Snake Removal Laws in Pennsylvania: What You Can (and Can’t) Legally Do

Finding a snake near your porch or garden shed in Pennsylvania puts you in a legal gray zone more often than most homeowners realize. Snake removal laws in Pennsylvania protect nearly every native species you might encounter, whether it’s a harmless garter snake or a venomous copperhead sunning itself on a rock pile. Grabbing a shovel or a five-gallon bucket without knowing the rules can turn a simple backyard nuisance into a wildlife violation.

This guide walks through what state law actually permits when it comes to catching, relocating, or killing a snake on your own property, plus when you legally need a permit or a licensed professional instead.

Is It Legal to Remove or Relocate a Snake Yourself in Pennsylvania

Every snake species native to the Commonwealth falls under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), and all snakes in Pennsylvania are protected by Fish and Boat Commission regulations. That doesn’t mean you’re barred from ever touching one, but it does mean the agency’s default advice runs counter to what most people instinctively do. If you see a snake, of any species, do not kill or attempt to move or capture it. Instead, retreat calmly and allow the animal to continue its course or seek cover. For species that aren’t listed as endangered, threatened, or candidate, species that are not listed as endangered, threatened, or candidate may be captured or possessed under specific daily and possession limits. If you do decide to handle a snake yourself, the method matters just as much as the species. Unless otherwise indicated, reptiles and amphibians may only be taken by hand, hook, snake tongs, turtle hooks, traps and nets less than 4 feet square or 4 feet in diameter. You’ll also need to check your license status, since a fishing license is required to catch or take reptiles and amphibians, and other special regulations, seasons and possession limits apply. Snake activity also follows a seasonal pattern that affects how often you’ll run into this issue at all; our guide to when snakes come out in Pennsylvania breaks down the timing county by county. For a broader look at how these rules fit into the state’s overall nuisance-animal framework, see our wildlife removal laws in Pennsylvania overview.

Pro Tip: If a snake is simply passing through your yard and isn’t near a doorway or a place where kids or pets play, the safest and most legal move is often to leave it alone and let it move on naturally.

Protected Snake Species in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is home to a genuinely diverse snake population. According to the Fish and Boat Commission, three of the 21 species found in Pennsylvania are venomous, and each of the 21 species native to Pennsylvania has evolved to occupy a specific niche in our natural environment. Several of those species carry legal protections well beyond the general “don’t kill it” guidance that applies to common snakes like the black rat snake. Three species sit at the top of the protection list. Endangered or threatened species such as Kirtland’s snake, eastern massasauga, and rough green snake cannot be caught, killed, possessed, imported into, or exported from Pennsylvania. Kirtland’s snake (Clonophis kirtlandii) is a small, secretive species restricted to a handful of southwestern Pennsylvania wetlands, while the rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus) is a slender, bright-green tree dweller found in the state’s southern counties. Because these species face extirpation, endangered and threatened species face extirpation and have NO OPEN SEASON, meaning there is no legal window during which they can be taken. The timber rattlesnake occupies a different category. It isn’t endangered, but the timber rattlesnake is legally protected in Pennsylvania and is one of the remaining symbols of Pennsylvania’s wilderness areas. That protection comes with its own permit system, covered in the next section. If you’re trying to identify what’s actually in your yard before deciding on next steps, our types of snakes in Pennsylvania guide and our species-specific breakdown of black snakes in Pennsylvania both cover identification in more depth. And if you’ve ever wondered whether the state has coral snakes, the short answer is no — you can confirm that in our coral snakes in Pennsylvania article.

