Can You Kill Raccoons in New York? What the Law Actually Allows

Raccoons are everywhere in New York — from the Adirondack backcountry to Brooklyn brownstones — and dealing with a persistent one on your property raises an immediate question: can you legally kill it? The answer depends on who you are, why you want to act, and how you plan to do it.

New York law gives property owners more options than most people expect, but it also draws hard lines around licensing, methods, and what you can do with a trapped animal. Before you take any action, it pays to understand exactly where you stand under state law.

Are Raccoons Protected in New York

Raccoons are protected by law in New York. No one may possess a raccoon without a license, and licenses are not issued for pet wildlife. Hunting or trapping raccoons requires a license. That protection does not mean raccoons are untouchable — it means the state controls how and when they can be taken.

Raccoons are important furbearers, providing income and recreation to hunters and trappers in New York State. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) manages them as a regulated wildlife species under the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), which sets out the specific circumstances under which killing a raccoon is permitted.

Raccoons are among the most widespread mammals in New York State. The adaptable raccoon can be found everywhere, from the most remote forest to the crowded inner city. Raccoon populations are often more dense in large cities than in the wild, but abundance varies widely in different types of habitat and different parts of the state. That density is part of why conflicts with people are so common — and why the state has developed a layered legal framework for dealing with them.

Important Note: Because raccoons are classified as a rabies vector species in New York, any action you take — trapping, killing, or disposing of a carcass — may also be subject to direction from your local county health department, not just the NYSDEC.

You can learn more about raccoon behavior and biology to better understand why these animals are drawn to residential areas in the first place.

When Can You Legally Kill a Raccoon in New York

There are two primary legal pathways for killing a raccoon in New York: doing so as a licensed hunter or trapper during an open season, or doing so as a property owner or farmer responding to property damage.

During hunting or trapping season: According to the NYSDEC 2025–2026 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide, raccoon hunting seasons run from November 1 through February 25 on Long Island and in New York City, and from October 25 through February 15 in all other areas of the state. There are no bag limits for raccoons, and they may be hunted during the day or night.

As a property owner or farmer: Under New York’s Environmental Conservation Law, raccoons injuring private property may be taken by the owner, occupant, or lessee thereof, or an employee or family member of such owner, occupant, or lessee, at any time in any manner. This is a significant provision — it means you do not need a hunting or trapping license if a raccoon is actively damaging your property.

The law allows unlicensed homeowners and farmers to destroy raccoons that damage property. However, property owners should try eliminating food and shelter before killing the animal. The DEC consistently emphasizes that lethal removal should be a last resort, not a first response.

Pro Tip: Document the property damage before taking any lethal action. Photographs of a damaged garden, torn soffits, or raided livestock pens help establish the legal justification for killing a raccoon outside of hunting season.

Raccoons taken pursuant to the property-damage provision in the closed season or in a manner not permitted by the hunting regulations must be immediately buried or cremated. No person shall possess or traffic in such raccoons or the pelts thereof. In other words, you cannot sell or keep the pelt from a nuisance kill made outside of regular season.

Legal Methods for Killing Raccoons in New York

The method you can legally use depends largely on whether you are acting as a licensed hunter, a licensed trapper, or an unlicensed property owner exercising the damage-defense provision.

For licensed hunters: Bobcat, coyote, red fox, grey fox, raccoon, opossum, and skunk may be hunted at any hour, day or night. You may hunt furbearers with a rifle chambered in any cartridge, except that during any open season for deer you may not possess a centerfire rifle afield during the day or night to hunt wildlife, including furbearers, in any county where deer hunting with rifles is prohibited during the regular deer season.

In Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties, rifles are not allowed. In all other localities, be sure to check with local officials about laws restricting the discharge of a firearm at night.

• Rifles (subject to county and season restrictions)
• Shotguns
• Air guns, defined as firearms that use spring or compressed air (not gunpowder) to propel a single projectile that is .17 caliber or larger and produces a muzzle velocity of at least 600 feet per second
• Spotlights, night vision, thermal, and laser devices, which are permitted for furbearer hunting and may be attached to the firearm
• Calls, including electronic calls

For unlicensed property owners: The ECL’s “at any time in any manner” language for property-damage situations is broad, but it does not override other laws. Local firearm discharge ordinances, safe discharge distances, and municipal codes all still apply. The legal discharge distance from a building for firearms is 500 feet; for bows it is 150 feet; and for crossbows it is 250 feet, unless you have permission from the owner of the building.

Common Mistake: Assuming the property-damage exemption overrides local firearm ordinances. It does not. In densely populated areas like suburban Long Island or New York City, discharging a firearm may be prohibited entirely by local law regardless of your reason for shooting.

Understanding what natural predators raccoons face can also inform non-lethal deterrence strategies before you resort to any lethal method.

Trapping Raccoons in New York: Rules and Restrictions

Trapping is one of the most common ways to deal with problem raccoons in New York, but it comes with a specific set of rules that differ depending on whether you hold a trapping license.

Licensed trappers must follow NYSDEC trapping seasons and regulations. Trapping season dates vary by species and geography, with raccoon, fox, and bobcat opening on October 25 in most areas. A trapping license is required, and it is separate from a hunting license — to hunt furbearers, you need to possess a hunting license; a trapping license does not allow you to hunt furbearers.

All traps set for the taking of wildlife must be marked with the name and address of the trapper or their business. Traps must be checked each calendar day by the trapper or the property owner or lessee who hired them. Animals must be removed from traps on the same calendar day when they were discovered in the trap, or within 12 hours of capture.

