Taxidermy Laws in Indiana: Licenses, Permits, and Species Rules Explained
October 7, 2026
If you shoot a deer in Indiana and hand it to a friend to mount, that friend needs a state taxidermy license before touching your cape. Taxidermy laws in Indiana separate two very different activities: preserving your own legally taken animal and preserving one that belongs to someone else. Mixing up the two is the single most common way hunters, taxidermists, and hobbyists run into trouble with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
This guide walks through the state licensing rules, the species you can and cannot legally mount, the federal permits that sit on top of Indiana law, and what happens when a customer never picks up their finished mount. Whether you are a hunter deciding whether to DIY your own trophy or a taxidermist setting up a legal business, understanding these overlapping state and federal requirements protects you from fines, license revocation, or a visit from a conservation officer.
Important Note: This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. Wildlife regulations change and enforcement details vary by circumstance, so confirm current requirements with the Indiana DNR or a licensed attorney before starting a taxidermy business or accepting protected species.
Do You Need a Taxidermy License or Permit in Indiana?
Indiana law draws a clean line around who needs a license: it depends on whose animal you are working on. Under Indiana Code, a taxidermist is legally defined as a person who receives wild animals or parts of wild animals for the purpose of performing taxidermy service for any other person. State regulation reinforces this same trigger, stating plainly that a license is required under this section for a person who performs taxidermy services on a wild animal for another person.
If that description fits you, the DNR issues the license upon payment of a fee, and the department may, under rules adopted under IC 4-22-2, issue to a person, upon payment of a fee of fifteen dollars ($15), a license to possess for taxidermy purposes a wild animal or the hide or skin of a wild animal protected by Indiana law during the closed season for the animal. That license does not last indefinitely, either: a taxidermist license expires December 31 after the date of issue, so renewal is an annual task, not a one-time purchase.
These rules sit alongside Indiana’s broader hunting laws, which govern how the animal was taken in the first place before it ever reaches a mounting table. Full details on fees, renewal cycles, and the application form are published in the DNR’s taxidermy license regulations.
Commercial Taxidermy vs Mounting Your Own Legally Taken Wildlife in Indiana
You do not need a taxidermist license to work on your own animal. Indiana law is explicit that a person may, without a license, and for taxidermy purposes, possess a wild animal not protected by Indiana law. Even for a protected game species, once you have legally taken it, the finished product is yours to keep: a person may possess at any time a wild animal legally taken in open season and mounted.
The complication comes from how the animal was obtained. A deer you shot during an open season and tagged is straightforward. A bird you found dead, a raptor injured on your property, or roadkill you picked up along a highway is not automatically yours to preserve, and Indiana’s roadkill laws spell out separate rules for salvaging animals you did not personally harvest. The same logic applies to fish taken by rod or by legal spearfishing methods in Indiana waters; as long as the catch itself was legal, you can typically have it mounted or mount it yourself without a taxidermist license.
Key Insight: The license requirement follows the transaction, not the species. Working on an animal for pay or as a favor for someone else triggers the license; working on your own legally taken animal generally does not.
What Species You Can and Cannot Mount in Indiana (Game, Nongame, and Unprotected)
Not every animal that dies in Indiana can legally end up on a wall. Game species like white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), and waterfowl can be mounted once legally taken, subject to the tagging rules covered later in this guide. Furbearers and predators, including coyote (Canis latrans), follow Indiana’s separate coyote hunting laws on season and method before taxidermy even becomes relevant, and waterfowl hunters should also check Indiana’s duck hunting laws since ducks carry additional federal tagging requirements.
Nongame protected birds are a different story entirely. Even mounted, songbirds, hawks, and owls remain federally regulated, and once mounted, these birds can be legally possessed only by public scientific and educational institutions or individuals or facilities that have a valid Special Purpose Possession Dead permit, while personal possession of nongame birds is prohibited. On the other end of the spectrum, a handful of common birds carry no protection at all, because English sparrows, common starlings, and feral pigeons (rock doves) are not native to the United States and are not protected by federal law.
| Category | Examples | License or Permit Needed to Mount |
|---|---|---|
| Game species | White-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl | Taxidermist license if mounting for someone else; tagging required |
| Protected nongame birds | Hawks, owls, songbirds | Federal permit and institutional possession only; personal possession barred |
| Unprotected/non-native species | English sparrow, European starling, feral pigeon | None under federal law |
Big game carcasses crossing state lines add another layer. If you bring a deer or elk carcass into Indiana with the head, spinal cord, or small intestine still attached, it must be taken to a DNR-registered meat processor or licensed taxidermist within 72 hours of entering the state, and those professionals must dispose of the remains according to specific rules.
