Can You Own a Raccoon in New Hampshire? Permits and Penalties

You generally cannot own a raccoon as a pet in New Hampshire. Raccoons are a controlled species under the state’s wildlife rules, and the possession permit is only available to a narrow permittee category that does not include private individuals.¹

Why Private Ownership Is Off the Table

New Hampshire sorts wildlife into three categories: non-controlled (no permit needed), controlled (permit required, and only for specified permittee categories), and prohibited (not allowed at all). Any species that isn’t explicitly placed in one of the first two defaults to prohibited.²

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) sit in the controlled column, but Table 800.2 lists them only under permittee category 5. Category 1, which covers ordinary individuals, is not listed. There is no pet-owner pathway in the rule.¹

The stricter treatment reflects public-health risk. New Hampshire Fish and Game classifies raccoons as a rabies vector species along with woodchucks, foxes, skunks, and bats. Even licensed rehabilitators handling raccoons must sign a liability statement covering themselves and any assistants who come into contact with the animal.³

Who Can Legally Keep a Raccoon

Because raccoons are limited to permittee category 5, legal possession is generally confined to entities such as exhibitors, educational facilities, and similar qualified operations. The executive director of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department reviews each application individually and must deny any permit where the animal would present a significant disease, genetic, ecological, environmental, health, safety, or welfare risk to the public or to other wildlife. No one may take possession of a raccoon before the permit is actually issued.²

Licensed wildlife rehabilitators work under a separate track in Fis 812 that permits temporary care of injured or orphaned raccoons. That authority does not let a rehabber (or anyone else) convert a rescued raccoon into a permanent pet.³

Penalties for Keeping a Raccoon Without a Permit

Possessing wildlife contrary to the rules is a violation under RSA 207:14, charged per animal held illegally. A violation is the lowest-level offense in New Hampshire but still carries a fine.⁴

A court can also order restitution to the state. Under RSA 207:55 the restitution value for a raccoon is $20 per animal. Failing to pay can lead to a contempt finding, and until the assessment is cleared the person cannot buy any Fish and Game license. The dollar figure is modest; losing hunting and fishing privileges tends to be the harder consequence.⁵

If You Qualify Under Category 5

For an exhibitor, educational facility, or other qualifying operation, the Permit to Possess Wildlife application has to reach the Department at least 30 days before the intended date of possession, with a $25 fee for each new application or renewal. Applications go to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301.⁶

A health certificate meeting USDA standards under 9 CFR 2.78 or New Hampshire Department of Agriculture standards is required.² The standard USDA Form 7001 is completed by a licensed veterinarian and is valid for 30 days after issuance. It documents identification, age, sex, rabies vaccination status, and other vaccinations or treatments, and the veterinarian certifies that the animal appears free of infectious or contagious disease and has not been exposed to rabies.⁷

The animal must be confined at all times in an enclosure that prevents escape, keeps other animals out, protects against the weather, blocks direct contact with the public, and allows adequate movement. Signs of malnutrition, poor condition, stress, or abnormal behavior can indicate that the enclosure is too small. Raccoons climb and manipulate latches, so a standard dog kennel will not meet the standard.⁸

A permit is tied to the specific facility described in the application and cannot be transferred. Moving the animal to a new location requires a new permit. Every permit expires December 31 of the year it was issued unless revoked sooner.² Renewal requires a census of the wildlife on hand and a signed compliance statement made under RSA 641:3 penalties for unsworn false statements.⁶

Federal License for Breeders and Exhibitors

If the plan is to breed, sell, or publicly exhibit raccoons, a federal license under the Animal Welfare Act may also be required. USDA regulates businesses that buy, sell, exhibit, or transport warm-blooded animals that are not raised for food or fiber. A three-year license costs $120 and is authorized in increments of five animals; increasing your animal count above the authorized number requires a new license before the current one expires.⁹ The USDA license is in addition to, not a substitute for, the New Hampshire state permit.

1
Legal Information Institute. New Hampshire Code Fis 804.05 – Controlled Species – Possession
2
Legal Information Institute. New Hampshire Code Fis 804.04 – Permits to Possess Wildlife
3
Legal Information Institute. New Hampshire Code Fis 812.01 – Wildlife Rehabilitation Permits
4
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Revised Statutes Section 207-14 – Import, Possession, and Release of Wildlife
5
New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Revised Statutes Section 207-55 – Restitution for Fish, Game, Furbearing Animals, and Marine Species
6
Legal Information Institute. New Hampshire Code Fis 804.18 – Permit to Possess Wildlife Forms
7
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). United States Interstate and International Certificate of Health Examination for Small Animals
8
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. New Hampshire Administrative Rules Fis 800 – The Importation, Possession, and Use of All Wildlife
9
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Licensing and Registration Under the Animal Welfare Act