PA Rattlesnake Permit: Season, Size Limits, and Reporting

A Pennsylvania rattlesnake permit, formally the venomous snake permit issued by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, costs $30 for residents and $60 for non-residents, requires a valid Pennsylvania fishing license, and is mandatory before you hunt, catch, kill, or possess a Timber Rattlesnake or Eastern Copperhead anywhere in the state.¹ Timber Rattlesnake season runs from the second Saturday in June through July 31, with strict size and tagging rules and a post-season report every permit holder must file.

What the Permit Covers

The permit covers Pennsylvania’s two native venomous snakes: the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and the Eastern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).¹ Possessing either species, whole or in parts, without a permit is illegal. The requirement applies whether you are hunting on state forest land or keeping a snake found on private property.

Fishing License Prerequisite

You must hold a valid Pennsylvania fishing license before the Commission will issue the snake permit.² A resident fishing license costs $22.97 and is required for anyone 16 or older.³ Applicants 16 and under do not need a fishing license to buy the snake permit.⁴ If you don’t already have a fishing license, you can buy both at the same time.

How to Buy the Permit

The fee is $30 per year for residents and $60 per year for non-residents, and a possession tag is included in that price.¹⁴

Buy online by logging into the HuntFishPA portal, adding the venomous snake permit from the license catalog, and paying. The permit is active immediately. You can also visit any fishing license issuing agent in person with your customer ID, and the agent will print the permit on the spot.

Season Dates

Timber Rattlesnake season opens on the second Saturday in June and closes July 31 each year, a window of about seven weeks.⁵ August 10 is the reference date for the post-season report if you didn’t catch anything.⁶

Size Limits and Bag Limit

The annual limit is one snake per permit holder, per species.⁶ For a Timber Rattlesnake to be legal to keep, it must be at least 42 inches long, measured along the back from snout to tail and not counting the rattle, and it must have 21 or more subcaudal scales.⁵ Snakes that fail either test must be released. The Eastern Copperhead is not subject to the same length and scale requirements.

Tagging a Rattlesnake in the Field

As soon as you catch or kill a Timber Rattlesnake, fill out the possession tag attached to your permit and detach it in the field, not later.¹ The tag records:

Municipality and county where the snake was taken
Date of capture or kill
Snake description: color phase, sex, number of subcaudal scales, and length in inches

Keep the completed tag with the snake. A wildlife officer can ask to see the tag alongside the snake at any time, and if you send the rattlesnake to a taxidermist the tag must stay with it while it is in the taxidermist’s possession.⁷ Once you detach the tag, you are done for the year. Taking another Timber Rattlesnake before you hold a new permit is illegal.¹

Mandatory Harvest Report

Every permit holder must file a harvest report with the Fish and Boat Commission, even if you never caught a snake. Skipping it can affect your eligibility for future permits.¹ The deadline depends on what happened:

If you caught or killed a snake, file within 10 business days of the capture or kill.
If you didn’t catch anything, file within 10 days after the season ends (August 10).⁶

Submit the report through HuntFishPA, by phone at 1-800-838-4431, or by mailing the paper form to the Natural Diversity Section in Bellefonte.⁸

1
Legal Information Institute. 58 Pa Code 79.6 – Venomous Snake Permits
2
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Apply for a Venomous Snake Permit
3
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Buy a Fishing License/Permit
4
Pennsylvania HuntFish. Purchase a Venomous Snake Permit
5
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Timber Rattlesnake Management
6
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Amphibians and Reptiles FAQs – Section: Venomous Snake Permits
7
Pennsylvania Code. 58 Pa Code 79.6 – Venomous Snake Permits
8
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Venomous Snake Permit Harvest Report