Permit Requirements for Snake Removal in Pennsylvania

Two of Pennsylvania’s three venomous species require a specific state permit before you can legally handle them at all. Under 58 Pa. Code § 79.6, it is unlawful to hunt, take, catch, kill or possess a timber rattlesnake or Eastern copperhead, in whole or in parts, without first procuring the required permit from the Commission. This applies whether you’re removing one from a woodpile or trying to catch one for a hunting trip, and the required permit shall be in the possession of the permittee at all times while hunting. The permit isn’t free, and pricing varies by residency. As of May 2025, the eRegulations Pennsylvania fishing summary lists the venomous snake permit fee for residents is $31.97 per year; the fee for non-residents is $61.97 per year. Holding the permit also comes with a reporting obligation that many first-time applicants overlook: Venomous Snake Permit holders must submit a catch report regardless if they did not hunt or hunted and did not harvest. The deadline for that report is specific — within 10 business days following the capture or kill, or if no snake is captured or killed, within 10 days of the conclusion of the season, the permittee shall complete a report on the form prescribed by the Commission. This permit-and-reporting structure isn’t unique to snakes in Pennsylvania wildlife law. Several other regulated species, including coyotes, follow a similar model where the state tracks takes through mandatory reporting; you can compare the two systems in our coyote hunting laws in Pennsylvania article.

Snake Type	Protection Status	What’s Required to Remove or Kill It
Eastern Copperhead	Venomous, native, regulated	Venomous Snake Permit
Timber Rattlesnake	Venomous, native, regulated	Venomous Snake Permit
Eastern Massasauga	Venomous, threatened/endangered	No open season; cannot be killed or possessed
Kirtland’s Snake	Nonvenomous, endangered	Cannot be caught, killed, or possessed
Rough Green Snake	Nonvenomous, threatened	Cannot be caught, killed, or possessed
Common nonvenomous species (garter, milk, rat snakes, etc.)	Protected but not listed	Fishing license; daily/possession limits apply

When You Can Legally Kill a Snake in Pennsylvania

State regulations carve out a narrow but real exception for personal safety. PFBC regulations provide that a person may kill a venomous snake in defense of life and limb, and this can be done regardless of the season. That exception isn’t unconditional, though. By law, a person must report to the Commission in writing within five days that such a killing occurred, and persons killing a venomous snake in defense of life and limb are not permitted to retain the snake. The regulatory language backing this exception is fairly detailed. 58 Pa. Code Chapter 79 states that it’s a valid legal defense when the person who killed the venomous reptiles acted under a reasonable apprehension of immediate death or bodily harm to himself or other persons in his immediate vicinity, if no more venomous reptiles are killed than necessary to protect life and limb and if the person reported the kills in writing within the required window. Even then, it is unlawful for a person to possess a venomous reptile, in whole or in parts, that was killed under this subsection. Outside of that narrow self-defense exception, the law doesn’t offer many other legal routes to killing a snake. There’s no chemical shortcut, either — no toxicants are registered for use against snakes, and no fumigants are registered for use against snakes. Firearms and other lethal devices are off the table too, since it is unlawful to take, catch or kill a reptile or amphibian through the use of firearms, chemicals, explosives, winches, jacks or other devices.

Important Note: Some general legal Q&A sites suggest a permit is needed to kill any snake in Pennsylvania regardless of species. That’s an oversimplification — the permit requirement applies specifically to timber rattlesnakes and Eastern copperheads, while the defense-of-life-and-limb exception covers immediate safety threats from any venomous snake. When in doubt, contact your regional PFBC office directly.

Rules for Venomous Snake Removal in Pennsylvania

Correctly identifying what you’re dealing with is the first step, because Pennsylvania’s venomous snakes look very different from most of the harmless species you’ll encounter. There are only three venomous snakes native to PA: the Eastern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnake and Eastern Massasauga. The Eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) are the two you’re most likely to run into, while the Eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) survives in only a few isolated wetland pockets in the state’s northwest. All three share the same physical markers. All three venomous snakes native to PA are pit vipers. Two facial characteristics common to all pit vipers are vertically elliptical pupils (like a cat’s eyes in bright light) and facial pits (indentations on the “cheeks” which aid in heat detection and locating prey). If you’re wondering whether a snake you’ve spotted could be a cottonmouth or coral snake, it’s worth knowing that water moccasins or cottonmouths are not native to PA — they are found primarily in the southern states, and their range only goes as far north as southern Virginia. Our article on coral snakes in Pennsylvania covers this same misconception in more detail. When it comes to actual removal, the state’s preferred answer is to call in trained help rather than attempt it yourself. PFBC Waterways Conservation Officers are trained to handle venomous snakes — call a local officer to have them safely capture the snake and relocate it to a suitable area nearby. If a professional isn’t immediately available, contact a PFBC law enforcement region office or a local animal removal specialist. Even keeping a venomous snake as a pet requires paperwork: it is legal to possess a live Timber Rattlesnake in Pennsylvania under certain circumstances, but the person in possession of the snake would have to get a Venomous Snake Permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission prior to obtaining the snake.