Federal Overlay You Still Must Follow: Migratory Bird Taxidermy Permits (MBTA)
State licensing is only half the picture for bird mounts. Federal law under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act requires its own permit: a Federal Taxidermy permit is required to perform taxidermy services on migratory birds or their parts, nests, or eggs for someone other than yourself, and taxidermy permits authorize you to receive and temporarily possess legally acquired, properly tagged migratory birds for mounting or other preparation. Indiana’s own regulation cross-references this directly, noting that a federal taxidermy permit is required to perform taxidermy work on any migratory bird except a mute swan.
Tagging carries through the entire process. Under federal rules, all such birds must be properly tagged as required by 50 CFR 20.36, and the tag may be removed during taxidermy operations but must be retained and reattached after mounting, remaining attached until the specimen is delivered to the owner. The two permit systems are also linked by design: your federal permit is not valid unless you also comply with state requirements, meaning that if your state requires a permit to perform taxidermy on migratory game birds, you must hold a valid state permit for your federal permit to be valid.
The federal permit itself is not permanent. A taxidermist permit issued or renewed under this part expires on the date designated on the face of the permit, but the term of the permit will not exceed five years from the date of issuance or renewal. Hunters bringing in ducks or geese should also check Indiana’s duck hunting regulations, since federal wing and tail tagging rules for waterfowl overlap directly with what a taxidermist is legally allowed to accept.
Endangered, Threatened, and CITES Specimens in Indiana
Protected-species rules get stricter the rarer the animal. Indiana regulation limits who can even apply for a mount involving a protected species, stating that a permit for a special taxidermy mount of a protected species may be granted only to an agency or institution that engages in wildlife education or research as a primary function. In practice, that means an individual hunter or private taxidermist generally cannot obtain a state permit to mount a federally listed endangered or threatened species; that door is open only to qualifying institutions.
Species covered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) add a further federal layer for anything with international origins, from imported hides to specimens taken abroad. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers these import and export permits alongside its broader authority, since the Service issues permits to qualified applicants for activities such as falconry, raptor propagation, scientific collecting, special purposes, take of depredating birds, taxidermy, and waterfowl sale and disposal. This matters even for animals that seem like nuisances; Indiana’s nuisance wildlife laws allow removal of problem animals in specific situations, but a federally protected species causing a nuisance is still federally protected once it is dead and destined for a mount.
Important Note: Federal endangered species and CITES rules are complex and specimen-specific. Before accepting or mounting any rare, imported, or unusually marked animal, verify its legal status with USFWS rather than assuming state clearance is sufficient.
Recordkeeping, Tagging, and Inspection Rules for Taxidermists in Indiana
A licensed Indiana taxidermist takes on real paperwork obligations, not just a permit on the wall. State rule requires that a person issued a license must maintain accurate records, on a calendar year basis, showing the names and addresses of persons from or to whom wild animals were received or delivered, including species, numbers, and dates of receipt and delivery, retained at the premises for at least two years after the end of the license year, with a copy provided to a conservation officer upon request.
Every specimen that comes through the door needs a physical tag before a taxidermist can even accept it. The rule is direct: a person issued a license shall not accept delivery of a carcass or any part or portion of a wild animal unless it is tagged with specific required information. That tag generally has to stay put during the process, and it cannot be removed casually, only during active taxidermy operations, and a taxidermist shall not possess a wild animal taken outside the season except under a permit obtained from the department.
These records are not just for the taxidermist’s own files. Inspections are built into the license terms: any record, tag, log book, or other documentation required under this section, along with storage or work areas, must be made available upon request for inspection by a conservation officer. Conservation officers who show up to check tags and logbooks are frequently the same officers who enforce Indiana’s animal cruelty laws, so sloppy recordkeeping can invite scrutiny well beyond taxidermy compliance alone.
