Yes, it is legal to kill squirrels in Florida, but only gray squirrels, and only under specific rules. Gray squirrels can be hunted year-round with a valid hunting license, and property owners can remove them as nuisance wildlife without a license. Every fox squirrel in the state is fully protected, and intentionally killing one is a third-degree felony.1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Fox Squirrel
Hunting Gray Squirrels Year-Round
Florida has no closed season on gray squirrels on private land. You can hunt them with rifles, shotguns, pistols, muzzleloaders, air guns, bows, or crossbows.2eRegulations. Florida 2025-2026 Hunting Regulations The daily bag limit is 12 per hunter, with a possession limit of 24.3Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 68A-13.004 – Hunting Regulations for Non-Migratory Game
Some methods are off the table entirely. Traps, snares, nets, poisons, artificial lights, set guns, and recorded animal calls are all prohibited for taking game mammals.4Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Taking Game Fully automatic firearms are not allowed, and semi-automatic rifles must be limited to a five-round magazine capacity.5Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 68A-12.002 – General Methods of Taking Game and Crows
Hunting on a Wildlife Management Area requires a management area permit on top of your license, though most WMAs do not require a quota permit for small game.6Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida Gray Squirrel and Rabbit Hunting
Hunting License Costs and Rules
A valid Florida hunting license is required before you take any gray squirrel. An annual resident license costs $17, a five-year resident license runs $79, and a combined hunting and freshwater fishing license is $32.50. Residents 64 or older can buy a Silver Sportsman’s license for $13.50, and active-duty military residents pay $20 for a Gold Sportsman’s license covering hunting, fishing, and most other permits.7Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Recreational Hunting Licenses and Permits
Children under 16 can hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed adult without their own license.8Florida Legislature. Florida Code 379.354 – Recreational Licenses, Permits, and Authorization Numbers Carry your license while hunting. If you cannot produce one when an FWC officer asks, the civil penalty for a first offense is $50 plus the license cost, and $250 plus the license cost for a repeat violation within 36 months.9Florida Senate. Florida Code 379.401 – Penalties and Violations
Why Killing a Fox Squirrel Is a Felony
Every fox squirrel in Florida is protected from hunting, regardless of subspecies.1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Fox Squirrel The Big Cypress fox squirrel is listed as a state-designated threatened species, and the Sherman’s fox squirrel, found in the open pine woods of central and northeast Florida, carries a species of special concern designation.10Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 68A-27.003 – Florida Endangered and Threatened Species
Intentionally killing any species designated as endangered, threatened, or of special concern violates Florida Statute 379.411 as a Level Four violation, which is a third-degree felony.11Florida Legislature. Florida Code 379.401 – Penalties and Violations Conviction carries fines up to $5,000 and up to five years in prison.12Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines
Fox squirrels are noticeably larger than gray squirrels, with a heavier build and a broader head. Color varies from tan and black to silver-gray depending on subspecies. Mistaking a fox squirrel for a gray squirrel will not reduce the charge. If you are not certain which species you are looking at, do not shoot.
Removing Nuisance Squirrels on Your Own Property
If a gray squirrel is damaging your home, you do not need a hunting license and you do not need to wait for any season. FWC Rule 68A-9.010 allows property owners to take nuisance wildlife on their own land, or to authorize someone else to do it on their behalf.13Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 68A-9.010 – Taking Nuisance Wildlife
The exception carries real weight: species listed under the state’s endangered and threatened species rules cannot be taken as nuisance wildlife. That includes all fox squirrels. If a protected fox squirrel is inside your soffit, contact the FWC for a specific permit rather than handling it yourself. The FWC also recommends treating lethal removal as a last resort and using non-lethal solutions first. Any native animal that is killed must be euthanized according to AVMA guidelines for humane euthanasia.14Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Removing Nuisance Wildlife
Legal and Illegal Removal Methods
Under 68A-9.010, these methods are prohibited when taking nuisance wildlife:
- Poison, other than pesticides registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and used strictly per label instructions.
- Steel traps.
- Using artificial light at night to spot and shoot wildlife.
- Live traps or snares that are not checked at least once every 24 hours.
The 24-hour trap-check rule is the one most people overlook. Setting a live trap Friday evening and checking it Sunday morning is a violation, even if the underlying removal was otherwise legal.
Relocating or Euthanizing a Trapped Squirrel
Once you have a gray squirrel in a live trap, you can euthanize it humanely or relocate it. Florida allows relocation of native nuisance wildlife under specific conditions:
- The release site must be within the same county where the animal was captured.
- The release property must be at least 40 contiguous acres.
- You must have written permission from the owner of the release site.
- The relocation cannot violate any active rabies alert or area quarantine.
Releasing a squirrel in a park or on someone else’s property without written permission is a violation regardless of intent. If you cannot meet the relocation conditions, humane euthanasia is the remaining legal option.
Local Firearms Ordinances Still Apply
State wildlife rules that authorize you to shoot a gray squirrel do not override local weapons ordinances. Many Florida cities and counties prohibit discharging firearms and air guns within residential zones. Shooting a squirrel in a suburban backyard with a pellet gun can result in a municipal citation from local police even though FWC would not object to the underlying take.
Check your city or county code of ordinances before attempting lethal removal with a firearm or air gun. For most residents in populated areas, trapping under the nuisance wildlife rule is the only realistic path to legal compliance.
If You Accidentally Kill a Protected Squirrel
Report the incident to the FWC as soon as possible if you accidentally kill a fox squirrel or another protected species. Prompt reporting does not guarantee immunity, but it can factor into how the agency handles the case. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also takes reports through its online tip form, though its jurisdiction primarily covers federally listed species.16U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife Crime Tips Include the exact location, a description of what happened, and the species involved.
Federal law under 18 U.S.C. ยง 48 explicitly exempts lawful hunting, trapping, and pest control from criminal animal cruelty charges, so a good-faith accident during a legal gray squirrel hunt is treated very differently from deliberately targeting a protected animal.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 48 – Animal Crushing