Pro Tip: Round pupils and no facial pit almost always mean the snake in front of you is nonvenomous. Elliptical, cat-like pupils and a pit between the eye and nostril mean you should back away and call for help instead.

Hiring a Licensed Wildlife Removal Operator in Pennsylvania

For most homeowners, the simplest and most legally safe option is skipping DIY removal entirely. Penn State Extension recommends exactly that: you can contact local wildlife pest control operators to remove snakes and other nuisance wildlife — these persons have experience in removing animals, allowing the homeowner to alleviate the problem without coming into contact with the animal. These businesses operate under a specific state credential, not a generic pest-control license. Pennsylvania Game Commission regulations spell out that a nuisance wildlife control operator permit is required for any resident or nonresident person to take, harass, transport, release or dispatch designated wildlife for another person or to solicit or offer his services to another to take, harass, transport or dispatch designated wildlife that is creating a nuisance, causing damage to property or is a risk to human health or safety. Operators are bound by their own set of restrictions, too — they cannot legally control any threatened or endangered species without proper permits and approval of the Commission, which is one reason a reputable operator will ask about the species before agreeing to a job. There are also handling standards built into the permit itself. Nuisance wildlife captured alive shall within 24 hours be dispatched in a humane manner or released in an area open to hunting or trapping. Before you hire anyone, it’s worth asking to see their permit number, since certification isn’t automatic — new or existing agents applying for certification shall take the required examination within 180 days of final approval of their applications by the Bureau of Wildlife Protection. Pennsylvania’s approach sits somewhere in the middle compared to other states. States like California and North Carolina impose their own distinct licensing and relocation rules, while Minnesota’s wildlife removal laws take yet another approach to nuisance species. If you’re moving between states or just curious how Pennsylvania compares, those guides are a useful next read.

Penalties for Illegally Killing or Relocating a Snake in Pennsylvania

Getting the process wrong can carry real financial consequences, not just an awkward conversation with a game warden. Even relocating a snake to a “better” spot can be a violation if it’s done incorrectly: it is illegal to release into the wild any species that are not native to Pennsylvania, and unpermitted possession of a protected species is treated just as seriously — it is unlawful to possess endangered or threatened native species. Penalties escalate depending on what was taken and how. Under the Fish and Boat Code, enforcement provisions note that any person who violates the provisions relating to commercial licensing or regulations issued thereunder shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $200 or have the license revoked or both. For more serious violations involving illegal take methods or protected species, the consequences can go further, since a person convicted of violating provisions relating to serious unlawful take or taking or possessing by illegal methods shall be assessed the costs incurred by the commission for the replacement of the species involved in the violation, calculated using recognized professional valuation standards. Because most snake encounters happen fast and under stress, the safest legal path is almost always the same: identify what you’re looking at, don’t touch anything that could be venomous or protected, and call a licensed operator or the PFBC when you’re unsure.

Common Mistake: Assuming a nonvenomous snake carries no legal risk. Even common species can trigger a violation if you use an illegal capture method, transport it across county lines, or release it somewhere other than where you found it.

Pennsylvania’s snake removal laws exist to protect a group of animals that most residents rarely see up close and often misunderstand. Knowing the difference between a garter snake you can safely relocate yourself and a timber rattlesnake that requires a permit and a trained hand is the difference between a quiet backyard fix and an unintentional wildlife violation. When identification feels uncertain or the species looks venomous, contacting your regional Fish and Boat Commission office or a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator remains the most reliable — and legal — way to handle it.