No, you cannot have a pet raccoon in California. State regulations classify raccoons as restricted “detrimental” wildlife, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) does not issue any permit that authorizes keeping one as a household pet. Getting caught is a misdemeanor and can carry a civil fine of up to $10,000 per animal on top of the criminal penalty.
How the Law Classifies Raccoons
California’s Fish and Game Code lists raccoons as furbearing mammals.1California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 4000 The California Code of Regulations then places the entire raccoon family (Procyonidae) on the restricted-species list with a “D” designation, meaning the state considers them detrimental to native wildlife, agriculture, or public health and safety.2Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 671 – Importation, Transportation and Possession of Live Restricted Animals Under that designation, it is unlawful for anyone to import, transport, or possess a raccoon without a CDFW permit, and the permits that exist are not written for pet owners.
Why California Bans Them as Pets
Raccoons are a primary rabies carrier in the United States, and there is no USDA-approved rabies vaccine for individual captive raccoons. The only licensed raccoon rabies vaccine is an oral bait product used for wild population management, not for pets. If a captive raccoon bites someone, there is no easy way to confirm the animal’s rabies status short of euthanasia and laboratory testing.
Raccoons also shed Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm whose microscopic eggs can be swallowed from contaminated surfaces. In humans, the larvae can migrate to the brain, spinal cord, or eyes, and severe infections can cause blindness, loss of muscle control, and coma.3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of Raccoon Roundworm A raccoon living inside a home sheds eggs continuously.
Behavior is the other half. Even raccoons raised from infancy tend to become territorial and aggressive once they reach sexual maturity around their first year. Their jaw strength and dexterity make bites and scratches serious injuries, and any wound from an unvaccinated raccoon raises the prospect of post-exposure rabies treatment for the victim.
Penalties for Keeping a Raccoon
A violation of the Fish and Game Code or its regulations is a misdemeanor.4California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 12000 For a standard California misdemeanor, that means up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Possessing a raccoon without a permit falls under this provision because the restricted-species rule in Title 14, Section 671 was adopted under the Fish and Game Code.
CDFW can also impose an administrative civil fine of up to $10,000 for each animal illegally possessed. The civil penalty applies in addition to any criminal sentence, so the same raccoon can produce both. The animal will be confiscated.
Federal law can enter the picture if you move the raccoon across state lines. The Lacey Act prohibits transporting any wildlife taken, possessed, or sold in violation of state law, so driving an illegally held California raccoon into Nevada does not fix the problem; it adds a potential federal violation.5U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Lacey Act
What Happens to the Raccoon
This part is worth facing honestly. A raccoon raised by humans usually cannot be released into the wild because it never developed the survival skills wild-reared raccoons learn in their first year. At the same time, with no approved individual rabies vaccine, no shelter or sanctuary can certify the animal as safe. Confiscated raccoons are frequently euthanized. There is no soft landing for the animal.
The Permits That Exist, and Why None Covers a Pet
CDFW does issue restricted-species permits, but every category is written for an institutional or professional purpose:6Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 671.1 – Permits for Restricted Species
- AZA permits for accredited zoos exhibiting and breeding animals.
- Exhibiting permits for people or organizations in the business of exhibiting animals at least half-time, commercially or educationally.
- Research permits for universities, government research agencies, or recognized scientific institutions.
- Shelter permits for facilities a CDFW regional manager verifies as meeting a genuine humane sheltering need in the area.
- Animal Care permits for California residents who legally possessed the animal before January 1992 and can show the experience and ability to care for it.
The Animal Care permit sometimes raises hope, but it is a narrow grandfathering provision. It does not authorize acquiring a new raccoon, and it only applies if you already legally held the animal in California before 1992.
If You Find an Injured or Orphaned Raccoon
Finding a hurt or abandoned raccoon does not give you the right to keep it, but the regulations do allow limited temporary help. You may temporarily confine an injured, diseased, or orphaned raccoon as long as you notify the nearest CDFW regional office within 48 hours.7Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 679 – Possession of Wildlife and Wildlife Rehabilitation Your notification must include your name and address, the species, a description of the animal’s condition, when and where you found it, and where you are keeping it. From there, you follow CDFW’s instructions for the animal’s disposition, which commonly means transferring it to an approved wildlife rehabilitation facility.
The safer first step is to call CDFW or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator before touching the animal. A distressed raccoon can bite or scratch, and contact with raccoon feces carries the roundworm risk. CDFW maintains a list of licensed rehabilitators and regional office contacts.8California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Native Wildlife Rehabilitation Do not try to feed, nurse, or raise the raccoon yourself. The 48-hour rule is an emergency provision, not a path to home care.
Moving to California With a Raccoon From Another State
Legal ownership somewhere else does not transfer. A handful of states allow raccoon ownership without a permit, and others allow it with one, but California’s restricted-species rule applies to anyone importing, transporting, or possessing the animal here.2Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 671 – Importation, Transportation and Possession of Live Restricted Animals Bringing the raccoon across the state line would violate the state regulation and potentially the federal Lacey Act. If you are relocating, you will need to rehome the animal with someone legally permitted to possess it in your current state before you go.