Taxidermy Laws in Maryland: Licensing, Species Rules, and Federal Permits You Must Follow
October 19, 2026
Mounting a trophy buck or a duck you harvested yourself is legal in Maryland without any state paperwork — but the moment you charge a neighbor to do the same, you step into a licensing system that includes a written exam, work-sample review, and a state ledger the Department of Natural Resources can inspect at any time. Taxidermy laws in Maryland split sharply between hobbyists working on their own legally taken animals and anyone performing the craft commercially for someone else. Add a federal layer for migratory birds and endangered species, and the rules get complicated fast.
This breakdown walks through who needs a license, which species are off-limits regardless of licensing, and what happens when a customer never picks up their mount.
Do You Need a Taxidermy License or Permit in Maryland?
Maryland law draws the licensing line at whether you’re working on your own animal or someone else’s. Under state statute, any person desiring to commercially practice the art of taxidermy or fur tanning or who desires to mount, preserve, or tan any species of wildlife for another person first shall obtain a taxidermist and fur tanner’s license. If you shot the deer, caught the fish, or trapped the fox yourself and you’re mounting it for your own wall, no state license is required.
The state of Maryland has two levels of permits for taxidermy work — a full Taxidermist and Fur-Tanner License allows for all aspects of taxidermy work, while the abbreviated European Mount License is for individuals that only create skull mounts. Both credentials share the same starting point: anyone applying for a taxidermy license after July 1988 will be required to pass a written examination and submit recent work samples for evaluation by the Department of Natural Resources. According to the Maryland Taxidermy Information Guide, the written examination for the taxidermy permit is a 25-question test, while the exam for European mount permits runs 20 questions.
Nationally, this puts Maryland in rare company. Research from the Institute for Justice’s occupational licensing database found that twenty-eight states require taxidermists to have a license, and only two states require any exams — Maine requires two, while Maryland requires one. The current license application, available as a PDF from Maryland DNR, lists a $50.00 fee payable to the Department of Natural Resources.
Pro Tip: If you only plan to clean and mount deer skulls for European-style display, the abbreviated European Mount License requires a shorter exam and typically moves through the application process faster than the full Taxidermist and Fur-Tanner License.
Commercial Taxidermy vs Mounting Your Own Legally Taken Wildlife in Maryland
The commercial-vs-personal distinction shapes nearly every other rule in this guide. Working on wildlife you legally harvested yourself, for yourself, falls outside the licensing requirement entirely. The moment money, favors, or a second party’s animal enter the picture, the license requirement attaches — the statute applies to anyone who desires to mount, preserve, or tan any species of wildlife for another person.
Once licensed, the scope of what you’re permitted to do expands. A taxidermist and fur-tanning license permits the holder to mount, preserve, or tan any species of wildlife legally acquired, and — with the Department’s written approval for each specimen — to sell or dispose of a tanned, cured, or mounted specimen legally acquired but unclaimed by the customer within 30 days after written notice by certified mail. That unclaimed-property provision matters enough that it gets its own section further down.
Hunters who plan to have work done commercially should also understand how the animal was taken in the first place, since licensing rules interact directly with Maryland’s hunting laws. A mount built from an animal taken outside legal season or bag limits creates a liability problem for both the hunter and the taxidermist handling it.
What Species You Can and Cannot Mount in Maryland (Game, Nongame, and Unprotected)
Not every animal that ends up on a workbench can legally end up on a wall — or be sold once it’s there. Maryland separates wildlife into categories with very different rules attached.
- Legally taken game species (deer, turkey, waterfowl, upland game): Can be mounted commercially or personally, provided the animal was harvested within season and bag limits under state hunting regulations.
- Furbearers (fox, raccoon, mink, muskrat): Covered under the same taxidermist and fur-tanner license structure, with additional fur-buyer licensing required for selling raw pelts or deer parts.
- Nongame and unprotected species: Some nongame wildlife can be handled freely, but a growing list falls under state conservation protections discussed below.
- Migratory birds: Subject to a separate federal permit regardless of how the license structure applies at the state level.
Roadkill occupies its own gray area. Customers may legally salvage some road-killed animals for possession, though the rules vary by species. Deer and turkey roadkills may be salvaged by any customer with a DNRid number that has obtained a non-harvest confirmation number, while black bear roadkills or found carcasses may be salvaged by any customer with a DNRid number that has obtained a possession tag through one of the wildlife service field offices. Furbearer species may be salvaged only by licensed trappers or permitted wildlife damage control operators. If you’re considering bringing a found animal to a taxidermist, review Maryland’s roadkill laws first, since a taxidermist can’t legally accept an animal that wasn’t salvaged properly.
