Can You Kill Raccoons in California? What the Law Actually Allows

Raccoons are bold, resourceful, and deeply embedded in California’s suburban and rural landscapes — and when one tears up your garden, raids your attic, or threatens your chickens, your first instinct might be to reach for a trap or a firearm. Before you act, you need to understand what California law actually permits, because the rules are stricter and more nuanced than most property owners realize.

California does not give you a blanket right to kill a raccoon on your property. The state’s framework is built around specific circumstances, approved methods, and a clear hierarchy of options — lethal control sits at the bottom of that list, not the top. This guide walks you through every layer of the law so you can protect your property without putting yourself at legal risk.

Are Raccoons Protected in California?

Under California law, raccoons are classified as “furbearing mammals.” This classification provides them with certain protections, meaning they cannot be hunted or trapped without a specific legal justification. That single designation shapes every rule that follows.

The state has strict regulations in place for these fur-bearing animals regarding their ownership, removal, and trapping. While raccoons are not endangered or rare, their furbearer status means they fall under the California Fish and Game Code and Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations — the same framework that governs deer, foxes, and other game animals.

It is also illegal to keep any wild animal, including a raccoon, as a pet. So whether you are thinking about killing, trapping, relocating, or even keeping one you have caught, California law has something to say about it.

Key Insight: Raccoons are not “pest” animals in California the way rats or mice are. Their furbearer classification means you cannot simply exterminate them at will — even on your own property.

For a broader look at how raccoon behavior and biology shapes human-wildlife conflict, it helps to understand what draws these animals to residential areas in the first place. You can also explore the natural predators of raccoons to understand what keeps their populations in check outside of human intervention.

When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in California?

The legality of killing a raccoon depends entirely on a specific set of circumstances defined by state law. There are two primary pathways: hunting during an open season with proper licenses, and depredation — removing a raccoon that is actively causing property damage.

A property owner is permitted to take a raccoon only when it is causing tangible harm, an act known as depredation. State law allows a landowner or tenant to take a furbearing mammal when it is injuring crops or other property. Examples of this damage include raccoons breaking into attics, destroying garden produce, tearing up lawns, or harming pets.

A person cannot remove a raccoon simply for being present on their property; there must be evidence of actual damage for which the animal is responsible. This provision in the law ensures that the lethal take of wildlife is a measure of last resort, directly tied to the protection of one’s property.

• Hunting season pathway: To hunt raccoon in California, you have to have a valid hunting license from the CDFW. Hunting licenses are available to residents and nonresidents who are at least 18 years old.
• Depredation pathway: Property owners may get permits to remove or kill raccoons damaging crops, buildings, or livestock after non-lethal methods fail.
• Immediate threat: If a raccoon poses an immediate threat to public safety, such as carrying rabies or attacking people, authorities may allow lethal control.

Important Note: Violating wildlife protection laws carries real consequences. Violating wildlife protection laws can result in fines ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the offense. Repeat or severe violations may lead to criminal charges, including misdemeanor or felony penalties.

If you are dealing with raccoons that are threatening other animals on your property, understanding what animals eat raccoons and how predator-prey dynamics work can give you useful context for managing wildlife pressure on your land.

Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in California

When depredation conditions are met, California law specifies legal methods for taking the raccoon, most commonly trapping and shooting. However, not every method you might consider is legal, and the restrictions are specific.

Firearms and shooting: Shooting is permitted under depredation conditions, but nighttime restrictions apply. If shooting is the chosen method, there are restrictions on the firearm and ammunition used at night. Only pistols and rifles no larger than .22 caliber rimfire and shotguns with shot no larger than No. BB may be used after dark. During the day and during open hunting season, firearms are allowed for hunting furbearing mammals, including raccoon, during the California raccoon hunting seasons.

Non-lead ammunition requirement: The take or attempted take of any raccoon with a firearm shall be in accordance with the use of nonlead projectiles and ammunition. This applies statewide and is not limited to wildlife areas.

