational or research purposes and have a permit. For more information contact wildlife.permits@state.mn.us or visit https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/permits/animals/index.html
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Mississippi?
No, pet raccoons are not legal in Mississippi. According to Mississippi Fish and Wildlife, furbearing animals (which the raccoon is considered to be) are not legally allowed to be kept as pets.
https://mdwfp.com/media/253844/w-rule-84-regulations-for-game-and-furbearing-animals-in-captivity-proposed.pdf
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Missouri?
It is impossible to legally keep a raccoon as a pet in Missouri. While it is technically legal to posses one, there is no legal way to acquire one. In order to have a pet raccoon in Missouri, it must be from a USDA licensed raccoon breeder in the state. There are none. Missouri is not a safe state to bring captive-bred raccoons to, they will be euthanized if you are caught.
https://mdc.mo.gov/about-us/about-regulations/wildlife-code-missouri/3-csr-10-9223-wildlife-movement-certification
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Montana?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Montana.
https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/living-with-wildlife/raccoons
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Nebraska?
It is legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Nebraska with a captive wildlife permit when purchased from a USDA licensed breeder.
The permit to have a raccoon as a pet in Nebraska costs $33 and can be found here. The permit must be acquired BEFORE you obtain the raccoon.
Nebraska’s Game and Parks website states “Before a permit is issued a Conservation Officer will come to your property and inspect pens or enclosures to ensure there is adequate shelter and structures for the animals you wish to acquire. After you pass inspection, a permit will be issued and you can purchase the animals you indicated you want to raise.”
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Nevada?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Nevada.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in New Hampshire?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in New Hampshire
https://www.animallaw.info/administrative/nh-exotic-pets-part-fis-804-possession-wildlife
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in New Jersey?
It is legal to have a pet raccoon in New Jersey, as long as you have a captive game permit and the raccoon is purchased from a USDA licensed breeder.
The permit to get a pet raccoon in New Jersey can be found here.
There is no place that legally sells raccoons in New Jersey, so you will need an import permit. To get this, you may need to contact NJDEP.
According to the NJDEP website, raccoons “may only be obtained from breeders in states that have the same variants of rabies as New Jersey (Refer to the CDC’s rabies reservoir map here: www.cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/surveillance/wild_animals.html). It is recommended that you contact the Wildlife Permits Unit to confirm if a state/breeder is acceptable before placing a deposit for an animal. The importation permit requirement applies whether the animal will be a new purchase or has been a pet in another state and you are moving into New Jersey.”
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in New Mexico?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in New Mexico.
https://www.nmlegis.gov/sessions/99%20Regular/FinalVersions/SB0287.html
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in New York?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in New York (both the state and the city.)
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in North Carolina?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in North Carolina
https://www.ncwildlife.org/Licensing/Other-Licenses-and-Permits/Wildlife-Captivity-License
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in North Dakota?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in North Dakota.
https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/id/carnivores/raccoon
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Ohio?
Raccoons are legal to keep as pets in Ohio with a permit and when purchased from a USDA licensed breeder.
A non-commercial wild animal propagation permit must be obtained in order to keep a pet raccoon in Ohio. The permit is $25 and can be found here. You can legally keep up to four captive bred raccoons in Ohio.
It is illegal to sell or trade raccoons in Ohio without a permit, and federally illegal to sell or trade raccoons without a permit, as well.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Oklahoma
Raccoons are legal to keep as pets in Oklahoma with a permit and when purchased from a USDA licensed breeder.
In order to keep a raccoon as a pet in Oklahoma, you need to obtain a non-commercial breeder’s permit, which can be found here. The permit is $48 and needs to be renewed annually by July 1st. You must have an inspection done by a game warden before obtaining your raccoon.
You may not legally sell or trade raccoons without a permit from the USDA.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Oregon?
Raccoons are not legal to keep as pets in Oregon unless the owner has a valid exotic animal permit obtained prior to 2010, or is licensed with the USDA.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Pennsylvania?
Pet raccoons are legal in Pennsylvania as long as they are purchased from a USDA licensed breeder in Pennsylvania. You do not need a permit, however you must ensure you get and keep a formal receipt of purchase for the entirety of your pet raccoon’s life.
Please call the Pennsylvania Game Commission Special Permits Enforcement Division at 717-783-8164 for more information.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Rhode Island?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island law states that “All exotic and native wild animals and hybrids of the order Carnivora for which there is no USDA conditionally licensed or unconditionally licensed rabies vaccine are expressly prohibited from importation or possession without the issuance of a valid permit by the Department. Possession is restricted to bona fide researchers, USDA licensed exhibitors authorized to possess animals of this order for short-term exhibition purposes, and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) certified facilities.”
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in South Carolina?
Under some circumstances, pet raccoons are legal in South Carolina.
If the raccoon was taken from the wild in South Carolina, it can legally be kept as a pet. Raccoons may not be imported into South Carolina from other states, meaning you cannot move to South Carolina with a raccoon even if it was born in captivity.
It is important to note that, although technically legal, South Carolina is not a safe state for pet raccoons. This is because if someone so much as comes in contact with your raccoon (or claims to) and contacts SCDHEC, your pet raccoon will be euthanized.
https://scdhec.gov/health/diseases-conditions/insect-or-animal-borne-disease/rabies/exotic-pets-farm-animals
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in South Dakota?
It is legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in South Dakota with an import permit.
More information is coming soon.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Tennessee?
It is legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Tennessee with a permit when the animal is purchased from a USDA licensed breeder. The raccoon must be captive born and cannot be taken from the wild.
If you want a pet raccoon in Tennessee, you must have a Wildlife Possession Permit for Class II animals. The permit is $31 and must be renewed yearly. If you are purchasing a raccoon from an approved facility from another state, you will need to get an importation permit. The importation permit costs $31, is valid for 30 days, and does not need to be renewed once the animal is imported.
It is not legal to keep wild-born raccoons in the state of Tennessee.
For more information on wildlife possession permits in Tennessee, visit the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency’s website.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Texas?
It is not legal to keep raccoons as pets in Texas.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Utah?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Utah.
https://wildlife.utah.gov/r657-3b.html
Are pet raccoons legal in Vermont?
It is not legal to keep raccoons as pets in Vermont.
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/10APPENDIX/001/00018
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Virginia?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Virginia.
https://www.wildlifecenter.org/raccoons-neighbors#:~:text=Don’t%20keep%20the%20raccoon,yourself%20without%20a%20rehabilitation%20permit.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Washington State?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Washington state.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in West Virginia?
It is not legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in West Virginia. We confirmed with the DNR that they will not issue any kind of permit for raccoons or other species native to Virginia.
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Wisconsin?
It is legal to keep a raccoon as a pet in Wisconsin with a permit as long as the animal is from a USDA permitted breeder.
In order to keep a pet raccoon in Wisconsin, you need a Captive Wild Animal Farm license, which can be found here and must be renewed annually. More information on the regulations for owning a pet raccoon in Wisconsin can be found here
Wisconsin law states that pet raccoons “may not be kept in any part of a building or home where people live unless receiving temporary health care, treatment or special handling”
Are Pet Raccoons Legal in Wyoming?
While you can keep raccoons as a pet in Wyoming, you cannot legally import them. This means that captive bred raccoons from other states are not legal in Wyoming.
