Nuisance Wildlife Laws in Georgia: What Property Owners Are Actually Allowed to Do
June 3, 2026
A raccoon tearing through your garbage, a beaver flooding your pasture, or a family of squirrels nesting in your attic — these situations feel urgent, and the instinct to act fast is understandable. But in Georgia, acting without knowing the law can turn a wildlife problem into a legal one.
Georgia’s nuisance wildlife laws are more layered than most property owners expect. The state gives you real options for protecting your property, but it also draws firm lines around what you can do on your own, what requires a permit, and what must be left entirely to licensed professionals. This guide walks you through each of those layers so you can handle your situation correctly from the start.
What Counts as Nuisance Wildlife in Georgia
When wildlife populate a place where they are unwanted or cause damage to valuable plants or structures, they become a nuisance. That is the practical standard Georgia applies, and it covers a wide range of situations — from a single groundhog undermining a garden to a colony of bats roosting in a wall cavity.
As Georgia’s suburban and urban environments continue to grow, more humans and wildlife are interacting. These interactions can be positive, like enjoying birds at your birdfeeder, or negative, like a bear or squirrel eating your birdseed. Negative interactions can cause conflicts between humans and wildlife.
Common nuisance species in Georgia include raccoons, opossums, squirrels, groundhogs, beavers, coyotes, armadillos, and snakes. Wildlife are constantly searching for food, water, and shelter. These essential needs are attractants, and your yard may be providing them, either intentionally or unintentionally. Common food attractants — trash, pet food, and bird seed — can attract raccoons, coyotes, foxes, bears, and rodents.
It is important to understand that not every unwanted animal automatically qualifies for removal under the same rules. The species involved, the type of damage being caused, and whether the animal is protected under state or federal law all determine which legal pathway applies to your situation.
Key Insight: Georgia does not have a single blanket definition of “nuisance wildlife” that unlocks removal rights. Your legal options depend on the specific species and the nature of the conflict.
Your Rights as a Property Owner in Georgia
Citizens can protect property from wildlife either committing or about to commit damage. Most homeowners can deal quite effectively with wildlife using safe, nonlethal means. Consider lethal measures as a last resort.
As a property owner, you have three main pathways for addressing a nuisance wildlife situation legally. You can hire a nuisance wildlife control operator (NWCO), remove the animal yourself during regulated hunting and trapping seasons, or obtain a wildlife control permit from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Each path comes with its own requirements, and choosing the wrong one is where many property owners run into trouble.
You also have the right to use exclusion and deterrence measures without any permit. One of the primary responsibilities of property owners is to secure their premises to prevent wildlife from entering buildings or causing damage to gardens and landscaping. Installing fences, sealing off entry points, and properly storing food and garbage can deter wildlife from venturing onto the property.
Hazing — or scaring — uses deterrents or negative stimuli to move wildlife out of an area and is an important part of keeping wildlife wild. Examples of deterrents include motion-activated sprinklers or alarms and electric fencing.
If you choose to trap on your own property, Georgia law imposes important restrictions on how you do it. Under O.C.G.A. § 27-3-63, it is unlawful to set any body-gripping trap of a size in excess of 9½ inches square except in water or on land within ten feet of water, set on land any trap with a jaw opening larger than 5¾ inches, or trap any wildlife on the right-of-way of any public road or highway.
Important Note: Trapping on someone else’s land — even with verbal permission — is not enough. Georgia law requires written consent from the landowner, and you must carry that written consent on your person at all times while trapping.
For more on how Georgia handles related animal situations on your property, see neighbors’ dog on your property laws in Georgia and neighbors’ cat in your yard laws in Georgia.
Legal Methods for Removing Nuisance Wildlife in Georgia
Georgia’s wildlife removal laws are governed primarily by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) under Title 27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.), and the rules are more specific than most people realize.
The legal methods available to you as a property owner fall into three categories: exclusion and hazing, trapping during open season, and permitted removal outside of season.
- Exclusion and hazing: Always legal without a permit. This includes sealing entry points, installing fencing, using motion-activated deterrents, and removing food attractants from your property.
- Trapping during open season: You may trap nuisance wildlife yourself during the regulated trapping season with a valid license, provided you follow all trap size, placement, and inspection rules.
- Wildlife control permits: If you want to handle a nuisance animal yourself outside of a regulated hunting or trapping season, you need to apply for a wildlife control permit through your regional DNR Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) office.
Wildlife control permits may last for up to 90 days and specify methods where appropriate. Importantly, permits do not cover deer, bear, turkey, waterfowl, or alligators. Permits are issued to the property owner or legal resident only, and they are issued for a specific property and species.