Prohibited methods: Several methods are explicitly banned regardless of circumstances:

• The use of poison to kill any furbearing mammal is illegal in California.
• State law also prohibits inhumane methods, such as steel-jawed leghold traps.
• No person, including an employee of the federal, state, county, or municipal government, may poison or attempt to poison any animal by using sodium fluoroacetate, also known as Compound 1080, or sodium cyanide.
• Thoracic compression (chest crushing) is also prohibited except in very narrow circumstances involving specific trap types for beaver and muskrat.

Common Mistake: Many property owners assume that because a raccoon is destroying their property, any method of killing it is fair game. Poison and steel-jaw traps remain illegal even when the raccoon is clearly causing damage. Using them can result in criminal charges.

If you are looking for ways to discourage raccoons before reaching the point of lethal control, reviewing plants that repel raccoons can offer a practical, non-lethal first step that satisfies California’s preference for exhausting alternatives before taking lethal action.

Trapping Raccoons in California: Rules and Restrictions

Trapping is the most common approach property owners take when dealing with nuisance raccoons, but California’s trapping regulations are detailed and easy to violate without realizing it.

Trap registration requirement: Any person who traps furbearing mammals or nongame mammals shall obtain a trap number issued by and registered with the department. All traps, before being put into use, shall bear only the current registered trap number or numbers of the person using or in possession of those traps. This number shall be stamped clearly on the trap or on a metal tag attached to the chain of the trap or to any part of the trap. It is illegal to set or maintain traps that do not bear a number or other identifying mark registered with the Department of Fish and Wildlife. This would include a property owner who wishes to set a trap for a wild animal in his or her backyard — before doing so, they must receive an identifying number and affix it to the trap.

Trap inspection requirement: Traps shall be inspected and all animals in the traps shall be removed at least once daily. The inspection and removal shall be done by the person who sets the trap or the owner of the land where the trap is set.

Trap placement restriction: Traps may not be set within 150 yards of any structure used as a permanent or temporary residence, unless such traps are set by a person controlling such property or by a person who has and is carrying written consent of the landowner to so place the trap or traps. Simply put, no person may set a trap within 150 yards of a residence without written consent from the owner of that residence.

Allowed trap types: For trapping, only certain traps, like cage traps, are permitted. A body-gripping trap is one that grips the mammal’s body or body part, including, but not limited to, steel-jawed leg-hold traps, padded-jaw leg-hold traps, conibear traps, and snares. Cage and box traps, nets, suitcase-type live beaver traps, and common rat and mouse traps shall not be considered body-gripping traps. Cage traps are the standard recommended option for property owners.

What happens after you catch one: All fur-bearing and nongame mammals that are legal to trap must be immediately killed or released. Unless released, trapped animals shall be killed by shooting where local ordinances, landowners, and safety permit.

Pro Tip: Before setting any trap, contact the CDFW to obtain your registered trap number. This step is simple and free, but skipping it turns an otherwise legal activity into a violation.

If you are curious about how California handles other wildlife-related legal situations, the roadkill laws in California provide useful context for how the state treats incidental wildlife encounters under the Fish and Game Code. You may also find it helpful to compare approaches in neighboring states, such as Washington or Utah, where wildlife management philosophies differ.

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

Many California residents assume that catching a raccoon alive and releasing it somewhere else is the humane, legal alternative to killing it. In fact, relocation is also restricted under state law — and in most cases, it is outright prohibited.

According to the California Code of Regulations Title 14, a trapped animal must be released immediately in the area where it was caught or euthanized. Relocating wildlife to another area is prohibited without a specific permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

It is illegal in the state of California to relocate nuisance wildlife, and most animal control agencies will not accept them. The reasoning behind this rule is rooted in disease control and ecological protection.

Why relocation is problematic:

• In the event of an animal disease outbreak, it is critical that the origin of the disease is identified. If a sick wild animal has been released away from its home range, there is no way to determine the initial location of an outbreak.
• By relocating a female animal elsewhere that has a litter safely tucked away, dependent young are sentenced to a cruel death by starvation, exposure, or predators.
• Wild animals are often carrying parasites and viruses that spread serious diseases such as distemper, parvo, and rabies. Almost all raccoons in some regions test positive for raccoon roundworm, which can be spread to dogs and even people.

