Florida's Wildlife Trapping Rules for Homeowners
The short answer: Florida property owners can trap most nuisance wildlife without telling FWC. Check traps at least every 24 hours. Native animals can only be released on the same property or on 40+ contiguous acres in the same county with written permission. Non-natives can't be released, bat colonies can only be excluded, and new rules start December 31, 2026.
When an animal counts as a nuisance
FWC defines nuisance wildlife as an animal that causes, or is about to cause, property damage, threatens public safety, or causes an annoyance in, under or on a building. That's the trigger for the rules below (FWC).
Who can trap
- Property owners can take nuisance wildlife on their own property, or authorize someone else to.
- Trappers working for you must have the property owner's consent.
- No FWC notice is needed for most nuisance wildlife on private property. Some species and methods need a permit.
The rules at a glance
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Methods | Live traps or snares, or firearms during daylight where they're allowed. Steel traps need an FWC permit. Shooting certain animals at night, for crop or livestock damage, needs a Gun and Light at Night Permit and a hunting license. |
| Checks | Every trap and snare inspected at least once every 24 hours. |
| After capture | Released legally or humanely euthanized within 24 hours of capture or inspection. |
| Release: native animals | On the property where it was caught, or on 40+ contiguous acres in the same county with the landowner's written permission. Never on public or private land without written permission. |
| Release: non-native animals | Not allowed. Non-native wildlife can only be moved to be euthanized. |
| Non-target animals | Released immediately at the capture site. |
| Bobcats | Euthanizing a live-caught bobcat is prohibited; it must be released. |
New rules from December 31, 2026
New FWC trapping rules start December 31, 2026. They change trap check times, allow remote (camera) checks, and require most people who trap to complete FWC's annual registration and training, which FWC says is at no cost. A homeowner using one regular-size cage trap (door up to 20 by 28 inches) on their own property, to catch nuisance or non-native wildlife, doesn't need registration, training or reporting. Nuisance animals moved off site must be released or put down within 12 hours of the trap check, down from 24. Details at MyFWC.com/TrappingRules.
FWC's trapping rules page also says the time to release or put down an animal taken off site drops from 24 hours to 12 (FWC).
Animals you can't trap
- Bats. FWC says capturing and relocating bats is illegal, and so are poison and fumigants. Colonies leave a building only by exclusion, from August 15 to April 15 (FWC allows a single bat in the living space to be caught and let outside any time). See bat removal.
- Protected species. FWC notes many species can't be taken as nuisance wildlife. The eastern indigo snake is federally threatened, and the Big Cypress fox squirrel can't be trapped without a permit.
- Alligators. Nuisance alligators go to FWC's hotline, 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), not a backyard trap.
- Bears. Report bear conflicts to your FWC regional office.
Animal by animal
Each animal has its own page with the details: raccoon removal, opossum removal, squirrel removal, armadillo removal and rat removal.
Raccoon
- Yes
- Release on site or on 40+ acres in the same county with permission; UF/IFAS recommends euthanasia over relocation
Opossum
- Yes
- Release on site or on 40+ acres in the same county with permission, or humane euthanasia
Gray and flying squirrels
- Yes
- Can be taken as nuisance animals with cage traps
Armadillo
- Treated as native
- Release on site or on 40+ acres in the same county with permission; FWC calls relocation seldom biologically sound
Roof and Norway rats
- No
- Can't be released anywhere
Bats
- Yes
- Exclusion only (a single bat in the living space can be caught and let outside any time)
Getting written permission for a release site
If you plan to release a native animal anywhere but where you caught it, Florida requires the landowner's written permission, and the land must be at least 40 contiguous acres in the same county. Before you trap, get that permission in writing from the owner, keep it with you, and make sure you know the county line. Public land needs written permission from whoever manages it.
Firearms and night hunting
FWC allows nuisance wildlife to be taken with firearms during daylight where firearms are allowed, but check local rules first. UF/IFAS warns never to fire a gun inside city limits or in residential areas. Taking some animals at night, including raccoons and opossums causing crop or livestock damage, needs a Gun and Light at Night Permit and a hunting license.
What about glue traps and poison?
For rodents, UF/IFAS Extension calls glue traps inhumane and a hazard to other wildlife, and the CDC warns glue and live traps can scare rodents into urinating. Rodenticides are a last resort, in tamper-resistant bait stations away from children and pets. Poison is never allowed on bats.
Trapping legally, step by step
- 1. Make sure it's a nuisance under FWC's definition, and that the species can be trapped.
- 2. Decide the outcome first: release on site, release on permitted land, or humane euthanasia.
- 3. Use a legal trap, set where you can check it.
- 4. Check it at least every 24 hours, and let any other animal go on the spot.
- 5. Act within the deadline: 24 hours today, 12 hours for off-site release or euthanasia from December 31, 2026.
- 6. Fix the reason it came: seal the entry and remove food and shelter.
Should you trap it yourself?
Trapping is legal, but it's the easy half. You still have to check the trap every day, deal with what you catch within the deadline, and close the hole the animal used, or the next one moves in. Many homeowners call a professional for exactly those reasons. See raccoon trapping for a worked example, or call (844) 264-6254. Our county pages, such as Pasco and Pinellas, list the local agencies to call.