Bat Removal Laws in Maine: Exclusion Rules, Permits, and Penalties Explained

Finding a bat clinging to your curtains at midnight is unsettling enough without wondering whether swatting it away could land you in legal trouble. In Maine, it can. Every bat species found in the state carries some level of legal protection, and bat removal laws in Maine spell out exactly when, how, and by whom bats can be excluded from a building.

Homeowners generally have the right to remove bats from an occupied house, but the timing, the methods you use, and the species involved all matter under Maine law. Get any of those wrong and you could face a civil fine, a criminal charge under the state’s endangered species statute, or a federal penalty if a listed species is harmed in the process.

Are Bats a Protected Species in Maine

Yes. Maine is home to 8 species of bats: big brown; eastern small-footed; hoary; little brown; northern long-eared; eastern red; silver-haired; and tri-colored bats. Every single one carries some form of legal protection, though the level of protection varies by species.

All eight species are of conservation concern and are protected, with the northern long-eared bat listed on both the Maine (Endangered) and federal (Threatened) endangered species lists, and the little brown, eastern small-footed, and tri-colored bats being listed on Maine’s endangered species list, while the four other species are considered species of special concern in Maine. The little brown bat, or Myotis lucifugus, is the species most homeowners actually encounter, since it frequently roosts in attics, barns, and wall voids across the state.

Bat Species	Maine Protection Status
Little Brown Bat	Endangered
Northern Long-Eared Bat	Endangered (state) / Threatened (federal)
Tri-Colored Bat	Threatened
Eastern Small-Footed Bat	Threatened
Big Brown Bat	Special Concern
Eastern Red Bat	Special Concern
Silver-Haired Bat	Special Concern
Hoary Bat	Special Concern

These protections did not exist for most of Maine’s history. The Maine Legislature established the foundation for Maine’s Endangered Species Program when it passed the Maine Endangered Species Act in 1975, in response to concerns that various species of fish and wildlife were in danger of disappearing from the state. But bats specifically weren’t a major focus until much later. Prior to the listing of myotis bats as Threatened or Endangered in 2015, very little was known about the habits of bats in Maine.

The turning point was a disease, not a policy decision. In 2011, a fungus that is infectious and fatal to bats through a disease called white-nose syndrome was first confirmed in Maine, and led to a drastic decline in little brown bat and other bat populations. That collapse is why bats now sit alongside more familiar protected species when Maine agencies discuss endangered animals in Maine and their legal status.

Key Insight: Even the “special concern” bat species that lack formal endangered or threatened status are still protected from disturbance during sensitive periods. There is no bat species in Maine you can legally kill or harass without cause.

Is It Legal to Remove Bats From Your Home in Maine

Removing bats from your occupied home is legal in Maine, and state wildlife officials actively encourage humane exclusion over letting an infestation persist. The distinction that trips people up involves the difference between an occupied home and an unoccupied structure. During maternity season in June and July, bats cannot be excluded from unoccupied buildings, which does not include your home.

In practice, that means a barn, camp, or seasonal cottage sitting empty during peak maternity season falls under stricter rules than the house you live in year-round. This is consistent with how Maine treats nuisance wildlife laws in Maine more broadly: the state prioritizes coexistence, but genuine property or safety concerns give homeowners real authority to act.

Even where exclusion is legal, wildlife agencies and wildlife control companies consistently urge caution during the summer months. Removing bats during maternity season, May through August, without professional help is dangerous for pups and often illegal in neighboring states that share similar bat populations and protections. Excluding adult bats while flightless pups remain trapped inside can create both an animal welfare problem and a legal one, since orphaned pups that die inside a wall or attic count as an unlawful take under state law.

Important Note: Legal permission to exclude bats from your home does not remove the practical risk of trapping flightless pups inside during June and July. Most professionals recommend waiting until August unless bats are causing an active health or safety hazard.

Bat Exclusion Season and Restricted Dates in Maine

Maine’s bat removal calendar revolves around two biological events: hibernation and maternity. Maternity roost trees and bat hibernacula are protected from disturbance, including no entry to hibernacula by the public during the winter, October 1 through April 30, and bats are not allowed to be excluded from unoccupied buildings during the maternity season in June and July.

