Nuisance Wildlife Laws in Nevada: What Property Owners Need to Know

Nevada’s rapid urban growth has pushed neighborhoods deeper into Great Basin desert and mountain foothills, putting homeowners face to face with coyotes, rattlesnakes, black bears, and a long list of other wild animals. When one of those animals damages your property, threatens your pets, or takes up residence in your attic, your first instinct may be to handle the problem yourself — but Nevada law has a lot to say about how you can do that.

Many animals in Nevada are protected during all or part of the year, including game species and migratory birds. Acting without knowing the rules can expose you to fines, criminal charges, and the loss of hunting and trapping privileges. This guide walks you through Nevada’s nuisance wildlife laws so you can protect your property without running afoul of the state.

Pro Tip: Before taking any action against a problem animal, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) or the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension to confirm the species’ legal status and the methods available to you.

What Counts as Nuisance Wildlife in Nevada

Nevada does not have a single statute that defines “nuisance wildlife” the way some other states do. Instead, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDOA) recognize problem animals based on the damage or threat they create. As a result of urban expansion, humans and wildlife are often found living in each other’s backyards, and the state addresses conflicts between humans and vertebrate animals through a combination of agency guidance and wildlife statutes.

In practice, animals that qualify as nuisance wildlife are those causing property damage, threatening livestock, posing a public health risk, or creating a safety hazard. Common examples across Nevada include coyotes preying on pets, raccoons raiding trash cans, pigeons fouling solar panels, ground squirrels burrowing under foundations, skunks denning under porches, and bats roosting in attics. While no statistics are kept by NDOW, coyote-related pet deaths have become commonplace in many Nevada communities.

Your options for dealing with problem wildlife depend on the species, where you live, and your comfort level with different methods of control. The first step is to properly identify the species you want to manage. Assistance with identification can be obtained from NDOW, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

Your Rights as a Property Owner in Nevada

As a Nevada property owner, you have the right to protect your home, livestock, and crops from wildlife damage — but that right operates within a legal framework set by the state. You may be subject to a fine or other penalties if you harass or kill a protected animal, even if it is a nuisance to you. Understanding which animals fall into which category is the foundation of exercising your rights legally.

Nevada divides wildlife into several categories: game mammals, furbearers, unprotected wildlife, and protected nongame species. No license is necessary to kill “unprotected species” such as coyotes and black-tailed jackrabbits; however, trappers do need a trapping license to trap them. You generally need a hunting license issued by NDOW to hunt other animals in Nevada.

You also have the right to use exclusion and habitat modification on your own property without any permit. Sealing entry points, removing food sources, and installing fencing are always legal first steps. After an animal is removed, applying exclusion techniques and removing temptations eliminates recurrence of the problem. For wildlife conflicts on neighboring or public land, however, your authority is limited and you may need to involve NDOW or the USDA Wildlife Services.

Important Note: Nevada is more than 80 percent public land. If a nuisance animal is moving between your property and adjacent public land, any action you take on public land is subject to additional federal and state rules beyond what applies to private property.

You can also compare how neighboring states handle these situations. See how nuisance wildlife laws in California and nuisance wildlife laws in Arizona approach property owner rights in the American West.

Legal Methods for Removing Nuisance Wildlife in Nevada

Nevada allows several removal methods, but the legality of each depends on the species, your location, and local ordinances. No single approach works for every situation.

Exclusion and Habitat Modification

Exclusion is always the safest legal option and requires no permit. This includes sealing gaps in foundations, capping chimneys, installing hardware cloth over vents, and removing attractants like unsecured garbage and outdoor pet food. Structural approaches are especially relevant in Nevada’s Mojave Desert and Great Basin environments, where identifying entry points in rooflines, solar panel arrays, and foundation vents is a common challenge for homeowners.

Shooting

Shooting is sometimes but not always an option for managing nuisance wildlife. Before you decide to shoot a nuisance animal, you should be aware that there are specific rules and regulations related to the discharge of firearms. Check with local authorities, including NDOW, before shooting a nuisance animal. Many incorporated areas in Nevada — including Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno — have local ordinances that prohibit the discharge of firearms within city limits, which overrides any state-level permission.

Trapping

Live trapping is permitted for many species, but the rules vary significantly by animal. Some animals in Nevada are designated as furbearing, and control of these animals requires a valid trapping license and may only be allowed during certain times of the year during the specified trapping season. Beaver, bobcat, fox, and muskrat are among the species designated as furbearers in Nevada.

