Legal Information — United States

Native squirrels are wildlife, not ordinary unregulated pets. Alabama requires wildlife-rehabilitation authority to possess most sick, injured, or orphaned native wildlife, and that authority is temporary rather than a route to permanent pet ownership.

Do not assume a found or wild-caught squirrel can be kept. For any captive-bred squirrel, verify the exact species and legal source with ADCNR before acquisition; rehabilitation and permanent placement use separate authority.

Alaska uses a “clean list” approach for animals that may be possessed as pets. Native Alaska wildlife cannot be kept as pets, and an animal not on the allowed list generally may not be imported or possessed for pet purposes.

Squirrel possession is not a general pet option. Research, education, rehabilitation, zoo, or other institutional uses require their own authorization.

Arizona regulates live wildlife through Article 4. Whether a squirrel may be possessed depends on the exact taxon and whether it is restricted, exempt, or otherwise covered by a special license.

Tree squirrels remain specifically recognized as regulated wildlife in the current live-wildlife rules. Check the exact species against the current Article 4 restricted/exempt lists before acquiring, importing, or holding it.

Arkansas provides defined personal-pet routes for some native wildlife. Up to six squirrels may be kept per household under the hand-captured native-wildlife allowance, and up to six captive-born, commercially obtained native wildlife animals may be owned subject to species and sourcing restrictions.

There are enclosure, proof-of-source, breeding, transfer, sale, and species restrictions. Captive-born animals must come through a lawful source, and larger holdings require wildlife breeder/dealer authority.

California requires permits for restricted species and limits those permits to qualified purposes. The state does not offer restricted-species permits simply to keep a wild animal as a personal pet.

The exact squirrel species matters because California distinguishes native wildlife and restricted non-native species. Exhibition, breeding, research, shelter, and similar permits have purpose-specific qualification and facility requirements.

Colorado prohibits private pet possession of regulated wildlife. Wildlife native to Colorado is generally regulated, and CPW states that regulated wildlife cannot receive a license merely for private pet possession.

Only animals specifically placed on Colorado’s domestic/unregulated lists are exempt from CPW possession licensing. Import, agriculture, health, and local rules may still apply even to an unregulated species.

Connecticut DEEP states that keeping a wild bird or mammal as a pet is illegal. Wildlife care is reserved to authorized rehabilitators when rehabilitation is needed.

Do not treat temporary rescue as ownership. Captive/exotic animal rules can involve separate statutes, but a native wild squirrel is not an ordinary pet.

Delaware generally requires authority to possess native wildlife, while its rules provide specific exceptions and documentation requirements for certain lawfully sourced animals. Non-native wild mammals can also fall under Department of Agriculture controls.

A squirrel legally sourced outside Delaware is not automatically equivalent to a wild-caught Delaware squirrel. Confirm species, source, import documentation, and any Agriculture requirements before possession.

Florida FWC lists squirrels among animals that do not require a Class III personal-pet permit.

That does not authorize taking protected wildlife from the wild or bypass acquisition, import, health, endangered-species, exhibition, sale, or local rules. Verify the exact species and lawful source.

Georgia states that most native wildlife cannot be held without permits or licenses and that wildlife licenses are not issued simply to hold native wildlife as pets.

Non-native species are evaluated under separate wild-animal rules. Rehabilitation, exhibition, education, and other professional uses use different permits.

Hawaii’s prohibited-animal list includes the family Sciuridae (squirrels), with only narrow institutional exceptions stated for certain species for government zoos or research.

Ordinary private squirrel possession or import is not an allowed route. Hawaii import rules are especially strict; do not transport a squirrel to the state without written agency clearance.

Idaho distinguishes squirrel species. Current 2026–2027 Fish and Game rules list northern flying squirrels and several ground squirrels as protected nongame wildlife that cannot be taken or possessed, while fox squirrels and Columbian ground squirrels are listed among unprotected wildlife.

Do not assume an unprotected hunting classification authorizes long-term live pet possession. Verify the exact species, legal source, import status, and intended live possession with Idaho Fish and Game before acquisition.