The practical takeaway: if you trap a raccoon on your property and it cannot legally be released on-site, your options are euthanasia (performed humanely) or contacting a licensed wildlife control professional who can handle disposition in accordance with state regulations. Driving it to a park and releasing it is not a legal solution.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in California

Given the complexity of California’s raccoon regulations, hiring a licensed wildlife control operator is often the most practical and legally sound option — especially for chronic or severe infestations.

Depredation permits are legal documents obtained by a homeowner or tenant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to address a problem predator injuring or killing livestock, poultry, or pets, or if causing property damage. Only the homeowner, tenant, or a designated agent may act under the terms of an issued permit.

While a property owner can take a depredating raccoon on their own property without a permit, one is required from the CDFW under certain circumstances. For example, if a property owner hires a professional wildlife control operator to trap the animal, that operator must be licensed and may work under a depredation permit.

When you apply for a depredation permit through the CDFW, the process requires documentation:

1. An individual must apply to the CDFW, providing details about the species causing damage, the location, and a description of the damage.
2. The applicant may also need to describe what non-lethal methods have already been tried. The permit specifies the number and species of animal that can be taken and the approved methods.
3. A description of all non-lethal or less-lethal measures undertaken to prevent damage caused by animals prior to requesting the permit must be included.
4. When requesting a permit, you may designate an agent to trap the target animal.

Wildlife control professionals with proper licenses can remove raccoons using approved methods, including lethal ones if necessary. A licensed operator also understands how to assess whether a female raccoon may have dependent young nearby — a critical consideration that different raccoon species and subspecies share in common when it comes to denning behavior.

Pro Tip: To verify a wildlife control operator’s credentials or report a suspected trapping violation, contact the CDFW Trapping License Office at 916-928-5852 or call CalTip at 1-888-334-2258.

Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in California

California’s state-level framework is not the final word on what you can do with a nuisance raccoon. Cities and counties have the authority to layer additional restrictions on top of state law — and in many urban areas, those local rules are significantly more restrictive.

State law is not the final word, as local ordinances from cities and counties can impose stricter rules. These regulations can impact a property owner’s ability to remove a raccoon, even when state law would otherwise permit it.

Common examples of local restrictions that affect raccoon control:

• A common example is a prohibition on discharging a firearm within city limits, which would make shooting a raccoon illegal even under a valid depredation scenario.
• Local rules can also govern trapping activities, sometimes requiring an additional permit.
• Some municipalities have ordinances restricting the feeding of wildlife, which can affect how you manage attractants on your property.
• Certain counties have additional rules about the disposal of wildlife carcasses.

The permit does not invalidate any city, county, or state firearm regulation. This means that even if the CDFW issues you a depredation permit authorizing the use of a firearm, your local municipality’s discharge ordinance still applies. A permit from one level of government does not override the rules of another.

Before taking any action, a resident must research their specific city and county codes. This ensures that any action taken is in full compliance with all applicable layers of law, from the state level down to the local municipality.

Local animal control offices are typically your best first call. They can tell you which city or county rules apply to your address, whether additional permits are required, and whether there are local resources — such as trap loan programs — that can help you manage the situation legally. For comparison, it is worth noting how other states handle similar situations: Tennessee, South Carolina, and Wisconsin each take distinct approaches to wildlife management that reflect very different regulatory philosophies from California’s.

Important Note: If you live in a city like Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Sacramento, local ordinances are very likely to restrict or outright prohibit shooting as a control method. In these areas, hiring a licensed wildlife control operator is almost always the most practical legal path forward.

The bottom line: California law permits killing raccoons under a narrow set of circumstances — primarily when they are actively causing property damage, during open hunting season with proper licensing, or in genuine public safety emergencies. Outside of those situations, lethal control without the correct permits and methods can result in criminal penalties. Your safest approach is to document the damage, exhaust non-lethal options first, contact the CDFW or a licensed wildlife control operator, and always verify what your local municipality allows before taking any action.