Species classified as furbearers in Nevada include beaver, bobcat, gray fox, kit fox, red fox, mink, muskrat, and otter. These species can be harvested in season with either a trapping license or a hunting license. Selling the pelts of any species in Nevada requires the seller to possess a trapping license.

For traps placed on public land, additional registration rules apply. Each trap, snare, or similar device used to take wild animals on public land must be either registered with the Department ($5 fee per trap) or be stamped with the trapper’s name and address.

Repellents, scare devices, and noise deterrents are also legal for most species and require no permit. These are especially useful for birds and deer.

Pro Tip: The USDA Wildlife Services can loan traps to Nevada property owners and humanely euthanize trapped animals at no charge. They can be reached at 1-866-4USDAWS (1-866-487-3297) or (775) 851-4848.

Relocation Rules in Nevada

This is one of the most important — and most misunderstood — aspects of Nevada’s nuisance wildlife framework. Many property owners assume that trapping an animal and releasing it elsewhere is a humane and legal solution. In Nevada, that assumption is often wrong.

While you can live-trap some nuisance wildlife, relocation is not allowed. The trapped animals must be destroyed, since they may carry disease and relocation could spread the disease. Additionally, many of these diseases are transmissible to humans. This rule applies broadly to small mammals such as raccoons, skunks, and squirrels that are commonly trapped by homeowners.

The disease concern is real and not merely bureaucratic caution. Rabies, distemper, and plague are all present in Nevada wildlife populations. Moving an infected animal to a new location can introduce disease into a previously unaffected area and create a larger public health problem than the original nuisance.

If you are unsure whether a trapped animal can be relocated, contact NDOW before releasing it. In most cases involving small mammals, euthanasia on-site is the legally required outcome. You can also review how other states handle this issue — see nuisance wildlife laws in Colorado and nuisance wildlife laws in Washington for comparison.

Species With Special Rules in Nevada

Several species common to Nevada carry extra legal protections or require specific agency involvement. Treating these animals the same as unprotected wildlife is one of the most common — and costly — mistakes property owners make.

Black Bears

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are a game species in Nevada and are fully protected outside of regulated hunting seasons. Control of large carnivores, such as bears, mountain lions, and bobcats, should not be attempted by the average homeowner. For aid in controlling these species, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife Dispatch Office at (775) 688-1331 or (775) 688-1332. NDOW also maintains a Bear Hotline at 775-688-BEAR that is wired directly into NDOW’s Dispatch Center in Reno. If a bear is causing damage or posing a threat, your first call should be to NDOW — not to a trap or a firearm.

Mountain Lions

The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is a game animal in Nevada and may not be killed without a valid tag. Mountain lion tags are available for residents and nonresidents to purchase over the counter — up to two per year — at NDOW offices and license agents, or online through the Nevada Department of Wildlife licensing portal, with one mountain lion permitted per tag. If a mountain lion poses an immediate threat to human safety, contact NDOW immediately. An annual wildlife depredation permit may be issued to the USDA Wildlife Services to kill mountain lion, black bear, bobcat, or others causing or potentially causing a loss of private property, natural resources, or representing a threat to human health.

Migratory Birds

All migratory birds — including swallows, swifts, and most songbirds — are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In Nevada, the Endangered Species Act is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nevada Department of Wildlife. This law protects all plants and animals listed as endangered or threatened in the state. You cannot legally trap, kill, or destroy the active nests or eggs of migratory birds without a federal depredation permit, even if the birds are nesting on your property and causing damage.

Furbearers

As noted above, species classified as furbearers in Nevada include beaver, bobcat, gray fox, kit fox, red fox, mink, muskrat, and otter, and these species can be harvested in season with either a trapping license or a hunting license. Trapping furbearers outside of the designated season — even on your own property — is a violation of state law. Additional regulations include prohibitions on the take of bobcat or gray fox by nonresidents and check-in and sealing requirements for bobcats.

Bats

Bats are protected nongame wildlife in Nevada and may not be killed except by NDOW or under specific circumstances. NDOW issues special permits for nuisance wildlife including bats, and special requirements for bats apply when seeking a possession or removal permit. Exclusion — sealing entry points after bats have left for the night — is the only legal DIY method. Never seal a roost during pupping season (typically May through August) when young bats cannot yet fly.

Endangered and Threatened Species

The Endangered Species Act protects all plants and animals listed as endangered or threatened in the state. “Protects” means an endangered or threatened species may not be injured or harassed even inadvertently. In Nevada, this includes species such as the desert tortoise and several bat species. If you encounter a listed species on your property, do not attempt removal — contact NDOW or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for guidance.

