You can keep a pet raccoon in South Carolina, but only with a permit from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. State law classifies raccoons as furbearers under S.C. Code § 50-16-20, making it illegal to import, possess, or transport one without SCDNR authorization.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 50 Chapter 16 – Importation of Wildlife A permit is only part of the picture. Local ordinances can ban the animal outright, rabies rules can force euthanasia after a single bite, and insurance may not cover you if something goes wrong.
How to Get an SCDNR Permit
Permits come from the SCDNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. Under the statute, the department will only issue one after whatever investigations and inspections it considers necessary, and two conditions have to be met: the animal was obtained lawfully in its jurisdiction of origin, and possession is not expected to harm the state’s natural resources or wildlife populations.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 50 Chapter 16 – Importation of Wildlife
In practice, that means your raccoon needs to come from a captive-bred source in a state where breeding is authorized, with paperwork to prove it. Taking an orphaned kit out of your backyard is not legal, no matter the circumstances. When you apply, expect to provide:
- Your identifying information and the physical address where the raccoon will be housed.
- The breeder or seller’s name, address, and license information.
- A bill of sale or equivalent document showing the animal was captive-bred and lawfully obtained.
SCDNR has broad discretion to verify the animal’s origin and may inspect the proposed housing. Keep every document for the life of the animal, because the department retains inspection authority after the permit is issued.
Penalties for Keeping a Raccoon Without a Permit
Possessing a raccoon without authorization, or violating any condition of a permit, is a misdemeanor. A conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both, and SCDNR must suspend your hunting privileges for one year from the date of conviction.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 50 Chapter 16 – Importation of Wildlife
The state can also confiscate and sell any vehicle, trailer, or other means of conveyance used to import, possess, or transport the animal. Each raccoon counts as a separate offense, so someone keeping two without permits faces two independent misdemeanor charges.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 50 Chapter 16 – Importation of Wildlife
Local Ordinances Can Ban Raccoons Entirely
A state permit does not override a local ban. Beaufort County, for example, prohibits the importation of raccoons and other exotic animals that could carry zoonotic diseases. Other South Carolina municipalities have similar restrictions. Before you apply to SCDNR or pay a breeder, call your county code enforcement or local animal control and confirm there is no local prohibition.
Rabies Rules Make a Single Bite a Serious Problem
Raccoons are one of the primary rabies vector species in the United States, and no parenteral rabies vaccine is licensed for use in raccoons or other wild animals.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information for Veterinarians A veterinarian can vaccinate your raccoon off-label, but the vaccination has no legal standing.
That matters the moment a bite or scratch breaks someone’s skin. The CDC recommends that wild mammals that bite or otherwise expose people should be considered for euthanasia and rabies testing.3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control There is no approved ten-day quarantine for raccoons the way there is for dogs and cats. Reliable rabies testing requires brain tissue, which requires euthanasia, and prior vaccination does not change that because the vaccine is not licensed for the species.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information for Veterinarians
A single nip during play could end with the local health department ordering your raccoon put down. Anyone with children in the house, or frequent visitors, should think hard about that before bringing one home.
Raccoon Roundworm and Everyday Hygiene
Raccoons commonly carry Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm whose eggs are shed in feces. The eggs become infectious after roughly two weeks in the environment and can survive in soil for years. Human infection is uncommon but can range from mild intestinal symptoms to severe or fatal neurological disease, with young children at highest risk because they are most likely to put contaminated material in their mouths.
Keeping a raccoon indoors means managing fecal contamination every day. Raccoons do not litter-train the way cats do. Clean latrine areas daily, handle droppings with gloves, and treat contaminated bedding, flooring, or outdoor soil as a biohazard. Normal household disinfectants do not reliably kill Baylisascaris eggs.
Liability and Homeowners Insurance
South Carolina applies strict liability to owners of wild animals kept as pets. If your raccoon injures someone, you are responsible for damages regardless of how careful you were or whether the animal had ever shown aggression before. “I had no reason to think it would bite” is not a defense when the law considers the species inherently dangerous.
Standard homeowners policies frequently exclude exotic animals from liability coverage. Some insurers will add an endorsement for an additional premium; others will decline the risk or cancel your policy when they learn about the raccoon. Call your insurer before you acquire the animal. Without coverage, you could be personally on the hook for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages after an incident. An umbrella policy may help, but availability varies.
Housing, Vet Care, and the Adult Animal
Raccoons are strong, intelligent, and relentless escape artists. Adults can open simple latches, tear through chicken wire, and dig under fencing. Outdoor enclosures need heavy-gauge welded wire on every side including the top, buried barriers extending at least twelve inches below grade, and latches that require two distinct motions to open. Indoors, raccoons investigate by pulling things apart; most experienced owners dedicate a raccoon-proofed room with secured outlets, no exposed wiring, washable surfaces, climbing structures, and water for wading.
Most small-animal veterinarians will not treat a raccoon. You need an exotic animal vet, and they are not evenly distributed around the state. Confirm one will accept the animal before you acquire it, and expect higher costs than conventional pet care. Spaying or neutering is strongly recommended, since intact raccoons become increasingly aggressive during breeding season from late winter through early spring.
Raccoons live twelve to fifteen years in captivity and go through a sharp personality shift around sexual maturity, usually between six months and one year of age. The friendly kit grows into a thirty-pound animal that bites when frustrated and treats furniture as entertainment. Rehoming an adult is extremely difficult, and releasing one into the wild is illegal.
Moving Out of State With the Animal
Interstate transport adds federal rules on top of South Carolina’s. Under the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. § 42), moving certain wildlife across state lines requires authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and you must show that both the origin state and the destination state authorize possession. If transport is authorized, the animal must be kept in double escape-proof enclosures throughout the trip.4U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Import/Acquisition/Transport of Injurious Wildlife Under the Lacey Act
Many states ban pet raccoons outright. Moving to one of them means rehoming the animal in South Carolina before you leave or facing criminal liability on arrival. Even states that allow raccoons may use entirely different permit structures, quarantine requirements, or veterinary certification rules, so start the paperwork well before any move.