Chronic Wasting Disease Laws in North Carolina: What Hunters and Landowners Must Know

Chronic wasting disease arrived in North Carolina in March 2022, and the state has been racing to contain it ever since. CWD is considered the most important disease threatening North American members of the deer family, and it was detected in North Carolina in March 2022. Since then, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has put a layered system of regulations in place — covering where you can hunt, what you can transport, how carcasses must be handled, and what you must report.

Whether you are a hunter, a landowner, a deer farmer, or simply someone who feeds wildlife, these rules affect you directly. Violations carry real legal consequences, and ignorance of the regulations is not a defense. This guide walks you through every major CWD law currently in effect in North Carolina so you can stay compliant and help protect the state’s deer herd. You may also want to review bow hunting laws in North Carolina for additional regulations that apply during archery season.

CWD Status and Affected Areas in North Carolina

Ten deer tested positive for CWD during the 2024–25 hunting season, bringing the total number of deer that have tested positive for CWD in North Carolina to 34. That figure underscores why the state’s surveillance framework matters so much.

Two CWD Surveillance Areas are defined for the 2025–2026 hunting season. Each surveillance area contains a Primary Surveillance Area of counties in which CWD has been confirmed, and a Secondary Surveillance Area of other nearby counties.

For the 2025–26 season, the designated counties are:

• Primary Surveillance Area (PSA): Cumberland, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, and Yadkin counties.
• Secondary Surveillance Area (SSA): Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Bladen, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Iredell, Robeson, Rockingham, and Sampson counties.

The additional positive deer found during the 2024–25 hunting season were not found in any new counties, so no counties have been added to the primary or secondary surveillance areas. However, changes due to CWD are possible for the 2026–27 season. Always verify the current proclamation on the NCWRC’s official CWD page before each hunting season.

While North Carolina currently has low prevalence of CWD in its deer herds, experience from other CWD-positive states and population modeling suggest both short-term and long-term impacts to North Carolina’s deer herds and hunting if CWD spreads across the state and prevalence significantly increases. According to the Centers for Disease Control, to date there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people, though some animal studies suggest CWD poses a risk to certain types of non-human primates.

Baiting and Feeding Restrictions in North Carolina

Baiting and feeding rules in North Carolina vary depending on whether you are inside or outside a surveillance area, and whether you are dealing with food products or mineral/salt attractants. Getting these distinctions right matters — the rules are not uniform statewide.

Bait and Food Restrictions

The placement of minerals or salt to purposely congregate wildlife is prohibited in surveillance areas and CWD management areas. The placement of bait, food, or food products to purposefully congregate wildlife is prohibited from January 2 through August 31 in surveillance areas and CWD management areas. Outside of that window — September 1 through January 1 — baiting is permitted within surveillance areas, though additional conditions may apply.

Artificially congregating wildlife increases the risk of disease transmission, which is the scientific basis behind the seasonal baiting window. You are also prohibited from placing new salt or minerals in existing mineral lick sites or establishing new mineral lick sites. Soil and vegetation surrounding mineral sites can be contaminated by feces, urine, and saliva that contains infectious CWD prions, and once CWD prions are present in the environment they are practically impossible to remove or destroy.

Cervid Urine and Natural Scent Restrictions

Scent regulations in surveillance areas go further than most hunters expect. No person shall possess or use any substance or material that contains or is labeled as containing any excretion collected from a cervid — including feces, urine, blood, gland oil, or other bodily fluid — for the purposes of taking, attracting, or scouting wildlife in a surveillance area or CWD management area. Natural substances collected by a hunter from a cervid legally harvested in North Carolina may not be used or possessed in these areas.

There are narrow exceptions. You may use:

• Natural deer urine and other substances collected from a facility in North Carolina with a valid Farmed Cervid License from the NCDA&CS, identified and labeled as such.
• Products labeled as participating in the Responsible Hunting Scent Association’s Deer Protection Program.

Outside of surveillance areas, the possession or use of substances containing cervid excretions for the purposes of taking, attracting, or scouting wildlife is prohibited statewide, with exceptions for products from NC-licensed farmed cervid facilities, hunter-harvested cervid products (outside surveillance areas), and Responsible Hunting Scent Association-certified products. If you are hunting in a surveillance county, stick to synthetic scents or certified products to stay clearly within the law. You can learn more about related hunting regulations through NCWRC’s official CWD special regulations page.

Carcass Transportation Rules in North Carolina

Carcass transportation is one of the most heavily regulated aspects of CWD law in North Carolina — and one of the easiest areas to accidentally violate. The rules apply both to deer harvested inside the state and to carcasses brought in from other states.

Movement Within North Carolina

It is illegal to transport whole cervid carcasses, or meat that has not been boned out or includes brain or spinal tissue, from primary surveillance areas into secondary surveillance areas, or from secondary surveillance areas into the rest of the state.