Coyotes and other species classified as nuisance wildlife carry their own harvest rules that affect what a taxidermist can accept, so hunters should confirm details against coyote hunting laws in Maryland before assuming a mount is straightforward.
Federal Overlay You Still Must Follow: Migratory Bird Taxidermy Permits (MBTA)
State licensing doesn’t cover migratory birds — that’s a separate federal requirement layered on top. Maryland DNR is explicit about this: to perform taxidermy services on migratory birds, a federal taxidermy permit must be obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Obtaining a Migratory Bird Taxidermy permit is covered under federal regulation 21.63, and general application requirements sit in a separate federal regulation.
This federal layer exists because migratory birds carry protections that have nothing to do with how they died. As one taxidermy-adjacent retailer puts it, all native birds in the U.S. are federally protected, and you cannot buy, sell, or possess their bones, feathers, nests, or eggs regardless of how the bird died. That standard applies even to birds taken during a legal hunt — the harvest itself may be lawful under state rules, but commercial taxidermy work on the specimen still requires the separate federal permit. Anyone planning to have waterfowl mounted commercially should cross-reference Maryland’s duck hunting laws to confirm the bird was taken legally before a taxidermist ever touches it.
Important Note: A Maryland state taxidermy license does not substitute for the federal migratory bird permit. Taxidermists who mount ducks, geese, or other migratory species for clients need both credentials on file.
Endangered, Threatened, and CITES Specimens in Maryland
Some species can’t legally be mounted, bought, or sold no matter what license a taxidermist holds. The primary Maryland law governing the legal listing of threatened and endangered species is the Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act, enacted in 1975. That Act is supported by regulations under COMAR 08.03.08, which define listing criteria for endangered, threatened, in-need-of-conservation, and endangered-extirpated species, and which list prohibited activities.
The penalties for violating this Act are meaningful. According to the Animal Legal & Historical Center’s summary of the statute, violators can be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, and any equipment used in the taking of a designated species may be seized.
CITES-listed species — animals protected under the international Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — add a separate federal permitting layer on top of state protections. A taxidermist asked to work on an imported hide, skull, or feather from a CITES-listed animal needs documentation proving legal import and, in many cases, a federal permit before the work can proceed. When in doubt about a species’ status, the Maryland DNR’s Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species page maintains current listings.
Recordkeeping, Tagging, and Inspection Rules for Taxidermists in Maryland
Licensed taxidermists in Maryland don’t just need the credential — they need a paper trail behind every piece of wildlife that passes through their shop. The ledger must cover every transaction from the date the taxidermist or fur tanner’s license was issued until its expiration, and it has to be kept up to date. Per the Maryland Taxidermy Information Guide, the ledger should indicate the customer’s name, address, telephone number, and current license number, along with the fish or wildlife species and quantity involved in each transaction.
Failing to maintain that ledger carries real consequences. Anyone convicted of failing to maintain or keep an up-to-date ledger, or of making false entries, may have their license revoked for a period not to exceed five years. The Department doesn’t have to take your word for compliance, either: licensees must allow any Natural Resources police officer or law enforcement officer to enter the premises and holding facilities at all reasonable hours to inspect the premises, inspect wildlife, and inspect records.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ledger content | Customer name, address, phone, license number, species, quantity, transaction dates |
| Ledger duration | Covers full license period, from issuance to expiration |
| Inspection authority | Natural Resources police and law enforcement, at reasonable hours |
| Non-compliance penalty | License revocation for up to 5 years |
Deer taxidermists carrying inventory in a Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area face an additional layer of paperwork. If you are a taxidermist working in a Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area, you are required to complete the CWD authorization, and authorized taxidermists are listed publicly on the CWD portion of the DNR website.
Unclaimed Mounts: Can a Taxidermist Sell Abandoned Work in Maryland?
Every taxidermist eventually deals with a customer who never comes back for their mount. Maryland law gives licensed taxidermists a narrow, documented path to recoup that loss rather than storing abandoned work indefinitely. A license holder can sell or dispose of a tanned, cured, or mounted specimen legally acquired but unclaimed by the customer within 30 days after written notice sent by certified mail — but only with the Department’s written approval for each individual specimen.
