Can You Kill Raccoons in Louisiana? What State Law Actually Allows

Louisiana has one of the most raccoon-friendly environments in the country — the state’s bayous, hardwood bottomlands, and suburban neighborhoods all support dense populations of the common raccoon (Procyon lotor). If a raccoon is raiding your trash, damaging your attic, or threatening your livestock, you probably want it gone fast. The good news is that Louisiana law gives you several options. The details, however, matter a great deal.

Whether you want to hunt, trap, or simply call a professional, Louisiana has specific rules governing every method. Getting those rules wrong can mean fines, criminal citations, and even monetary reimbursement to the state for illegally taken wildlife. This guide walks you through exactly what the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) permits — and what it does not.

Are Raccoons Protected in Louisiana?

Raccoons are classified as furbearers and game animals under Louisiana law, which means they receive regulatory protection — but not the kind that prevents you from killing them. Under Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76, raccoons fall under a “no closed season” classification, meaning there is no time of year when hunting them is entirely prohibited. That is a meaningful distinction from states where raccoons are fully protected outside a narrow season window.

At the same time, raccoons are not “outlaw quadrupeds” like coyotes or feral hogs, which can be taken with fewer restrictions. The rules and regulations governing raccoon take are officially adopted by the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission under authority vested by Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56, and the LDWF secretary has the authority to close or alter seasons in emergency situations to protect wildlife resources. In practice, this means you must follow the licensing and method requirements below, even if there is technically no closed season.

Raccoons are also listed among the wild or exotic animals that no person shall keep or permit to be kept on their premises for display or exhibition purposes, and no person may keep a raccoon as a pet under Louisiana law — a reminder that “legal to kill” does not mean “legal to keep.”

Important Note: Louisiana law assigns monetary values to all illegally taken wildlife. According to the Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76, anyone illegally taking or destroying wildlife must reimburse the LDWF a sum equal to the value of the animal taken, in addition to any criminal penalties.

When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in Louisiana?

Louisiana law creates three distinct circumstances under which killing a raccoon is legal. Understanding which category applies to your situation determines what licenses and methods you need.

• Recreational hunting: Any licensed hunter may take raccoons year-round, subject to bag limits and method restrictions described below.
• Crop protection: Farmers and landowners may hunt raccoons or opossums with a .22 caliber rimfire rifle when the animals are found destroying crops of corn, sweet potatoes, watermelons, pecans, and other crops, with no bag limit any time of the year.
• Nuisance control: Nuisance animals may be controlled by the property owner or his designee with written landowner permission, to prevent further damage.

Outside of the open trapping season, the raccoon and opossum bag limit for daytime or nighttime is two per person per day or night. During the open trapping season, that bag limit is lifted on most areas. The open trapping season generally runs from late November through March 31, though you should confirm exact dates annually with the LDWF Seasons and Regulations page.

One firm restriction applies regardless of circumstance: no person shall take or hunt raccoons or opossums from a boat or vehicle. Shooting from a moving or stationary vehicle is prohibited under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 56:116.1.

Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in Louisiana

Louisiana specifies which weapons are lawful for taking raccoons, and the rules differ between daylight and nighttime hunting. Getting this wrong — even unintentionally — constitutes a wildlife violation.

Daytime hunting: A licensed hunter may take raccoon or opossum with a .22 caliber or smaller rimfire firearm, .36 caliber or smaller muzzleloader rifle, archery gear, air rifle, or shotgun during daylight hours. This gives you a reasonable range of options for property defense or recreational harvest.

Nighttime hunting: No person shall take or hunt furbearing animals at night with artificial light. It is lawful, however, for one or more licensed hunters with one or more dogs to hunt raccoons or opossums at night with lights, and to carry on such hunts using not more than one standard .22 caliber rimfire firearm with single ball rimfire ammunition. In short, nighttime hunting requires dogs and is limited to a .22 rimfire — no centerfire rifles, no shotguns after dark.

Air rifles are legal for taking squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, opossum, and outlaw quadrupeds under Louisiana hunting regulations, making them a practical option for suburban or semi-rural property owners dealing with nuisance animals at close range.

