Snake Removal Laws in Wyoming: What You Can Legally Do When One Shows Up
September 7, 2026
Wyoming has only two species of venomous snake, and state law treats them in almost opposite ways. You can kill one on sight without a second thought, while harming the other could put you on the wrong side of a wildlife violation. Understanding snake removal laws in Wyoming means knowing which snake you’re actually looking at before you decide what to do about it.
Unlike states with thick regulatory codes for reptiles, Wyoming keeps things fairly bare-bones. That simplicity is convenient in some ways, but it also means the few rules that do exist carry real weight — especially when a protected rattlesnake is involved. This guide walks through what you can legally do yourself, when a permit applies, and when it’s smarter to call in a professional.
Is It Legal to Remove or Relocate a Snake Yourself in Wyoming
For most of the snakes you’ll encounter in Wyoming, moving one off your property yourself is not a major legal event. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s regulations say little else about snakes beyond the handful of specific protections described later in this guide, which leaves homeowners with a fair amount of practical latitude for non-protected species.
Where things get more complicated is once you leave your own property. Prior to importing, possessing or transporting live wildlife in Wyoming, a permit is required. That means scooping a snake into a bucket and driving it to a nearby field or park technically counts as transporting live wildlife, even if your intentions are good.
The safest move is contacting your local Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) regional office before you relocate anything. The Game and Fish has eight regional offices spread across the state, so you’re rarely far from someone who can tell you whether your specific situation needs a permit or an approved release site. This is especially important if you’re unsure of the species — check our guide on when snakes come out in Wyoming to know which months bring the highest odds of an encounter in the first place.
Pro Tip: Snap a photo from a safe distance before you do anything else. Identifying the species correctly is the single biggest factor in whether your next move is legal.
Protected Snake Species in Wyoming
Wyoming’s snake list is short compared to states farther south or east, but it does include one legally protected species. The midget faded rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus concolor) is the only snake in the state that carries formal protection under Wyoming law. In the state of Wyoming, they are regarded as protected, which means it is illegal to capture, trade, or kill these snakes.
This species is also flagged internally by wildlife managers as a conservation priority. The Species of Greatest Conservation Need, or SGCN, designation from the Wyoming Game and Fish is intended to identify species whose conservation status warrants increased management attention. The midget faded rattlesnake carries that designation, along with a small handful of nonvenomous species like the desert striped whipsnake and Great Basin gophersnake.
Every other native snake in Wyoming, including the more widespread prairie rattlesnake, lacks that same legal shield. If you want the full rundown of what’s slithering around the state, our guide to the types of snakes in Wyoming breaks down all 15 species with photos. It’s also worth noting that Wyoming has no native coral snakes, so if you’re trying to identify a brightly banded snake, our piece on coral snakes in Wyoming explains what you’re more likely seeing instead.
| Species | Venomous | Protection Status | Legal to Kill? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Rattlesnake | Yes | Not protected | Yes |
| Midget Faded Rattlesnake | Yes | Protected (SGCN) | No |
| Bullsnake / Gopher Snake | No | Not protected | Legal, but discouraged |
| Garter Snakes | No | Not protected | Legal, but discouraged |
Many nonvenomous species, including the harmless green snake some homeowners spot in gardens, are frequently mistaken for something more dangerous. Our article on the green snake in Wyoming can help you tell the difference before you take any action you’d later regret.
Permit Requirements for Snake Removal in Wyoming
Permit requirements in Wyoming hinge less on the act of “removal” itself and more on what happens to the snake afterward. Prior to importing, possessing or transporting live wildlife in Wyoming, a permit is required. That single rule covers a lot of ground — it applies whether you’re moving a snake across town or bringing one in from out of state.
If a snake is sick or injured rather than simply unwanted, different rules apply. Wyoming’s wildlife rehabilitation regulation governs the issuance of permits allowing a person to provide care, aid and treatment to sick, injured, debilitated or orphaned wildlife. You cannot simply decide to nurse an injured snake back to health without one of these permits.
Wyoming actually splits rehabilitation permits into two tiers. There are two types of wildlife rehabilitation permits: a Provisional Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit, available to a person for a maximum of two consecutive calendar years, and a full Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit for those who meet additional requirements. Neither permit type is designed for the average homeowner who just wants a snake gone — they exist for people caring for injured wildlife long-term.
For a sense of how Wyoming handles permitting for other unconventional animals, see our guide on hedgehog ownership laws in Wyoming, which follows a similar import-and-possession permit structure. In practice, most people dealing with a snake in the yard never need to touch this permit system at all, since simply encouraging the animal to leave your property doesn’t require possessing or transporting it.
When You Can Legally Kill a Snake in Wyoming
The prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) is the species most Wyoming residents actually encounter, and current law gives you a lot of room to act. There are no rules concerning killing or possessing prairie rattlers, but it is illegal to kill or possess a faded midget rattler. A Wyoming Game and Fish wildlife biologist summed up the practical reality for anyone dealing with a rattler close to home, noting that despite a rattlesnake’s place in the ecosystem, most people act to protect their families when one turns up on their doorstep.