The following parts are legally transportable anywhere in the state:

• Caped hides, finished taxidermy products, boned-out meat, cleaned antlers, skull plates, skulls, and lower jawbones.

It is the hunter’s responsibility to dispose of deer carcasses after harvest in a safe and responsible manner. You should never dispose of carcasses in water, on roadsides, in waterways, or on another’s property without permission.

Importing Carcasses from Other States

Statewide rules also govern what out-of-state hunters can bring into North Carolina. Importation of whole carcasses from any member of the family Cervidae — including deer, elk, moose, or reindeer/caribou — from any state, Canadian province, or foreign country outside of North Carolina is prohibited.

All carcass parts or containers of cervid meat or carcass parts must be labeled with the name and address of the individual importing them, the state or country of origin, the date the cervid was killed, and the hunter’s license number or equivalent identification.

CWD can easily spread to new areas whenever infected deer are transported by people, which is why these labeling and processing requirements exist. For context on how other states handle similar restrictions, see NCWRC’s statewide CWD regulations page. You may also want to review roadkill laws in North Carolina if you encounter a deer carcass outside of a hunting context.

CWD Testing Requirements for Hunters in North Carolina

North Carolina’s testing program has shifted significantly over the past few seasons. Understanding whether testing is mandatory or voluntary — and how to participate — is essential for hunters operating in surveillance areas.

Current Testing Status

During the 2026–27 deer hunting season, there is no required mandatory sampling in the surveillance areas. Thanks to the support of hunters, Cervid Health Cooperators, and Commission staff, the NCWRC exceeded CWD sampling goals by collecting more than 23,000 CWD samples during both the 2024–25 and 2025–26 hunting seasons.

This is a meaningful shift from earlier seasons when mandatory testing was required in primary surveillance counties. The change reflects the success of voluntary participation and the Cervid Health Cooperator program, not a reduced concern about CWD.

Voluntary Testing Options

Voluntary CWD testing is available through drop-off freezers and Cervid Health Cooperators located across the state. Voluntary testing is available across the state in both CWD surveillance areas and non-surveillance areas. Samples may be submitted to a Commission-staffed facility, to a Cervid Health Cooperator, or deposited in a Commission CWD Testing Drop-off Station.

The NCWRC cooperates with numerous taxidermists and deer processors across North Carolina for routine surveillance for CWD. If you use these services, your deer may be tested for CWD without your knowledge, but the NCWRC will inform you of the test results.

Voluntary testing is strongly encouraged even where not required. Testing harvested deer for CWD remains essential to monitor the spread of this new disease in the state and helps properly manage the health of deer herds, according to NCWRC Wildlife Health Biologist Miranda Turner. You can find current drop-off station locations on the NCWRC CWD page.

Fawn Transportation Restrictions

A separate but related rule affects fawn rehabilitation. Fawn rehabilitation within CWD Surveillance Areas is prohibited. Fawns may not be transported out of these Surveillance Areas and cannot be accepted by fawn rehabilitators. Fawns can be infected with CWD by their mother even before birth and may not show any visible signs of illness until the late stages of disease.

Captive Cervid and Deer Farming Rules in North Carolina

North Carolina regulates captive cervids through a dual-agency framework that separates farmed animals from free-ranging wildlife. If you own or operate a captive cervid facility, you answer to different rules than hunters do.

Regulatory Authority

The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) has regulatory authority over farmed cervids. For farmed cervid questions, you can contact farmedcervid@ncagr.gov. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has regulatory authority over free-range cervids and the transportation of untagged cervids.

Full regulations for farmed cervids may be found in the NCDA&CS administrative code at 02 NCAC, Subchapter 52L – Farmed Cervids, sections .0101 through .0402 (effective June 1, 2018), and importation requirements are found at 02 NCAC 52B .0213.

CWD Testing for Captive Cervids

Testing of all captive cervids 12 months of age or older that die for any reason — and testing of all captive cervids displaying symptoms characteristic of CWD — is required. Licensees must submit cervid heads or carcasses to the NCDA&CS diagnostic laboratory for testing. Samples are then sent by NCDA&CS to the NAHLN lab in Wisconsin for CWD evaluation. CWD has not been detected in any samples from farmed cervids in North Carolina as of the most recent records.

Importation and Licensing

The NCWRC has been very restrictive in its regulations concerning captive whitetail deer and other cervids, including elk and exotic animals, in hopes of preventing the spread of CWD, a deadly brain disease believed to be spread mostly through captive cervid populations.

Under G.S. 113-272.6(a), the Wildlife Resources Commission regulates the transportation, importation, exportation, and possession of cervids, including game carcasses and parts extracted by hunters. The Commission allows the sale of antlers, antler velvet, or hides from captive populations. Rules must establish standards of care for transportation and possession of cervids, including requirements for fencing, tagging, record keeping, and inspection of captive cervid facilities.

