Owning a raccoon in Arizona is illegal if your purpose is keeping one as a pet. The state classifies raccoons as restricted live wildlife, and no personal pet permit exists for them. The only people who can lawfully possess a raccoon are holders of narrow professional licenses issued by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, covering activities like wildlife rehabilitation, accredited zoos, and scientific research.
Why the Law Treats Raccoons This Way
Arizona Administrative Code R12-4-406 puts every species in the order Carnivora, raccoons included, in the “restricted live wildlife” category.1Legal Information Institute. Arizona Administrative Code R12-4-406 – Restricted Live Wildlife A.R.S. 17-306 then makes it unlawful to possess live wildlife without authorization from the Game and Fish Commission.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 17 Game and Fish 17-306
The restricted designation reflects real public health concerns. The CDC identifies raccoons as a rabies reservoir species, and Arizona’s rabies protocol requires that any wild raccoon involved in a bite be euthanized and tested, because no reliable quarantine period exists for wild animals.3Arizona Department of Health Services. Animal Rabies Protocol Raccoons can also carry raccoon roundworm and leptospirosis, and they grow more aggressive as they mature.
The Narrow Exceptions
Possessing restricted wildlife lawfully requires any applicable federal permits plus a special license issued through Game and Fish.1Legal Information Institute. Arizona Administrative Code R12-4-406 – Restricted Live Wildlife The categories that actually touch raccoons are the zoo license (R12-4-420) for accredited public display, the wildlife rehabilitation license (R12-4-423) for temporary care aimed at release, the scientific activity license (R12-4-418) for approved research, and the wildlife holding license (R12-4-417) for other authorized holding situations. All of these sit under R12-4-409, the general provisions for special licenses covering restricted species.4Legal Information Institute. Arizona Administrative Code R12-4-409 – General Provisions and Penalties
None of them are a route to keeping a raccoon as a household pet. The rehabilitation license, the only one tied to raccoons individually, authorizes temporary possession for release back to the wild, and getting it requires passing a written exam, documented hands-on experience or a veterinary license, and inspectable housing facilities.5Legal Information Institute. Arizona Administrative Code R12-4-423 – Wildlife Rehabilitation License
Penalties If You Keep One Anyway
Illegal possession of a raccoon is a Class 2 misdemeanor under A.R.S. 17-309.6Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 17-309 – Violations Classification A conviction can bring:
- A fine of up to $750, set by the court under A.R.S. 13-802.7Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 13-802 – Fines for Misdemeanors
- Up to four months in jail.
- Seizure of the raccoon. Game rangers have statutory authority to take wildlife possessed unlawfully.8Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 17-211 – Director Selection Removal Powers and Duties Employees
The money spent acquiring the animal, often hundreds or thousands of dollars from an out-of-state breeder, is not recoverable. The state has no obligation to return a seized animal or reimburse the owner, and the misdemeanor conviction stays on your record.
Bringing One in From Another State
Buying a raccoon where ownership is legal and driving it home to Arizona triggers the federal Lacey Act, which makes it a crime to transport wildlife across state lines when the transport violates the law of either state. A knowing violation can carry fines up to $20,000 and up to five years in federal prison; a should-have-known violation carries up to $10,000 and one year.9Animal Legal and Historical Center. Lacey Act – Chapter 53 Control of Illegally Taken Fish and Wildlife Arizona also treats unauthorized importation of restricted wildlife as a more serious matter than simple possession under A.R.S. 17-306.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 17 Game and Fish 17-306 The combined state and federal exposure is substantially larger than most prospective owners expect.
Insurance Won’t Save You
Standard homeowners policies frequently exclude exotic or wild animals, so a raccoon bite, scratch, or property damage incident may not be covered. If your raccoon injures a neighbor, you face personal liability without an insurance backstop. Specialty exotic pet liability policies exist, but they’re built around animals you can legally own, and an insurer is unlikely to cover one you’re keeping in violation of state law.
If You Find a Raccoon That Needs Help
Do not touch, capture, or feed a sick, injured, or orphaned raccoon. Arizona’s rabies protocol requires euthanasia and testing for any wild animal involved in a human bite, so even a well-meaning encounter that ends in a scratch has serious consequences for both of you.3Arizona Department of Health Services. Animal Rabies Protocol Capturing or feeding a wild raccoon falls under the same possession laws that prohibit keeping one.
Call the Arizona Game and Fish Department, or contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area. Rehabilitators licensed under R12-4-423 have the training, facilities, and legal authority to take the animal.5Legal Information Institute. Arizona Administrative Code R12-4-423 – Wildlife Rehabilitation License The department maintains a regional list of licensed rehabilitators and can walk you through next steps when you call.