Pro Tip: If you are a landowner dealing with raccoons raiding a pecan orchard or cornfield, the crop-destruction exemption under R.S. 56:116.1(C)(2)(a) removes the bag limit entirely. Document the crop damage before taking action — this supports your legal standing if questioned by a wildlife officer.

For comparison with neighboring states, see how Texas handles raccoon control rules and what Tennessee law allows for nuisance raccoons.

Trapping Raccoons in Louisiana: Rules and Restrictions

Trapping is one of the most common methods used for raccoon control in Louisiana, particularly in suburban parishes where discharging a firearm may be restricted. The rules hinge on whether you are trapping during the open trapping season and whether you intend to sell or pelt the animal afterward.

You must have a current trapping license to set or run traps of any type to catch furbearers during the open trapping season, or to sell pelts or carcasses of furbearers. Annual trapping licenses go on sale June 1 each year and are valid from the date of purchase, expiring on June 30 each year. Outside the trapping season, a basic hunting license is sufficient for nuisance control purposes — but you still cannot sell or pelt the animal without a trapping license.

Two trap-specific rules are worth knowing before you set anything:

• All traps must be run daily. Traps with teeth are illegal.
• Traps shall be set in such a manner that provides the trapped animal protection from harassment from dogs and other animals and direct sun exposure.

During the open trapping season, it is illegal for anybody to place or maintain any kind of trap to capture furbearers without a valid trapping license. If you are caught trapping raccoons during the season without that license, you face both criminal penalties and mandatory reimbursement to the LDWF for the value of each animal taken.

Also note that property owners must comply with all additional local laws and municipal ordinances governing the shooting or trapping of wildlife or discharge of firearms. Parish-level rules can add restrictions on top of state law — more on that in the local ordinances section below.

Wondering how Louisiana’s trapping rules compare to other Southern states? Check out the rules for killing raccoons in Georgia and raccoon control laws in Florida.

Can You Relocate a Raccoon Instead of Killing It in Louisiana?

This is where many Louisiana homeowners run into trouble. The instinct to trap a raccoon alive and release it somewhere “in the wild” sounds humane, but Louisiana law draws a hard line for certain species — and raccoons are on that list.

Under Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76, § V-125, some species may be trapped alive and relocated without a permit, but raccoons handled by licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators face a stricter rule. Raccoons, skunks, feral hogs, coyotes, and nutria shall not be relocated and shall be euthanized within 12 hours of capture, in accordance with the current AVMA guidelines on euthanasia. The reason is public health: raccoons are a primary rabies vector species in Louisiana, and relocating them risks spreading the disease to new areas.

For private landowners acting on their own property without hiring a professional, the rules are somewhat more permissive. Raccoons may be trapped alive and relocated to suitable habitat without a permit, provided written permission is obtained from the property owner where the animals are to be released, and the animals are treated in a responsible and humane manner and released within 12 hours of capture.

In practice, finding a landowner willing to accept a raccoon — and getting written permission before the 12-hour window closes — is difficult. Most wildlife professionals recommend euthanasia as the more practical and legally straightforward outcome. Wildlife that is relocated must be released at least five miles outside of any city limit and must be released within the state of Louisiana.

Key Insight: If you trap a raccoon yourself and want to release it, you need written permission from the receiving landowner in your possession during transport and release. Releasing a raccoon on public land without written government permission is a violation of Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76, § V-125.

For a look at how other states handle the relocation question, see what Virginia law says about relocating raccoons and the Ohio rules on raccoon relocation.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in Louisiana

If you do not want to deal with trapping, licensing requirements, or disposal yourself, hiring a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) is the cleanest option. Louisiana has a formal permitting program for these professionals, and using an unlicensed individual for commercial wildlife removal is itself a violation of state law.

The LDWF does not remove nuisance wildlife. Instead, LDWF permits individuals — Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators — to provide these services for a fee. NWCOs are permitted to handle most species except deer, bears, migratory birds, and alligators, and there are more than 100 permitted operators located across the state.

To become a licensed NWCO in Louisiana, operators must meet several requirements:

1. All NWCOs must have a valid NWCO permit issued by the LDWF in their possession while engaged in nuisance wildlife control activities, and permits are issued only to individuals.
2. Operators must possess a valid Louisiana trapping license and valid Louisiana basic hunting license.
3. Applicants must achieve a minimum score of 80 percent on the LDWF NWCO examination, which covers wildlife biology and behavior, nuisance animal control methods and procedures, and nuisance wildlife control laws.
4. Permits must be renewed annually, and felony background checks are required for renewal.

