Florida alligator laws are set by the state and enforced primarily by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). In broad terms: hunting an alligator requires a harvest permit and trapping license, keeping one alive requires state authorization, feeding or harassing wild alligators is illegal, and only state-contracted trappers may remove nuisance animals. Violations start as civil infractions and can climb into criminal and federal territory.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes § 379.3313
Hunting and Harvesting Rules
To legally take an alligator, you need both a harvest permit and a trapping license. The statewide alligator harvest season typically runs from mid-August into early November, and your permit is valid only for the specific management unit and harvest period printed on it.2Cornell Law School. Florida Administrative Code Rule 68A-25.042
Tagging is strict. A harvest tag has to be attached to the alligator immediately after it is killed and must remain on the carcass until processing is complete. On top of that, hunters have to submit an alligator harvest report form within 24 hours of taking the animal.2Cornell Law School. Florida Administrative Code Rule 68A-25.042
Firearms are generally off the table. The one firearm-adjacent exception is a bang stick, which may be used only after the alligator is already secured on a restraining line. Otherwise, legal methods are hand-held snares, harpoons, gigs, and crossbows or bows that fire tethered projectiles.2Cornell Law School. Florida Administrative Code Rule 68A-25.042
Possessing a Live Alligator or Alligator Parts
Keeping a live alligator requires specific state authorization. Florida also sets safety standards for how the animal must be housed. Outdoor fencing, for example, has to be at least five feet high and built from heavy-gauge chain link or an equivalent sturdy material to prevent escapes.3Cornell Law School. Florida Administrative Code Rule 68A-6.011
Parts are regulated too. Anyone taking or possessing a wild alligator hide must follow tagging requirements that prove the animal was legally obtained.4Florida Senate. Florida Statutes § 379.364 If you buy or sell alligator hides as a business, you need a state dealer license.5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes § 379.3752
Feeding and Harassing Wild Alligators
It is illegal to intentionally feed a wild alligator or to lure one with food. Fed alligators lose their natural wariness of people and start approaching humans, which is how most dangerous encounters begin. The only carve-out is for alligators held in captivity under a valid permit or otherwise allowed by state rule.6Cornell Law School. Florida Administrative Code Rule 68A-25.001
Harassing or otherwise interfering with wild alligators is also prohibited. That covers provoking the animal or doing anything that alters its natural behavior.
What to Do About a Nuisance Alligator
An alligator that threatens people, pets, or property can be designated a nuisance animal, but you cannot deal with it yourself. Only trappers under contract with the state through the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) are authorized to capture or kill one. Trying to trap, kill, or relocate the animal on your own, without the required permit, is a violation.7Cornell Law School. Florida Administrative Code Rule 68A-25.003
Report the animal to the FWC and let a contracted trapper respond. Most nuisance alligators that are removed are either euthanized or sold to alligator farms rather than relocated, because relocated animals tend to return to their capture site or create problems elsewhere.
Penalties for Breaking the Rules
Florida uses a graduated system for the illegal feeding or attracting of alligators. A first offense is generally a non-criminal infraction with a civil penalty. Repeat offenses can escalate into criminal charges and higher fines.8Florida Senate. Florida Statutes § 379.412
Larger operations face federal exposure. Under the Lacey Act, it is a federal crime to transport or sell wildlife in interstate commerce if the animal was taken or possessed in violation of state law. That reaches unlicensed sales of alligator products and illegal breeding or trafficking operations.9GovInfo. 16 U.S.C. § 3372 – Section: Prohibited acts