If you operate a captive cervid facility and produce deer urine or other scent products, your facility must hold a valid Farmed Cervid License from NCDA&CS for those products to be legally used or sold in surveillance areas. See goat ownership laws in North Carolina for related context on how the state regulates other livestock species that may share fencing or land with cervid operations.

Reporting Sick or Suspected Deer in North Carolina

Early detection is one of the most powerful tools the state has for slowing CWD’s spread. Efforts to protect the state’s wild deer and elk herds focus on robust monitoring for early detection of CWD and limiting exposure of wild deer and environments to the infectious prion disease agent. Early detection is critical in being able to effectively manage the disease.

What Signs to Watch For

CWD-affected deer often display a recognizable set of behavioral and physical symptoms, including:

• Dramatic weight loss or emaciated appearance
• Stumbling, staggering, or lack of coordination
• Drooping head, ears, or eyelids
• Excessive salivation, drooling, or difficulty swallowing
• Unusual lack of fear around humans
• Excessive thirst or urination

The source of the disease is an abnormal prion that collects in the animal’s brain cells and other tissues. These prions gradually build in the brain, causing brain cells to die. Symptoms may not appear for months or years after infection, so a deer that looks healthy can still be infected.

How to Report

If you have harvested a deer that was showing signs of disease, leave the animal at the site of the kill and contact the NCWRC. Biologists may collect tissue samples necessary for CWD and other disease testing. You should not attempt to transport or process a deer that shows visible signs of illness.

You can report a sick or suspected deer by contacting your regional NCWRC office directly or by using the agency’s online reporting tools at ncwildlife.gov/CWD. Prompt reporting helps the NCWRC map emerging detections and adjust surveillance areas before the disease spreads further. If you regularly encounter deer on your property, also consider reviewing neighbors’ dog on my property laws in North Carolina, since dogs that chase or contact sick deer can complicate disease containment efforts.

Penalties for CWD Violations in North Carolina

North Carolina treats CWD violations as wildlife law violations under the authority of the NCWRC, with penalties that can include fines, license revocation, and criminal charges. Due to the regular amending of regulations in North Carolina, it is recommended that before hunting you check these CWD regulations, as well as those of any other states or provinces in which you will be hunting or traveling through while transporting cervid carcasses.

Classification of Violations

Most CWD-related violations in North Carolina fall under the state’s general wildlife statute framework. Wildlife violations in North Carolina are typically classified as Class 2 misdemeanors, which can carry fines up to $1,000 and potential jail time, depending on the severity and circumstances. More serious violations — such as knowingly transporting CWD-infected carcasses or operating a captive cervid facility without proper licensing — can result in elevated charges and civil penalties.

Specific penalty categories relevant to CWD include:

• Illegal carcass transportation: Transporting a whole cervid carcass or non-compliant carcass parts out of a primary or secondary surveillance area is a wildlife violation subject to fines and seizure of the carcass.
• Illegal baiting in surveillance areas: Placing bait, food, or minerals to congregate wildlife during the prohibited window (January 2 through August 31) is a citable offense.
• Illegal use of cervid excretions: Possessing or using prohibited scent products in a surveillance area violates NCWRC regulations and is subject to citation.
• Fawn transportation violations: North Carolina enforces strict regulations that prohibit the transport of deer across county lines and ban the rehabilitation of adult or orphaned white-tailed deer in designated surveillance areas.
• Captive cervid licensing violations: Operating without required NCDA&CS licenses or failing to submit required CWD testing samples can result in civil penalties and facility suspension.

License Revocation and Civil Consequences

Beyond fines, the NCWRC has authority to revoke hunting licenses and captivity permits for CWD-related violations. Within surveillance areas, rules were established to assist in determining the prevalence and distribution of the disease, including mandatory testing, carcass transport restrictions, and baiting and feeding restrictions. Violations of these rules undermine the state’s entire disease management framework and are treated seriously by enforcement officers.

If you are cited for a CWD violation, the consequences can also extend to civil liability if your actions result in the spread of disease to another person’s property or livestock. Captive cervid operators face additional exposure under NCDA&CS administrative enforcement, which can include facility quarantine, mandatory depopulation, and loss of licensure.

Staying compliant with North Carolina’s CWD laws protects your hunting privileges, your property, and the long-term health of the state’s deer population. Surveys have shown that up to 49% of hunters would stop hunting deer and elk if the prevalence of CWD increased, and several states have experienced declines in hunting license sales after the discovery of CWD. The rules in place today exist specifically to prevent that outcome in North Carolina.

For more on how North Carolina regulates animals and wildlife, explore related guides including animal cruelty laws in North Carolina, pet import laws in North Carolina, and coyote hunting laws in North Carolina.