Trap inspection is a firm legal requirement. Trap inspection is a legal requirement, not a suggestion. Failing to check traps on schedule is a citable offense. According to Baldwin County fine schedules effective July 1, 2023, failure to check traps as required carries a fine of $380.00, as does trapping without a license, trapping without permission, and trapping out of season.
Pro Tip: In most counties, the county agent will provide advice on nuisance wildlife control, damage prevention, and individual removal. He or she may also lend you traps and can supply information for many problems a homeowner is likely to encounter.
You can also reach out to USDA Wildlife Services for assistance. This federal agency deals with nuisance wildlife in both municipal and agricultural settings. Wildlife Services offers two support levels: technical advice, including handouts, videos, verbal support, traps, and field demonstrations; and operational support, in which they will perform certain work for landowners for a fee. A signed contract is required. In Georgia, contact Wildlife Services at 706-546-5637.
For a comparison of how Georgia’s approach compares to neighboring states, see wildlife removal laws in Florida and wildlife removal laws in Tennessee.
Relocation Rules in Georgia
Relocation is where many well-intentioned property owners unknowingly break the law. The instinct to catch an animal and release it somewhere else seems humane, but Georgia law treats relocation with significant caution.
Relocating a trapped animal sounds like the humane solution, but Georgia law treats it with significant caution — and in many cases, it is either restricted or outright prohibited without proper authorization. Relocating nuisance wildlife generally is discouraged and may be illegal.
In general, it may be acceptable to remove an animal from your house and release it outside on your property. However, you must prevent it from re-entering your home or buildings. You must have the landowner’s permission and possibly a permit issued by Georgia DNR before relocating wildlife.
Removal simply moves the offending animal to someone else’s property and only treats the symptom, not the problem. Generally, it is illegal to release animals onto someone else’s property, and they likely don’t want the animal in the first place.
The rules become even stricter when disease-vector species are involved. For species with disease concerns — particularly raccoons, foxes, and skunks, which are common rabies vectors — relocating animals across county lines is especially problematic. Health departments in Georgia can impose additional restrictions on moving these animals, and violating those rules can carry consequences beyond the DNR’s jurisdiction.
The wildlife control permit system addresses carnivore relocation directly. Under a permit, animals may be killed or trapped and relocated, but there is no relocation of carnivores. Permits for birds also require approval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Animals may be released in suitable habitat with the property owner’s permission or disposed of properly.
Common Mistake: Releasing a trapped raccoon or fox in a nearby park or nature area without authorization is illegal in Georgia — even if the release site appears to be suitable habitat. Always confirm with your local DNR office or conservation officer before moving any animal off your property.
For a broader look at how other states approach relocation, see wildlife removal laws in New York and wildlife removal laws in Pennsylvania.
Species With Special Rules in Georgia
Not all nuisance wildlife in Georgia is treated equally under the law. Several categories of species carry special rules that override the general permit and trapping framework.
Species That Can Be Taken Without a Standard License
Georgia law allows the taking of certain native species — namely rats, mice, armadillos, coyotes, groundhogs, beaver, freshwater turtles, venomous snakes, frogs, spring lizards, fiddler crabs, freshwater crayfish, freshwater mussels, and nutria — because of their status as a nuisance or other reason. However, even for these species, holding them alive triggers separate rules. State regulations prohibit the holding of live armadillos, coyotes, groundhogs, and beaver without the proper permits or licenses.
Species Excluded From Standard Wildlife Control Permits
NWCOs are not authorized to handle deer, turkeys, and alligators over four feet long. For those animals, you must contact the DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division directly — and even licensed operators cannot step in.
Wildlife control operators are not authorized to trap or remove bears involved in human-bear conflicts. This technique is employed only as a last resort when all other mitigation strategies have failed to resolve the conflict, and such measures are implemented on a case-by-case basis and conducted exclusively by WRD staff.
Bats
Bats receive specific seasonal protections. No permits for bats are issued between May 1 and August 15. This window corresponds to the maternity season, when bats are raising young and exclusion work would trap flightless pups inside structures. If you have a bat colony in your home, timing your exclusion outside this window is not just best practice — it is a legal requirement.
Migratory Birds and Protected Bird Species
All species of birds encountered in the wild in Georgia are protected by state and federal laws except English sparrows, European starlings, and pigeons. Migratory bird violations carry federal-level consequences. If you are unsure whether a bird on your property is protected, contact the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division before taking any action.
Important Note: Georgia law prohibits the possession of most native wildlife without a permit. Even temporarily holding a wild animal — such as a trapped squirrel in a cage before release — can technically constitute unlawful possession if you do not have the correct paperwork in place.
Georgia also has specific rules around other animals that share territory with wildlife. See leash laws in Georgia and roadkill laws in Georgia for related legal context.
