You can keep a pet squirrel in Florida without a permit, as long as the animal comes from a licensed captive breeder. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lists squirrels among the species exempt from permitting for personal possession, grouped with rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, hedgehogs, and chinchillas.1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wildlife as a Personal Pet The catch is where the animal comes from: a squirrel caught in your backyard is not a legal pet, no matter how tame it has become.
No Permit Required for Personal Possession
Florida regulates most captive wildlife through the FWC’s Captive Wildlife Office, which generally requires a permit or license to possess wildlife in the state.2Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Captive Wildlife Licenses and Permits Squirrels sit in a specific exemption on the FWC’s personal pet list, so you don’t need to apply for anything at the state level before bringing one home.1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wildlife as a Personal Pet
That exemption is not the same as the Class III Personal Pet No-Cost Permit, which is the free two-year permit covering animals like raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Squirrels don’t fall under that permit at all. The only state-level requirement for a pet squirrel is a lawful, captive-bred source.
Wild Squirrels Are Off-Limits
Gray squirrels and other native species are classified as small game in Florida and managed under hunting regulations with seasons and bag limits. You cannot trap a wild squirrel and raise it as a pet. Even game farm operations that breed native game species have to use captive-reared stock and are prohibited from taking animals from the wild.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Captive Wildlife Licenses and Permits – Game Farms
This is where most people get into trouble. Someone finds a baby squirrel in the yard, starts feeding it, and ends up with a semi-tame animal a few weeks later. Keeping that squirrel is illegal regardless of how the relationship started.
Buying From a Licensed Breeder
The legal path to a pet squirrel runs through USDA-licensed breeders who raise captive-bred animals under the federal Animal Welfare Act. Licensed breeders maintain records tracking each animal’s origin, sale, and transport. Gray squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, and red squirrels are among the species commonly available this way.
Ask any seller for their USDA license number and documentation that the animal was captive-bred. A reputable breeder provides this on request. If the paperwork isn’t there or the price looks too low to be real, assume the animal was taken from the wild and move on.
Two practical points before you buy. Veterinary care is harder to arrange than it is for a dog or cat, so find an exotic animal vet in your area who takes rodent patients before the squirrel arrives, not after. Housing is the other issue: squirrels need a tall enclosure with branches for climbing, not a hamster cage.
If You Find an Injured or Orphaned Squirrel
Florida law treats this situation strictly. Holding any sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife beyond the time it takes to get the animal to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator is a violation. Temporary care itself requires a Wildlife Rehabilitation permit from the FWC, so without one, your only legal role is transporter.4Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Injured and Orphaned Wildlife
The FWC keeps a directory of licensed wildlife rehabilitators organized by county and species on its website, and you can also call your nearest FWC Regional Office. Outside business hours, the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline is 1-888-404-FWCC (3922). A rehabilitator will release the animal once it has recovered or transfer it to an appropriate facility. Returning the squirrel to you as a pet is not an option.
Penalties for Keeping a Squirrel Illegally
Violations of Florida’s captive wildlife rules fall under a tiered penalty system in Florida Statute 379.4015, with consequences that scale by severity and prior offenses:5Florida Senate. Florida Code 379.4015 – Nonnative and Captive Wildlife Penalties
- Level One is a noncriminal infraction with a $50 civil penalty for a first offense, or $250 with a prior. Any required permit fee gets added on top, and a court can impose up to $500. Ignoring the citation and failing to pay within 30 days upgrades the offense to a second-degree misdemeanor.
- Level Two starts as a second-degree misdemeanor on a first offense with no priors in the past three years. Repeat offenses in shorter windows escalate to first-degree misdemeanors with mandatory minimum fines starting at $250 and climbing to $750, plus a three-year suspension of all captive wildlife licenses.
- Level Three is a first-degree misdemeanor on a first offense. A second Level Three violation within 10 years carries a mandatory $750 fine and permanent revocation of all captive wildlife permits.
- Level Four violations are classified as felonies with correspondingly heavier penalties.
Under Florida law generally, a second-degree misdemeanor can mean up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, and a first-degree misdemeanor up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The FWC will also confiscate the animal.
Check Local Ordinances Before You Buy
Florida’s state rules set the floor. Counties and municipalities can add their own restrictions on pet ownership, and some local governments restrict or ban animals the state considers legal. Call your county’s animal services or code enforcement office before you buy. Getting the state side right while violating a local ordinance can still cost you fines and the animal.