- Keep receipt and delivery records by calendar year, not by season.
- Retain every record for a minimum of two years after the license year ends.
- Tag every incoming carcass or part before accepting it, including location and date taken.
- Never remove a tag except during active mounting work.
- Store all logbooks and tags where they can be produced immediately for an officer.
Unclaimed Mounts: Can a Taxidermist Sell Abandoned Work in Indiana?
Sooner or later, most working taxidermists end up holding a finished mount that the original customer never picks up. Indiana’s taxidermy statute does not spell out a specific abandonment or resale procedure for this situation, which means taxidermists typically fall back on general contract and property principles rather than a dedicated wildlife-code provision.
In practice, this usually means setting clear pickup deadlines and payment terms in a written service agreement before work even begins, so there is a documented basis for treating a mount as abandoned after a defined period. Some shops also rely on general commercial storage or lien statutes that apply to unclaimed property broadly, not to taxidermy specifically. Because the specific legal remedy depends on contract language and general Indiana property law rather than the taxidermist license statute itself, it is worth confirming your approach with an attorney before selling or disposing of a customer’s unclaimed mount.
Common Mistake: Assuming that holding an unclaimed mount for “a while” automatically gives you ownership. Without a written agreement spelling out a deadline and your rights, disposing of or selling someone else’s property can expose you to a civil claim.
Penalties for Unlicensed Taxidermy or Illegal Possession in Indiana
Operating without a required license carries direct consequences for the license itself and potential exposure beyond it. Indiana regulation states that a license may be suspended, denied, or revoked under IC 4-21.5 if the license holder fails to comply with a provision of a license issued under this section or with IC 14-22-21. That administrative process runs separately from any criminal enforcement a conservation officer might pursue for unlawfully possessing a protected species or an untagged carcass.
Illegal possession issues often start with something that looks minor, like accepting an animal without a proper tag or holding a nongame bird without the paperwork to prove someone else’s authorization. Because Indiana’s wildlife statutes are enforced by the same conservation officers who handle broader violations under laws like the state’s animal cruelty statutes, a taxidermy violation can trigger a wider review of a shop’s records and inventory, not just the single specimen in question.
Where to Apply and Who to Call in Indiana (Wildlife Agency + USFWS)
Indiana taxidermist license applications go through the DNR’s Division of Fish & Wildlife rather than a general business licensing office. According to the DNR, applications for Licensed Taxidermists and related permits can be mailed with any applicable fees to the Division of Fish & Wildlife Permit Coordinator, 402 W. Washington St., W273, Indianapolis, IN 46204, and questions can be directed to 317-232-4102. The DNR’s permits and commercial licenses page hosts the current application forms for download.
Once licensed, your business also becomes part of the state’s public reference list. The DNR maintains a roster explaining that a taxidermist license is required by the Indiana DNR to perform taxidermy services on a wild animal for another person, and that Indiana DNR Licensed Taxidermists directory is a resource hunters use to find someone properly permitted before dropping off a trophy.
- Contact the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife Permit Coordinator to request the taxidermist license application form.
- Submit the completed form with the required fee by mail or through the DNR’s online payment option.
- Apply separately to your USFWS Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office if you intend to mount migratory birds for others.
- Renew your state license before December 31 each year and your federal permit at least 30 days before its expiration date.
For anything touching migratory birds specifically, the federal side of the process runs through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rather than Indiana DNR. The Service’s own guidance on the Migratory Bird Taxidermy permit is the most current federal reference for application steps, tagging requirements, and renewal timing, and it should be checked alongside Indiana’s state rules rather than as a substitute for them.
Taxidermy laws in Indiana work as a layered system: a state license for working on someone else’s legally taken animal, tagging and recordkeeping duties once you’re licensed, and a separate federal permit the moment a migratory bird enters the picture. Hunters mounting their own legally taken game have far fewer hoops to clear, but anyone accepting animals from other people, handling protected species, or running a commercial shop needs to treat both the DNR and USFWS requirements as mandatory, not optional paperwork.