There’s a hard carve-out to that rule, though. A license holder may not sell or dispose of any tanned, cured, or mounted specimen that is a migratory game bird, no matter how long it sits unclaimed or how much paperwork gets filed. That restriction lines up with the federal protections covering migratory species discussed earlier — state law can’t override the federal ban on selling those birds.
Outside of abandoned-work sales, Maryland’s rules on selling finished taxidermy are tight across the board. As one estate-sale guide summarizes, no taxidermy may be sold in Maryland unless a taxidermist is selling a piece of work that wasn’t picked up — otherwise, pieces can only be donated. Farm-raised species get a narrow exception: mounted wildlife generally cannot be sold unless it originated from a game farm, since anything taken from the wild cannot be sold as a finished mount. Selling raw deer parts requires yet another credential, since a fur-buyer’s license is needed to sell deer parts separate from the taxidermy license itself.
Key Insight: The 30-day certified-mail notice and per-specimen written approval aren’t optional formalities — skipping either step turns an otherwise legal disposal into an unauthorized sale under state law.
Penalties for Unlicensed Taxidermy or Illegal Possession in Maryland
Practicing taxidermy commercially without a license, or possessing wildlife outside legal channels, exposes a person to consequences that go beyond a simple warning. Maryland’s wildlife code, organized under Title 10 of the Natural Resources Article, includes a dedicated subtitle covering penalties, fines, searches, seizures, and forfeitures for wildlife violations generally — a framework that extends to unlicensed commercial taxidermy work.
For species protected under the Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act specifically, the exposure is spelled out clearly: violators can be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, with equipment used in the violation subject to seizure. Federal cases involving migratory birds and endangered species carry their own separate exposure — federal prosecutors have pursued taxidermy-related possession cases under both the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act, with penalties that can include imprisonment and fines well beyond what state law imposes alone.
Licensed taxidermists who cut corners on recordkeeping face a narrower but still serious consequence: license revocation for up to five years for ledger violations or false entries. Anyone unsure whether a piece of wildlife they’ve acquired — through a hunt, a roadkill salvage, or a purchase — falls into a restricted category should confirm its status before handing it to a taxidermist, since both parties can face liability for illegally possessed specimens.
Important Note: This article summarizes Maryland statutes and DNR guidance for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Wildlife regulations change and carry criminal exposure, so confirm current requirements with Maryland DNR or an attorney before acting on species-specific questions.
Where to Apply and Who to Call in Maryland (Wildlife Agency + USFWS)
Every state-level taxidermy credential in Maryland runs through the same office. Applications, exam scheduling, and CWD authorization all go through the Wildlife and Heritage Service, which handles the Taxidermy Permit/License program directly. Requests can be made by mail to the Wildlife Permit Coordinator, MD DNR–Wildlife and Heritage Service, 580 Taylor Ave., E-1, Annapolis, MD 21401, or by phone at 410-260-8540, with a toll-free Maryland line at 1-877-620-8DNR.
The current license application — a fillable PDF titled the Taxidermist and Fur Tanner Permit/License Application — lists the mailing address for completed applications as the Permits Coordinator, Wildlife and Heritage Service, Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Ave, E-1, Annapolis, MD, along with a dedicated email address for questions.
- Contact Wildlife and Heritage Service to confirm which license level (full Taxidermist and Fur-Tanner or European Mount) fits your intended work.
- Submit the application and $50 fee, along with recent work samples for evaluation.
- Schedule and pass the written exam — 25 questions for the full license, 20 for European Mount.
- Apply separately to USFWS if migratory birds will be part of the business, since the state license doesn’t cover that federal requirement.
- Complete CWD authorization if operating within a Chronic Wasting Disease Management Area.
For the federal migratory bird side, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service handles that permit independently of any state credential, and Maryland DNR’s own guidance points applicants there before accepting migratory bird work commercially.
Between the state exam, the ledger requirements, the federal migratory bird overlay, and the tight restrictions on selling finished work, Maryland’s taxidermy rules reward taxidermists and hunters who confirm their paperwork before the animal ever reaches the workbench. Whether you’re mounting your own harvest or hanging out a shingle as a licensed taxidermist, the safest approach is the same: verify the species, confirm the license or permit that applies, and keep the documentation that proves it.