Illinois Wildlife Code §3.23 requires a Department permit before a person holds, possesses, or raises game mammals and provides noncommercial/commercial game-breeder permit pathways. The Code also protects gray, fox, flying, red, and Franklin’s ground squirrels under its wildlife provisions.

This is not permission to take a wild squirrel outside hunting/taking law. The exact squirrel, source, purpose, propagation, sale, and any rehabilitation activity must fit the applicable permit and Wildlife Code rules.

Indiana’s wild-animal possession system places fox squirrel, gray squirrel, and southern flying squirrel within Class I wildlife for which a Wild Animal Possession Permit is used.

Legal-source documentation, appropriate housing, and other permit conditions apply. A possession permit is not authority to capture a squirrel from the wild outside applicable law.

Iowa DNR’s game-breeder licensing expressly covers gray and fox squirrels as game/fur-bearing animals that may be held under the applicable captive-wildlife licensing structure.

The licensing route is not a blanket authorization to take squirrels from the wild. Confirm source, species, import, propagation, and enclosure requirements before acquisition.

Kansas K.A.R. 115-20-2 allows listed wildlife—including ground squirrels—to be taken for personal, noncommercial use under its conditions and possessed without a time limit, while squirrels treated as game wildlife fall under different rules. Kansas law otherwise makes wildlife possession unlawful unless permitted by law or regulation.

Do not generalize the ground-squirrel rule to tree squirrels or protected species. Verify the exact species, lawful source/take method, license requirements, and any threatened/endangered restrictions.

Kentucky requires a Non-Commercial Captive Wildlife Permit before possessing native Kentucky wildlife as a pet. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife states that exotic species do not use that same captive-wildlife holding permit, although other prohibited-species and import rules can apply.

Native vs. non-native status and lawful acquisition are critical. A wildlife rehabilitation permit is for care and release, not conversion of an orphan into a pet.

Louisiana law allows temporary possession of a sick, injured, or orphaned squirrel in a rescue context for a limited period and provides a special-purpose possession pathway in qualifying non-releasable cases.

This is not a broad pet-squirrel allowance. Long-term rescue possession requires statutory conditions, training/permit requirements, and a qualifying veterinary determination; commercial exploitation is restricted.

Maine generally requires a permit to import or possess wildlife unless the animal is on an unregulated list or another specific exception applies.

The exact squirrel species and source determine the permit path. Rehabilitation, import, exhibition, and long-term captivity are separate legal questions.

Maryland’s live mammalian-wildlife rules regulate harboring and movement of species that do not fall within listed exceptions; squirrels are not among the ordinary pet exceptions in the cited rule.

Import, release, rehabilitation, and other captive uses can require separate authorization. Confirm the exact species and purpose with Maryland DNR before acquiring a live squirrel.

Massachusetts specifically lists the southern flying squirrel among wildlife that may be kept under its wildlife-as-pets framework. Species not listed as exempt/allowed generally cannot be kept merely as pets.

A legally allowable captive species does not authorize taking a wild animal. Native wildlife, rehabilitation, importation, and protected-species rules remain separate.

Michigan uses a Permit to Hold Game in Captivity for covered game species, with captive-source and species-specific requirements.

Do not take a squirrel from the wild for a pet. Confirm whether the exact squirrel is a covered game animal, whether an import permit is needed, and what source records must be retained.

Minnesota DNR states that wild animals may not be captured from the wild as pets and that DNR does not issue permits to possess wild animals as pets. It also notes that a legally captive-bred native animal may sometimes be purchased and possessed, with proof of source.

Keep receipts/source records and check local ordinances. Species protection, import, rehabilitation, and disease rules can still make a captive-bred animal unlawful.

Mississippi uses different rules for personal possession of regulated wild animals and for nongame wildlife. The legal route depends on species classification and how the animal was acquired.

Do not rely on a general “squirrel” label. Check whether the exact species falls under personal-possession permitting, a nongame personal-use provision, or another wildlife category, and verify import/source requirements.

Missouri’s Wildlife Hobby Permit can authorize limited possession of eligible game mammals acquired from a Missouri wildlife breeder permit holder. Fox and gray squirrels are game mammals.

