Wildlife removal laws, state by state
\u201CHumane relocation\u201D is the most common promise in this industry — and in several states it is literally illegal. What happens to a trapped animal, who may be paid to trap it, and when bats can be touched at all are decided by state law. Here is the plain-language version for the five states we cover, with links to each primary source.
Paraphrased from official agency sources; last reviewed 2026-07-04. Florida\u2019s trapping rules change December 31, 2026 — the Florida section describes the rules in effect before that date.
Pennsylvania
Regulator: Pennsylvania Game Commission · Credential: Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) permit
Commercial wildlife removal in Pennsylvania is regulated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Paid operators need an NWCO permit, which requires passing a written exam. Exclusion is the standard approach for bats, squirrels, raccoons, and groundhogs, but timing matters: summer bat exclusion can trap flightless pups inside a home.
- • Paid operators must hold a Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) permit from the Game Commission.
- • Wildlife taken alive cannot be sold or given away. Lawful outcomes are release in a natural setting or land open to hunting or trapping, or humane dispatch.
- • Operators need special written permission from the Commission before euthanizing five or more bats at one location.
- • Summer bat exclusion is discouraged because it can trap pups inside living spaces during maternity season.
Ohio
Regulator: ODNR Division of Wildlife · Credential: Commercial Nuisance Wild Animal Control Operator (CNWACO) license
Ohio regulates paid wildlife removal through the ODNR Division of Wildlife. Operators need a CNWACO license. The most important rule for homeowners: rabies-vector species such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, and opossums must be released on the same property or euthanized - they cannot be trucked to a park or the countryside.
- • Paid wildlife removal requires a Commercial Nuisance Wild Animal Control Operator (CNWACO) license, renewed annually.
- • Rabies-vector species (raccoons, skunks, beavers, coyotes, foxes, opossums) must be released on-site or euthanized. Off-property relocation is prohibited without separate authorization.
- • Bats may only be excluded, never killed, unless a bite or possible rabies exposure has occurred.
- • Approved bat exclusion windows are April 1 to May 15 and August 1 to October 15. Work outside those dates needs written ODNR authorization.
Florida
Regulator: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) · Credential: No state trapper license (voluntary FWC Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator list)
Florida wildlife handling falls under the FWC. Unusually, FWC does not license wildlife trappers - operators can voluntarily join a public list. Captured nuisance wildlife must be released or euthanized within 24 hours, and off-site release is only lawful within the same county on 40+ contiguous acres with written landowner permission. Note: FWC-approved rule amendments take effect December 31, 2026.
- • FWC does not license wildlife trappers. Ask what credentials a provider actually holds rather than assuming a state license exists.
- • Live-captured nuisance wildlife must be released or euthanized within 24 hours.
- • Off-site release is lawful only within the same county, on at least 40 contiguous acres, with written landowner permission, and only if no rabies alert is in effect.
- • Bats may never be killed, trapped, or disturbed, and exclusion is prohibited April 15 to August 15 (maternity season).
- • Amended FWC trapping rules take effect December 31, 2026 - rules described here apply before that date.
Georgia
Regulator: Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division · Credential: Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) permit
Georgia DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division issues NWCO permits (written exam required) for paid wildlife work. A standard pest control license does not cover wildlife jobs - it is a separate credential. Permit holders may hold wildlife under 72 hours for transport and release with landowner permission, but rabies-vector species trigger extra health-department screening.
- • Paid wildlife work requires an NWCO permit from the DNR Special Permit Unit. A structural pest control license alone does not cover it.
- • Permit holders may possess nuisance wildlife for under 72 hours for transport and release into suitable habitat with landowner permission.
- • Rabies-vector species (raccoon, skunk, bobcat, fox, coyote) that scratched or bit a person or pet require health-department protocols before any release decision.
- • Bats: exclusion only, never lethal removal. Avoid exclusion April 1 to July 31 unless it is confirmed no flightless young are present.
Virginia
Regulator: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) · Credential: Commercial Nuisance Animal Permit (CNAP)
Virginia DWR regulates commercial wildlife work through the Commercial Nuisance Animal Permit. Virginia has the strictest relocation rule of any state we cover: trapping and relocating wildlife to another location is illegal for everyone, including licensed operators. The lawful outcomes after trapping are on-site release or humane euthanasia.
- • Commercial work requires a Commercial Nuisance Animal Permit (CNAP). Captured wildlife legally remains property of the Commonwealth while held.
- • Trapping and relocating wildlife to another location is illegal in Virginia - for private individuals and licensed operators alike.
- • CNAP holders may transport animals off-site only for humane dispatch, not for release elsewhere.
- • DWR recommends operators handling rabies-vector species get a pre-exposure rabies vaccination series.
Talk to someone about your animal problem now
Call (833) 555-0100Calls answered 24/7. No obligation.
EmergencyAnimalRemoval.com is an independent connection service. We are not a government animal control agency and do not directly perform wildlife removal. When you call, you may be connected with an independent, third-party wildlife removal provider or a partner call center. We may be compensated when callers are connected with a partner provider. Availability, services, pricing, and licensing vary by location.