When You Need a Licensed Wildlife Control Operator in Georgia
Some wildlife situations require a professional, and Georgia has a formal licensing structure to match. Knowing when to call a licensed operator — and what to look for — protects both you and the animals involved.
When the situation calls for a professional, Georgia has a formal licensing structure in place. The key credential to look for is the Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) permit, issued by the Special Permit Unit of the Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division.
A Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators Permit, issued by the Special Permit Unit of the Georgia DNR Law Enforcement Division, is required to live-trap, possess, transport, and/or release into a suitable habitat certain nuisance wildlife outside the legal trapping season. This is the credential that allows a professional to work year-round, beyond the constraints that apply to ordinary trappers.
The NWCO permit also extends additional authority. The NWCO is authorized to live-trap, possess, transport, and release in suitable habitat certain nuisance wildlife. In addition, the permittee is authorized, at his discretion, to euthanize certain nuisance animals and to transport non-endangered injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. With this authority comes the responsibility of handling this activity in a professional, humane manner beyond the view of the public.
You should call a licensed NWCO when:
- The animal involved is a bat, and the issue falls within the May 1–August 15 maternity exclusion window
- You are dealing with a carnivore such as a fox, skunk, or coyote that cannot legally be relocated by a private individual
- The animal is a protected or regulated species outside the scope of a standard DNR permit
- The problem recurs and exclusion has not resolved it
- You are not comfortable handling the animal safely
NWCOs are independent businesses licensed by the state. Anyone contracting with these businesses should exercise normal caution when hiring a contractor — check references, ask for proof of license and insurance, get estimates, and have a written contract before beginning any work or committing to pay any fees.
You can find a licensed NWCO in your county through the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division’s operator directory at georgiawildlife.com. You can also renew and purchase permits through the Go Outdoors Georgia portal.
For additional resources on wildlife professionals and organizations, see wildlife organizations and Defenders of Wildlife.
Penalties for Violating Nuisance Wildlife Laws in Georgia
Georgia takes wildlife law enforcement seriously. Violating hunting laws in Georgia can lead to serious consequences including fines, license suspension, or even jail time. The same framework applies to nuisance wildlife violations, and ignorance of the rules is not a recognized defense.
Enforcement of wildlife control laws in Georgia is conducted through a system of regulations and penalties designed to ensure compliance and protect both wildlife and property. The state follows specific procedures to maintain order and uphold the regulations effectively. Violations of wildlife control laws can result in legal consequences that serve as deterrents for individuals who may consider disregarding the rules.
The table below summarizes specific fines from Baldwin County’s schedule effective July 1, 2023, which reflects the standard fine structure applied across Georgia counties for wildlife-related offenses:
| Violation | Fine (as of July 1, 2023) |
|---|---|
| Failure to check traps as required | $380.00 |
| Failure to mark or tag traps | $380.00 |
| Trapping on public road right-of-way | $380.00 |
| Trapping out of season | $380.00 |
| Trapping without a license | $380.00 |
| Trapping without permission | $380.00 |
| Taking possession of protected birds (hawks/owls) | $818.00 |
| Storing wildlife without a permit | $152.00 |
For more serious violations — particularly those involving protected or regulated species — the consequences escalate significantly. Any person who hunts, fishes, traps, possesses, or transports wildlife in this state in violation of a suspension or revocation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1,500.00 nor more than $5,000.00 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months or both.
Federal migratory bird violations carry their own separate penalties under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which operates independently of Georgia’s state enforcement system. These can include federal fines and criminal charges.
Pro Tip: Enforcement procedures include thorough investigations by trained officials to gather evidence of violations. In some cases, violators may receive warnings to rectify the situation before facing penalties — but that outcome is not guaranteed, especially for repeat or egregious violations.
The safest approach is always to confirm your intended method with your local DNR Wildlife Resources Division office before acting. State wildlife biologists may offer advice and programs, and conservation or law enforcement officers (game wardens) may issue permits for taking nuisance wildlife.
For state-by-state context on how nuisance wildlife penalties and rules compare, see wildlife removal laws in Georgia, wildlife removal laws in California, and wildlife removal laws in Arizona.
Conclusion
Georgia gives property owners real tools for dealing with nuisance wildlife — but those tools come with clear rules attached. The legal pathway that applies to your situation depends on the species involved, the time of year, what you intend to do with the animal, and whether you are acting on your own or hiring a professional.
The core principles to keep in mind: exclusion is always your safest first step, trapping outside of open season requires a permit, relocation is heavily restricted and often prohibited without authorization, and certain species — bears, alligators, deer, turkeys, and migratory birds — fall entirely outside the scope of standard property owner removal rights.
When in doubt, contact your regional DNR Wildlife Resources Division office or a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator before taking action. A short phone call is far less costly than a fine, a license suspension, or a federal charge.