A separate but related rule covers roost trees outright. Tree removal is prohibited within 150 feet of maternity roost trees from June 1 to July 31 without prior written approval. That’s a meaningful restriction for anyone planning summer land clearing near a known roost, similar in spirit to seasonal restrictions found in Maine’s hunting laws and duck hunting laws, both of which build entire regulatory calendars around wildlife breeding cycles.

Winter brings its own complication. If bats show up inside your house late in the season, the clock works against you. If bats are found hibernating inside after October 15, they should be left alone until early spring, prior to the birthing period in May, after the weather has warmed enough for insects to be out regularly. Exclusion during deep winter risks starving or freezing bats that have nowhere else to go, which can itself constitute an unlawful take.

• October 1 – April 30: Hibernacula (caves, mines) closed to public entry; late-arriving bats found after October 15 should be left until spring
• June 1 – July 31: Maternity roost trees protected from removal within 150 feet without written approval
• June – July: Exclusion from unoccupied buildings prohibited statewide
• August – September: Generally the safest exclusion window; pups have fledged and hibernation hasn’t begun

Approved Bat Removal Methods in Maine

Maine’s approved approach is exclusion, not extermination. Every method sanctioned by state wildlife officials relies on letting bats leave on their own and then blocking their return, rather than trapping or killing them outright.

The most common tool is the one-way door. A one-way door allows bats to exit a structure but prevents them from reentering. Building one is straightforward: you hang a sheet of construction grade plastic, screen-door material, or lightweight polypropylene netting over the exit, extending it 18 to 24 inches below the bottom edge of the opening. For openings where a hanging door won’t work, one-way tubes work where one-way doors won’t, such as on horizontal surfaces.

Timing the removal of these devices matters as much as installing them. After all bats have been excluded, you remove the exclusion devices and immediately seal up the exits to prevent bats from reentering. Skipping that sealing step is one of the most common reasons homeowners end up with repeat bat problems the following season.

Common Mistake: Sealing every visible gap before confirming all bats have exited is the single fastest way to trap animals inside your attic or wall. Always exclude first, then seal once the space is verified empty.

Cost is a practical consideration too. According to a Maine television news report on local wildlife control operations, one Maine company removed bats from about 150 homes in a single year, with a typical eviction costing between $1,200 and $1,500 plus additional costs for cleanup or repairs, as of that report. Attic droppings can also pose a health concern. Large accumulations of bat droppings may harbor histoplasmosis fungi spores, which when inhaled can result in a lung infection, though no histo cases have been reported in Maine.

Do You Need a Permit to Remove Bats in Maine

For most homeowners, no permit is required to exclude bats from their own occupied residence using approved humane methods during the correct season. Maine treats routine bat exclusion from an occupied home as a self-help activity, similar to the light-touch approach many states take toward property owners resolving their own wildlife conflicts.

That changes once you’re outside the basic homeowner scenario. Disturbing a maternity roost tree or entering a hibernaculum requires prior written approval from the state, and larger commercial exclusion jobs are typically handled by licensed Animal Damage Control agents who work directly with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on species considerations and reporting. Permit thresholds like these aren’t unique to Maine; states such as California and Minnesota draw similar lines between simple homeowner exclusion and licensed commercial wildlife control work.

If you’re uncertain whether your situation crosses that line, for example a barn colony, a commercial building, or a suspected endangered species roost, contacting MDIFW’s Living with Wildlife program before starting work is the safest route. A quick call costs nothing and can prevent a well-intentioned exclusion project from becoming a permit violation.

Pro Tip: If you’re not certain which bat species you’re dealing with, treat the situation as if it involves an endangered species until a professional or MDIFW confirms otherwise. The penalties for mishandling a protected species are far steeper than the cost of a phone call.

What to Do If You Find a Bat Inside Your Home in Maine

A single bat flying loose inside your living space calls for a calm, methodical response rather than a broom and a moment of panic. Maine wildlife officials outline a simple containment method that works for most single-bat encounters.