The hobby permit is limited in number and does not authorize propagation or sale. Proof of lawful acquisition is required, and import/transfer rules still apply.

Montana currently classifies exotic wildlife as noncontrolled, controlled, or prohibited. FWP states noncontrolled exotics may be possessed or sold as pets without an FWP permit, controlled species need written authorization, and prohibited species generally cannot be possessed. Native squirrels remain wildlife under separate Montana law.

Because squirrel legality can change with native/non-native status and exact scientific name, confirm the animal with Montana FWP before purchase or import. A rule allowing take of nongame squirrels is not by itself a live-pet authorization.

Nebraska’s Captive Wildlife Permit list expressly includes flying, fox, and gray squirrels.

Captive wildlife must come from a lawful source; the permit is not permission to take a squirrel from the wild. Import, health, propagation, and release rules may add conditions.

Nevada law generally prohibits possession of live wildlife unless authorized by license or an applicable regulatory exception.

The exact species and purpose determine which noncommercial/commercial license or exemption applies. Importation, prohibited wildlife, and health rules must also be checked.

New Hampshire’s April 21, 2026 Fis 800 rules list gray, northern flying, red, and southern flying squirrels as controlled species for permittee category 5, which the same rules define as an exhibitor.

That is not an ordinary individual pet permit. Unlisted wildlife is generally prohibited unless a waiver is available, and rehabilitation uses a separate permit system.

New Jersey uses separate captive-game and exotic/nongame permit systems. Eastern gray squirrel is a game species, so captive game rules apply; regulated nongame/exotic animals may require an Individual Hobby Permit.

Game animals must be from documented captive stock, not taken from the wild. Prairie dogs and ground squirrels are listed as potentially dangerous and cannot be kept merely as ordinary hobby pets under that category. Ask NJ Fish & Wildlife about the exact squirrel species before acquisition.

New Mexico regulates possession and importation of wildlife through special-use permits, including protected-mammal and nongame/exotic import pathways.

The exact squirrel, source, and whether it is being imported determine the permit requirement. Do not acquire a live squirrel until NMDGF confirms the correct permit category.

New York defines black, gray, and fox squirrels as small game/protected wildlife. DEC’s current propagation license can authorize possession of captive-bred or permanently disabled native wildlife for propagation and other authorized purposes, but DEC expressly says that license does not authorize possession of regulated species as pets.

Do not treat a hunting take, orphan rescue, or propagation license as a general pet entitlement. The exact species, source, purpose, and any local rule must fit New York Fish and Wildlife Law and the license conditions.

North Carolina’s captivity rules state that native wild animals require a captivity license and that a Captivity License for Holding is for education, exhibition, or scientific purposes—not for keeping wild animals as pets.

Rehabilitation is a separate short-term care-and-release license. Captive possession must be lawfully sourced and can require additional federal or endangered-species authority.

North Dakota’s 2026–2027 proclamation states that the hunting proclamation itself provides no authority for possession of live small game, and that no person may possess or sell live wildlife without a Department permit.

Tree-squirrel hunting seasons and carcass possession limits are not pet authority. Obtain Department approval before keeping any live squirrel.

Ohio law requires a license for persons who wish to hold covered game quadrupeds and other wildlife in captivity, with noncommercial propagating authority used for personal holdings under the statute.

Species, lawful source, import, propagation, and enclosure rules apply. A hunting license or lawful harvest does not by itself authorize keeping a live squirrel as a pet.

Oklahoma regulates squirrels as wildlife and states that keeping wildlife as pets is strictly controlled by state and federal law. ODWC provides noncommercial/commercial breeder and other captive-wildlife applications rather than a blanket unlicensed pet rule.

A hunting license and squirrel season authorize lawful take under hunting rules, not indefinite live-pet possession. Confirm the precise captive/breeder authority and lawful source with ODWC before keeping a live squirrel.

Oregon’s wildlife-holding rules permit holding only specified nongame wildlife. The current list includes California ground squirrel, Belding’s ground squirrel, and Douglas’s squirrel; a Wildlife Holding Permit is required once the household/facility reaches the rule’s permit threshold.

