Under California roadkill law, you can take home and eat a deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, or wild pig killed by a vehicle, but only after pulling a free wildlife salvage permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). No other species qualify, the animal must already be dead from the collision, and the permit has to be filled out through CDFW’s online portal at or near the scene.
Which Animals You Can Legally Salvage
Fish and Game Code Section 2000.6, created by SB 395 in 2019 and extended through January 1, 2034 by SB 1163, limits the salvage program to four species: deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, and wild pig.1LegiScan. California 2023 SB1163 Amended The program is still classified as a pilot, so it could be modified or allowed to lapse before that date.
You do not have to be the driver who hit the animal. Subdivision (c) of Section 2000.6 extends the right to collect to anyone who comes across a carcass that was struck by a vehicle. What the statute does not permit is killing or finishing off an animal that is still alive. If the animal survived the impact, CDFW handles the situation; only animals already dead are eligible.2California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 2000.6
Salvage is for personal consumption. The law grants no right to sell, trade, or commercially distribute the meat, and commercial meat sales carry separate state and federal inspection requirements that roadkill cannot meet.
How to Get a Wildlife Salvage Permit
CDFW runs an online portal, built to work from a cell phone, where you apply for and receive the permit at no cost.2California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 2000.6 It’s meant to be quick enough to finish at the scene or shortly after.
The application collects, at minimum:1LegiScan. California 2023 SB1163 Amended
- Where you found the animal
- The species and a basic description
- The date and time of salvage
- Basic details about the collision and vehicle, if applicable
- Where you plan to transport the carcass
The Fish and Game Commission has authority to limit the program to certain counties or roadways and to set additional rules to prevent poaching. Check the current CDFW page before you rely on the program in your area.
Species You Cannot Collect
Everything outside those four species is off limits, and for some animals the penalties are severe.
The federal Endangered Species Act makes it illegal to possess any listed threatened or endangered species, even one already dead. Civil penalties reach $25,000 per knowing violation, and criminal penalties can hit $50,000 and a year in prison.3U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Endangered Species Act Section 11 Penalties and Enforcement California has dozens of listed species, from San Joaquin kit foxes to California condors.
Eagles carry their own statute. Under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, possessing any eagle or eagle part, including feathers, carries fines up to $5,000 and up to a year in prison on a first offense, doubling on subsequent convictions.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 U.S. Code 668 – Bald and Golden Eagles The Migratory Bird Treaty Act does similar work for most native migratory birds. A dead hawk or owl on the shoulder is not yours to keep. Contact CDFW or local authorities and leave the animal in place.
Penalties for Skipping the Permit
Section 2000.6 does not set its own penalty, so violations fall under the Fish and Game Code’s general provisions. Section 12002 makes a standard Fish and Game Code misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both.5California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code FGC 12002 That covers salvaging without a permit, salvaging a species not in the program, or salvaging from a restricted area.
CDFW wardens do the enforcing. Because every legal salvage is logged in the portal, a carcass in someone’s truck without a corresponding permit is easy to flag. The more lasting cost for most people isn’t the fine but a wildlife offense on their record, which can complicate future hunting licenses and other CDFW permits.
Where You Can and Cannot Stop
The salvage statute specifically incorporates Vehicle Code Section 21718, which governs stopping on freeways. You generally cannot stop on a freeway except in an emergency, and picking up roadkill does not qualify. In practice that limits freeway salvage to situations where the carcass ended up off the roadway and you can park safely elsewhere.
On other roads, turn on your hazards and pull as far off the pavement as you can. A high-visibility vest rated to ANSI/ISEA Class 2 or higher is the standard for anyone working near traffic and runs under $15 at most hardware stores.6FHWA MUTCD. Interpretation Letter 6(09)-012(I) – Use of ANSI/ISEA 207-2011 High-Visibility Safety Apparel If the carcass is in a travel lane or on a blind curve, leave it. Wear heavy gloves for the handling itself, and if you have open cuts on your hands, skip the salvage.
Meat Safety Once You Get Home
A vehicle collision does far more damage than a clean hunting kill. Internal trauma ruptures organs and spreads bacteria through the meat, and time on hot asphalt makes it worse fast. Field-dress and cool the carcass as quickly as you can. If it’s bloated, smells strongly, or the meat looks discolored or slimy, walk away. Cooking will not fix badly spoiled game.
When the meat is in good shape, cook it to the USDA’s safe minimum internal temperatures:7Food Safety and Inspection Service. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart
- Venison and elk steaks, chops, and roasts: 145°F, then rest at least 3 minutes
- Ground meat: 160°F, no rest time required
Wild pig gets extra attention. Meat from wild boar can carry Trichinella parasites, and the CDC warns that freezing may not kill all of them because some Trichinella species found in wildlife are freeze-resistant.8Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trichinellosis (Trichinosis) About Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the cut, away from bone.
Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease of deer and elk, has been detected in Inyo and Madera Counties. Scientists have not proven CWD can infect humans, but public health agencies recommend against eating meat from infected animals. California already restricts hunters bringing cervids in from other states to deboned meat with no spinal column, brain, or head attached.9California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance If you salvage a deer in or near a detection area, avoid handling brain or spinal tissue, wear gloves through butchering, and ask CDFW whether testing is available. Federal regulations under 9 CFR Part 81 also restrict interstate movement of cervid carcasses.10Federal Register. Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection – Control of Chronic Wasting Disease
What Insurance Covers After the Collision
If your vehicle is damaged when you hit the animal, the coverage that applies is comprehensive, not collision. Comprehensive is optional in California unless your lender or lease requires it, so drivers carrying only liability pay for the repairs themselves. Comprehensive deductibles typically run between $100 and $2,000, and a total loss pays the vehicle’s actual cash value minus the deductible.11Progressive. Does Insurance Cover Hitting a Deer?
One wrinkle catches people out. If you swerve to avoid the animal and hit a guardrail, another car, or roll the vehicle, that damage falls under collision coverage instead. Collision and comprehensive are separate coverages with separate deductibles, and plenty of drivers carry one without the other. Check your declarations page before you find out on the shoulder at dusk.