For a broader look at how special-species rules play out in other states, see nuisance wildlife laws in Florida and nuisance wildlife laws in Texas.

When You Need a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in Nevada

Some wildlife situations in Nevada are simply beyond what a property owner can legally or safely handle alone. Knowing when to call a professional can save you from legal liability, injury, and repeat infestations.

You should contact a licensed wildlife control operator (WCO) or NDOW in any of the following situations:

• A black bear, mountain lion, or bobcat is on or near your property
• Bats are roosting inside a structure and exclusion timing is unclear
• A furbearer needs to be trapped outside of open trapping season
• You suspect a wild animal is rabid or otherwise diseased
• A migratory bird is nesting in a location that causes damage
• An endangered or threatened species is present on your property

Recreational trappers and nuisance wildlife control operators use traps to remove nuisance and unwanted animals from around human-occupied areas, and in many locations across the state they function as NDOW’s unpaid technicians in implementing structured management strategies. Licensed WCOs know which methods are approved, carry the required permits, and are familiar with local ordinances that may restrict what a property owner can do independently.

There are many expert licensed guides in Nevada that provide service for big game, game birds, game fish, furbearers, and unprotected wildlife. Many hunters may never use or even see a guide, but understanding the rules surrounding guide licensing and how the process works can save problems. The same principle applies to nuisance wildlife operators — licensing exists to protect both the animals and the property owner.

To find a licensed WCO in Nevada, contact NDOW’s regional offices in Reno, Elko, or Las Vegas, or reach out to NDOW directly for a referral. The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension also provides guidance on identifying and managing nuisance wildlife species statewide.

See how professional wildlife control requirements compare in nearby states: nuisance wildlife laws in Utah and nuisance wildlife laws in New Mexico outline similar licensing frameworks in the region. You can also compare approaches across the country with nuisance wildlife laws in Ohio, nuisance wildlife laws in Michigan, and nuisance wildlife laws in Pennsylvania.

Penalties for Violating Nuisance Wildlife Laws in Nevada

Nevada treats wildlife violations seriously, and the penalties scale with the severity of the offense. Ignorance of the law is not a defense — and given the range of protected species in the state, it is easy to make a costly mistake.

Violation Type	Potential Penalty
Misdemeanor wildlife violation (e.g., hunting without a license, shooting outside legal hours)	Criminal fines, possible jail time
Gross misdemeanor (e.g., false statement to obtain a big game tag)	Up to 364 days in jail and/or up to $2,000 in fines
Felony (e.g., killing big game outside of season using aircraft, using another person’s tag)	Category E felony; forfeiture of equipment including guns and vehicles
Civil penalties	Up to $30,000
License revocation (demerit-based)	3 to 10 years loss of hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges

Convictions of wildlife law may carry serious penalties, including criminal fines up to $5,000, jail, civil penalties up to $30,000, loss of equipment, and lost license privileges. These penalties apply whether the violation involves game species, furbearers, or protected nongame wildlife — the protected status of the animal is what matters, not whether you intended to break the law.

Hunting, fishing, and trapping license privileges are revoked when a person accumulates 12 demerit points within a 60-month period. When a person is convicted of a wildlife violation, a certain number of demerits are assessed for that crime. The more serious the crime, the greater the number of demerits assessed. Demerit-based revocations can range from 3 years to as much as 10 years.

NDOW is also a member state of the Wildlife Violators Compact, a unified alliance between member states to recognize and apply hunting, fishing, and trapping license suspensions to residents who violate wildlife laws in other member states. A violation in Nevada can therefore follow you across state lines.

If you witness wildlife poaching or an illegal removal, you can report it anonymously. To report wildlife crime, members of the public can call the Operation Game Thief hotline or use the NDOW Tip app, which provides citizens the ability to submit anonymous tips to Nevada game wardens including text messages, coordinates, and photos.

Important Note: This article provides general legal information about Nevada’s nuisance wildlife laws and is not a substitute for legal advice. Wildlife regulations change frequently. Always verify current rules with NDOW or a licensed wildlife professional before taking action.

Dealing with problem wildlife is a challenge shared by property owners across the country. For more state-specific guidance, explore nuisance wildlife laws in New Jersey, nuisance wildlife laws in Georgia, nuisance wildlife laws in Virginia, and nuisance wildlife laws in Illinois. Understanding the rules in your state is the most effective way to resolve wildlife conflicts without creating new legal problems for yourself.