Other squirrels may be protected, game mammals, prohibited non-native species, or otherwise controlled. Northern flying squirrels and other protected species are not interchangeable with the allowed holding list. Verify the exact species before capture or acquisition.

Pennsylvania Game Commission states that it is illegal to take or possess wildlife from the wild, including young wildlife, and only licensed rehabilitators may care for injured/orphaned wildlife for eventual release.

Specialized menagerie, propagation, import, rehabilitation, or other wildlife permits are separate from ordinary pet ownership. Do not assume a captive-bred squirrel is legal without written PGC confirmation of the applicable permit/source requirements.

Rhode Island’s wildlife regulations identify native mammals including the eastern gray squirrel and prohibit keeping covered native wildlife as pets except under appropriate wildlife authority.

Exotic/non-native squirrels can fall under different possession/import rules. Wildlife rehabilitation and educational possession require separate permits.

South Carolina DNR states that no permits are issued for private personal possession of wildlife. Wildlife rehabilitation is a licensed activity.

Do not keep a found squirrel as a pet. Other institutional, exhibition, propagation, exotic-animal, or agriculture rules may apply to non-native/captive species.

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks states that it is illegal to keep wild animals as pets and specifically warns not to keep squirrels as pets.

Captive non-domestic animals from lawful sources may trigger other state Agriculture or wildlife rules; do not treat that as permission for a native wild squirrel.

Tennessee law places squirrels in Class III wildlife. TWRA’s possession materials state that a TWRA possession permit is not required for Class III wildlife.

No wildlife may simply be taken from the wild unless authorized. Lawful acquisition, import, sale, breeding, health/agriculture, and local rules still apply.

Texas classifies tree squirrels as game animals, while flying squirrels, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs fall under different nongame categories. Those hunting/take classifications do not create one universal live-pet rule.

Determine the exact species and lawful source before possession. Game-animal take, live transport, rehabilitation, protected-species rules, and local animal ordinances are separate issues.

Utah’s Wildlife Resources Code excludes ground squirrels from the definition of “protected wildlife,” while other squirrel species can remain protected wildlife subject to DWR rules and authority.

“Not protected wildlife” does not mean every form of capture, import, sale, or local possession is unrestricted. Tree and flying squirrels should be checked separately with Utah DWR.

Vermont law provides that a person may not import, transport, or possess a live wild bird or animal without authorization from the Commissioner or designee.

The exact species can be assigned to prohibited, controlled, or unrestricted categories under Vermont’s rules. Verify the current Rule 18 classification and any import conditions before acquiring a squirrel.

Virginia law makes it unlawful to possess, transport, import, or otherwise handle wild animals except as specifically permitted by law and within the authorized manner and numbers.

A squirrel that may be lawfully hunted is not automatically a legal live pet. Rehabilitation, propagation, exhibition, scientific use, and any lawful captive-source route require the applicable authority.

Washington prohibits taking live wildlife from the wild without a permit, but its captivity rule allows possession of live wildlife that was lawfully acquired, subject to species-specific prohibitions and documentation requirements.

Keep proof identifying species, origin, source, transfer, age/sex, and acquisition. Import health certificates, prohibited-species rules, commercial-use limits, and local ordinances can still apply.

West Virginia law makes it unlawful to take, obtain, purchase, possess, or maintain live wildlife in captivity except as provided by the wildlife code or rules.

A live squirrel therefore needs a specific lawful basis, not merely a hunting possession rule. Check propagation, rehabilitation, import, exhibition, and other DNR rules for the intended use.

Wisconsin regulates possession of captive wild animals and says raising a wild animal as a pet is unlawful. Legal captive wildlife can require a captive wild animal farm or other appropriate license and lawful source documentation.

Taking a live squirrel from the wild for a pet is not allowed. Import, disease, rehabilitation, and local rules can add requirements even when a captive-source route exists.

Wyoming Game and Fish states that whether a wild animal may be kept depends on the species and directs possession/import questions to Chapter 10 rules. Applications for covered live wildlife are reviewed under that framework.

Do not purchase or bring a squirrel into Wyoming until the exact species is checked against Chapter 10 and any import/health rules. Rehabilitation is a separate purpose from private possession.