This distinction played out publicly in 2023, when a Sweetwater County resident’s decision to kill a rattlesnake sparked a heated local debate. An uproar occurred over the killing of a rattlesnake after a man in the Rock Springs area killed one and posted a photo on a local Facebook page, since Wyoming has two kinds of venomous snakes and only one is protected. The reaction split sharply between residents who saw it as reasonable self-protection and those who felt the snake posed no real threat.
Compare that to neighboring states, and Wyoming’s approach looks relatively permissive. In Utah, it’s generally illegal to kill any species of rattlesnake. Wyoming draws its line at a single subspecies instead of the entire rattlesnake family, which is why the midget faded rattlesnake’s protected status matters so much — it’s the exception, not the rule.
If you accidentally strike a snake with a vehicle rather than intentionally kill one, different considerations come into play regarding what you’re allowed to do with the remains. Our guide to roadkill laws in Wyoming covers that scenario in more detail.
Rules for Venomous Snake Removal in Wyoming
Removing a venomous snake carries higher stakes than removing a garter snake, both legally and physically. For the midget faded rattlesnake specifically, WGFD’s guidance is blunt about what homeowners should do. If you find one on your property and giving it space is not an option, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department recommends contacting Game & Fish personnel to remove it rather than trying to dispatch it yourself.
That recommendation isn’t just about legal compliance — it’s about safety. Most venomous snake bites in the U.S. occur when people harass or try to kill the snake, and venom from midget faded rattlesnakes contains potent, quick-acting neurotoxins. A snake left alone is far less dangerous than one that feels cornered.
Moving a live venomous snake also tends to trigger permit requirements more broadly across the region. You even need a permit to move these venomous critters in many states. Wyoming’s own transport-and-possession permit rule applies here as much as anywhere else in the state’s wildlife code.
For context on how rare actual bites are, Wyoming averages 21 snake bites reported each year, which is the 15th fewest among U.S. states. That low frequency is a good argument for leaving a rattlesnake alone rather than risking a bite by trying to remove or kill it yourself.
Key Insight: The line between “handling a nuisance snake” and “harassing protected wildlife” often comes down to which of Wyoming’s two venomous species you’re dealing with. When in doubt, treat any rattlesnake as if it could be the protected one until you’ve confirmed otherwise.
For a broader look at the myths surrounding venomous snakes in the region, the Wyoming Public Media report on rattlesnake myths is a useful read before you decide how to handle an encounter.
Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Removal Operator in Wyoming
For many homeowners, the simplest path around all of this permit and identification complexity is calling someone who deals with snakes professionally. Wyoming’s regional WGFD office structure makes this fairly accessible no matter where you live in the state.
Here’s a general process for getting professional help with a snake problem in Wyoming:
- Identify your nearest WGFD regional office and call to report the encounter, especially if you suspect a midget faded rattlesnake.
- Ask whether the office handles removal directly or refers residents to a private nuisance wildlife operator.
- If referred to a private operator, confirm they hold the appropriate wildlife handling credentials before scheduling a visit.
- Keep the snake away from pets and children in the meantime rather than attempting removal on your own.
Protected rattlesnake populations tend to cluster in specific areas, which is worth knowing if you live nearby. The midget faded rattlesnake is found around Flaming Gorge Reservoir and along the Green River drainage from Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge down to the town of Green River. Residents in those areas are more likely to need professional guidance than someone living elsewhere in the state.
Wyoming’s rules aren’t unique in requiring extra care around wildlife removal — most states handle this differently, and it’s worth understanding those contrasts if you split time across state lines. See how wildlife removal laws in California, wildlife removal laws in Arizona, wildlife removal laws in Minnesota, and wildlife removal laws in North Carolina compare on permitting and hired-operator requirements.
Penalties for Illegally Killing or Relocating a Snake in Wyoming
Because the midget faded rattlesnake is a protected species, taking one — whether by killing, capturing, or trading it — is a wildlife violation under Wyoming law. It is illegal to capture, trade, or kill these snakes. Enforcement falls under the same general wildlife-protection framework the state uses for other regulated species.
Wyoming takes wildlife law enforcement seriously enough to run a dedicated tip line for violations. The Stop Poaching program works because people truly care about Wyoming’s wildlife resources. Reports of unlawfully killed protected wildlife, including the midget faded rattlesnake, can be funneled through that same system.
Important Note: This article does not constitute legal advice. Wyoming’s exact fine schedules and citation amounts for wildlife violations can change and vary by circumstance, so confirm current penalties with your regional WGFD office or a licensed attorney before assuming what a specific violation might cost you.
Relocation carries its own risks even when the snake itself isn’t protected. Releasing a pet, or in this case a captured wild animal in the wrong place, may be illegal under Wyoming’s rules against introducing wildlife into new habitats without authorization. Moving a snake off your property and dropping it somewhere unapproved can create a separate violation entirely apart from the species question.
The practical takeaway is straightforward: identify the snake, respect the midget faded rattlesnake’s protected status, and use WGFD’s regional offices as your first call whenever you’re unsure. That single habit resolves most of the legal gray area homeowners run into when a snake shows up somewhere it isn’t wanted.