1. Close off the room. Shut interior doors so the bat is contained to one space, then open a window or exterior door so it has an escape route.
2. Never touch the bat with bare hands. Never handle a bat with your bare hands; wear leather gloves if you need to make contact at all.
3. Use a container to capture it if needed. If the bat lands, you can trap it under a can or box, then slide a piece of cardboard in behind it before releasing it outdoors.
4. Call for help if it won’t leave. If you need assistance with stray bats, contact your town or city government; in most cases the Animal Control Officer should be able to help.
5. Seal entry gaps afterward. Check around the house to be sure that doors, windows, and screens are tight, since bats can slip through a gap of about 3/8 of an inch.

Rabies is the concern most people jump to, and it’s worth putting in perspective. People are more often concerned about bats because of rabies, a virus that affects the nervous system of humans and all other mammals, but if you do not handle bats, your odds of contracting rabies are extremely small. People cannot get rabies from touching bat droppings, blood, urine, or fur. The real risk trigger is direct contact. Rabies is spread when the saliva of an infected animal enters the body through a bite or scratch, or makes contact with the eyes, nose, mouth, or a break in the skin. If any physical contact occurred, especially while you were asleep, contact your local health department or a physician promptly, since bat bites can be small enough to go unnoticed.

This section covers general safety practices and is not a substitute for medical guidance. If you suspect a bat bite or scratch occurred, seek medical evaluation regardless of how minor it seems.

The same containment logic applies whether the animal loose in your house is a bat or something else entirely; anyone weighing how a stray animal ended up on their property might also find it useful to compare how roadkill laws in Maine handle animal remains on roads and private land, since both situations route through the same local animal control system.

Penalties for Illegal Bat Removal in Maine

Maine backs its bat protections with real criminal and civil penalties, and the severity scales with both the species involved and whether the violation was negligent or intentional.

For the state’s endangered and threatened bat species, the core statute is direct. A person who hunts, takes, traps, harasses, or possesses any endangered or threatened species within the state commits a Class E crime, for which a fine of $1,000 must be adjudged, none of which may be suspended. Possessing or transporting parts of a protected species carries an even steeper consequence: possessing, processing, selling, offering for sale, delivering, carrying, transporting, or shipping any endangered or threatened species, or any part of one, commits a Class D crime, for which a fine of $2,000 must be adjudged, none of which may be suspended.

Maine’s legal framework distinguishes intent, and that distinction matters for anyone who accidentally harms bats during a botched exclusion attempt. There are two types of offenses based on whether the conduct is negligent or intentional: negligent acts concerning an endangered species result in a Class E crime with a fine of $1,000 which may not be suspended, while intentional acts result in a Class D crime with a fine of $2,000 which may not be suspended. Even a homeowner acting in good faith but sealing an exit before bats have fully vacated could face the negligent-conduct tier if pups die inside as a result.

Federal law adds another layer for species that are also federally listed, like the northern long-eared bat. Any individual that knowingly takes a listed species can be fined up to $25,000 by the federal government for each violation or instance. That federal exposure runs independently of, and in addition to, any state-level charge.

Not every bat-related violation reaches criminal territory. Lower-level nuisance wildlife issues are typically handled as civil matters. The most common baseline penalty for nuisance-related violations is a civil fine, and a person who violates certain paragraphs of Maine wildlife law commits a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged. Those civil fines climb for repeat offenders and can eventually convert into criminal exposure with enough prior violations on record.

Important Note: Penalty tiers for wildlife violations vary considerably by state. Property owners weighing removal projects involving other protected species may find it useful to compare Maine’s approach against frameworks in places like Arizona, North Carolina, or Wisconsin, where fine structures and permit thresholds differ from Maine’s Class D and Class E crime system.

The safest path through all of this is straightforward: exclude only during the approved season, use humane one-way methods, verify the space is empty before sealing, and call MDIFW or a licensed wildlife control operator whenever you’re unsure about a species or a structure’s status. Bats cause plenty of stress when they show up uninvited, but Maine’s rules exist to make sure the fix doesn’t cause more harm than the problem itself.