Unlicensed property owners may trap raccoons that are damaging their property under the ECL’s nuisance provision. However, once you trap the animal, your options are limited. Even without a permit, property owners may capture nuisance animals, but cannot release them. Private citizens must humanely kill a trapped nuisance animal and bury or cremate it, or release the animal alive on their own property.

Once a raccoon has been trapped, the law requires licensed trappers to humanely euthanize the animal. This requirement to kill rather than release may surprise many homeowners, but it stems directly from the state’s disease-control policies around raccoons as a rabies vector species.

Key Insight: If you set a trap as an unlicensed property owner and catch a raccoon, you are legally required to kill it on site and bury or cremate the carcass. You cannot drive it to a park or wooded area and release it. That act is separately prohibited under New York law.

For context on how New York compares to neighboring states on wildlife-related regulations, see the roadkill laws in New York, which also reflect how the state handles wildlife carcasses on public roads.

Can You Relocate a Raccoon Instead of Killing It in New York

Many people assume that trapping and relocating a raccoon is the humane alternative to killing it. In New York, that assumption runs directly into state law.

It is illegal for you to move or relocate an animal off your property. You cannot live-trap an animal and release it in a park, on state land, or anywhere other than on the property where it was captured.

If a raccoon is damaging property or creating a health risk, New York law allows the animal to be euthanized or killed. However, the NYSDEC says it is illegal to trap a raccoon and release it somewhere else without permission from the government. That means capturing the animal and driving it to a wooded area, park, or rural location is not allowed.

The reasoning behind this rule is rooted in public health and animal welfare:

• Relocating raccoons can spread rabies and other diseases to new areas.
• Wildlife experts warn that raccoons moved from their home territory often struggle to survive. In some cases, officials say relocating an animal may actually cause more suffering than a quick, legal euthanasia.
• You may not release an animal into another county without prior approval from that county’s DEC Regional Wildlife Manager.

Relocating an animal can create problems for neighbors, can move diseases like rabies or Lyme, and can cause unnecessary stress to the animal.

If you want to avoid killing the raccoon entirely, your best legal option is to focus on exclusion and deterrence. Certain plants can help repel raccoons from garden areas, and sealing entry points is often more effective long-term than removal.

Pro Tip: Before trapping, eliminate what is attracting the raccoon. Securing garbage cans, removing outdoor pet food, sealing entry points, and eliminating food sources can often encourage raccoons to move along on their own.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in New York

If you would rather not handle the situation yourself — or if you want a legal option that includes the possibility of live release — hiring a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) is the route the NYSDEC recommends.

The NWCO license authorizes an individual to take, trap, transport, and release wildlife whenever the animal becomes a nuisance, destroys property, or threatens public safety. The individual can conduct these activities for commercial purposes or as an employee of a municipality.

All applicants must be at least 18 years old to apply for this license, and must pass the Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator examination with a score of 80% or higher. The General Commercial license costs $50, and the duration of the license is one year, running from October 1 to September 30.

A licensed NWCO has options that you as a private property owner do not. After capturing a nuisance animal, a NWCO can release it to the wild, humanely kill it and then bury or cremate it, or transfer a distressed or injured animal to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. When appropriate, healthy wild animals may be released on site, or relocated with permission from the owner of the property where they will be released.

There are also additional compliance requirements that NWCOs must meet when dealing with raccoons specifically. NWCOs must follow the directives of their DEC permits and the local county health department concerning the handling and disposal of bats, raccoons, and skunks as rabies vector species.

You can find a licensed NWCO through the NYSDEC’s nuisance wildlife removal page, which maintains a searchable directory of operators by region. You can also explore what animals eat raccoons as background for understanding the ecological role these animals play before making a removal decision.

Local Ordinances That May Override State Law in New York

State law sets the floor for raccoon management in New York, but local governments can — and often do — layer additional restrictions on top of it. This is especially important when it comes to firearm use and trap placement.

Local firearm regulations may differ from state law. Some local laws are more restrictive. Some define other devices, such as bows, as “firearms.” You must obey both state and local regulations.

Key areas where local ordinances commonly add restrictions include:

• Firearm discharge: Many municipalities, particularly in downstate New York, prohibit discharging firearms within city or village limits regardless of the reason. This can make shooting a nuisance raccoon effectively illegal even when state law would otherwise permit it.
• Trap placement: When setting traps within 100 feet of a dwelling, school building, playground, or church, you must have the written consent of the owner or lessee of the property on which the trap is set. This applies to anyone who is trapping in those areas.
• Building and exclusion codes: Building codes are relevant if you offer repair or exclusion services, such as adding a cap to a chimney to keep raccoons out. These regulations vary across the state and are updated regularly.
• New York City: Licensed trappers may not relocate trapped raccoons into parks or onto other public property. NYC also has its own administrative code provisions that affect how wildlife complaints are handled, and the NYC Department of Health plays a direct role in rabies vector species management.

Important Note: If you live in a village, town, or city in New York, contact your local municipal clerk or code enforcement office before taking any lethal action against a raccoon. What is permissible in a rural upstate county may be entirely prohibited in a suburban or urban municipality.

New York’s regulatory environment for wildlife is notably more complex than many neighboring states. For comparison, see how other states handle similar situations through Vermont’s roadkill and wildlife laws or West Virginia’s approach to wildlife removal. The different types of raccoons found across North America also helps explain why management approaches vary so widely by region.

The bottom line: you can legally kill a raccoon in New York, but the path to doing so legally is narrower than most people assume. Whether you are a property owner acting under the damage-defense provision, a licensed hunter during open season, or someone hiring a NWCO, knowing the rules before you act protects both you and the wildlife management system the state depends on.