Failure to attend the required training class or obtain six hours of LDWF-approved continuing education every three years will result in revocation of the NWCO permit. This ongoing requirement helps ensure that operators stay current with any regulatory changes.

You can find a licensed NWCO near you through the LDWF’s official Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator list. For questions about the permitting program, the LDWF Wildlife Permits Office can be reached at wildlifepermits@wlf.la.gov or 225-763-5499.

To see how professional wildlife control is handled in other states, check out the rules for hiring wildlife operators in North Carolina and raccoon removal regulations in Maryland.

Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in Louisiana

State law sets the floor for raccoon control in Louisiana, but parish and municipal ordinances can raise that floor considerably. This is especially relevant if you live inside city limits, where discharging a firearm is often prohibited regardless of what state hunting regulations allow.

Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76, § V-125 makes this explicit: property owners must comply with all additional local laws and municipal ordinances governing the shooting or trapping of wildlife or discharge of firearms. State law does not preempt local restrictions — it coexists with them.

Common local restrictions to check before acting include:

• Firearm discharge bans: Most incorporated cities and many unincorporated suburban areas prohibit firing a weapon within city or parish limits, which effectively eliminates shooting as an option for urban raccoon control.
• Trap placement rules: Some parishes require that traps be placed only on your own property and not within a certain distance of property lines, roads, or waterways.
• Carcass disposal rules: A few municipalities have ordinances governing how animal carcasses must be disposed of after a kill. Check with your parish animal control office before disposing of a raccoon on your property.
• HOA restrictions: If you live in a homeowners association community, additional deed restrictions may apply beyond any government ordinance.

The City of Baton Rouge, for example, maintains its own nuisance wildlife framework through the parish animal control division. Individuals who wish to control wildlife in Louisiana for a fee must be permitted by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Even within that framework, local ordinances can add layers that state permits do not override.

If you are unsure whether your parish restricts trapping or firearm discharge, contact your local sheriff’s office or parish animal control before setting a trap or taking a shot. You can also review Louisiana’s roadkill laws for additional context on how the state treats incidentally killed wildlife.

Pro Tip: When in doubt, hiring a licensed NWCO is the safest path. They are trained to navigate both state and local rules, carry the required licenses, and handle disposal — removing your legal exposure entirely.

Louisiana Raccoon Control: Quick-Reference Summary

Situation	Legal?	License Required	Key Restriction
Recreational hunting (day)	Yes	Basic hunting license	2/day limit outside trapping season; no bag limit during season
Recreational hunting (night)	Yes, with dogs	Basic hunting license	.22 rimfire only; dogs required; artificial light permitted only with dogs
Crop protection kill	Yes	Basic hunting license	.22 rimfire only; no bag limit year-round for farmers/landowners
Trapping during open season	Yes	Hunting + trapping license	Traps run daily; toothed traps illegal; no selling without trapping license
Live trapping and relocation (private)	Conditional	None (if no permit required)	Written permission from receiving landowner; release within 12 hours; 5+ miles outside city limits
Relocation by NWCO	No (raccoons)	N/A	NWCOs must euthanize raccoons within 12 hours of capture
Hiring a NWCO	Yes	NWCO handles licensing	Verify NWCO holds valid LDWF permit before hiring

Final Thoughts on Killing Raccoons in Louisiana

Louisiana gives property owners and hunters more flexibility with raccoons than most states — no closed season, year-round crop-protection rights for landowners, and a well-developed professional removal program. The key is matching your method to your situation and making sure your licenses are in order before you act.

If you are a rural landowner dealing with crop damage, the crop-protection exemption gives you broad authority with minimal paperwork. If you are a suburban homeowner, live trapping with proper written permissions or hiring a licensed NWCO is almost always the cleaner legal path. Either way, check your local parish ordinances before doing anything — state law and local rules must both be satisfied.

For more state-by-state comparisons, see how Kentucky handles raccoon control, what Illinois law says about killing raccoons, and the Michigan rules for nuisance raccoon removal.