Yes, you can own a raccoon in West Virginia, but only if you obtain a $2 pet-keeping permit from the Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) and only if you acquired the animal through one of two legal channels. The authority is West Virginia Code §20-2-51, titled “Permit for keeping pets.”1West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 20-2-51 – Permit for Keeping Pets Raccoons are wildlife under state law, so keeping one without that permit is a misdemeanor and the animal can be confiscated.
How You Can Legally Get the Raccoon
The statute recognizes exactly two lawful sources for a raccoon you plan to keep as a pet.
The first is a commercial dealer. Any operation selling raccoons should hold a federal Animal Welfare Act license from USDA APHIS, typically a Class A breeder or Class B dealer license. Ask for the seller’s USDA license number before you buy, and keep the receipt or bill of sale, because you will need it to prove legal acquisition on the permit application.2Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Apply for an Animal Welfare License or Registration
The second is acquisition “during the legal open season.” Raccoon hunting season runs October 18 through February 28, and trapping season runs November 1 through February 28.3West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Hunting and Trapping Regulations Summary 2025-2026 In practice this path is complicated: the published hunting and trapping regulations are built around harvest, not live capture, and do not specifically authorize keeping a live-caught raccoon as a pet. Call WVDNR before trying it.
What you cannot do is pick up a raccoon you found in your yard or take in an orphaned kit. Neither situation fits either statutory channel, and neither will support a permit.
Applying for the Permit
The application goes to WVDNR. Include your name, address, contact information, proof of legal acquisition (the bill of sale or dealer receipt), and a description of your enclosure showing it meets the caging standards below. The fee is $2, set by statute.1West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 20-2-51 – Permit for Keeping Pets
Expect an inspection. A Natural Resources Police Officer may visit before the permit is approved to confirm the cage meets minimum dimensions, that locks and construction are secure enough to prevent escape, and that the required shelter and climbing features are in place. You cannot legally have the raccoon on your property before the permit is issued.
Cage Requirements
West Virginia sets minimum enclosure dimensions in its administrative rules, and meeting them is a condition of the permit.4Cornell Law Institute. West Virginia Code of State Rules 58-64, Appendix A
- One raccoon: 6 feet long by 5 feet wide by 6 feet high.
- Two or three raccoons: 8 feet long by 5 feet wide by 6 feet high.
- Each additional animal beyond three: add 2 feet of length.
Every enclosure must also have a roofed shelter or nest box, one resting shelf per animal, and at least two climbing limbs. These are minimums. A 6-by-5 cage is not spacious for an animal the size of a medium dog, and raccoons that are bored or cramped tend to become destructive and aggressive.
Health Risks You Should Weigh First
Rabies
Raccoons are one of the primary rabies vector species in the United States, and no rabies vaccine is licensed for use in raccoons or other wild animals. Some veterinarians will give an off-label dog or cat vaccine, but the CDC states that vaccination history “may not preclude euthanasia and testing” after a bite.5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information for Veterinarians
If your raccoon bites someone, local health authorities may require it to be euthanized and tested regardless of any vaccine it received. There is no quarantine-and-observe protocol for raccoons the way there is for dogs and cats.
Raccoon Roundworm
Raccoons are the primary host for Baylisascaris procyonis, a parasitic roundworm whose eggs are shed in the feces by the millions. Eggs become infectious after two to four weeks and can survive for years in soil. Human neurological infections are rare, with fewer than 25 cases documented in the U.S. as of 2018, but six of those patients died.6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How Raccoon Roundworm Spreads Young children are the highest-risk group because they are more likely to put contaminated soil or objects in their mouths.
Penalties for Keeping One Without a Permit
Possessing a raccoon without a permit violates West Virginia’s general wildlife possession law, which makes it illegal to keep live wildlife in captivity unless a specific provision of the wildlife code authorizes it.7West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 20-2-4 – Possession of Wildlife The penalty provision applies:
- Fines of $20 to $300 per offense.
- Jail time of 10 to 100 days.
- Both, if the judge orders it.
These are misdemeanor penalties.8West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 20-7-9 On top of that, any wildlife illegally possessed is forfeited to the state, so WVDNR can take the raccoon on the spot.7West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 20-2-4 – Possession of Wildlife
Crossing State Lines
Your West Virginia permit has no legal force outside West Virginia. The federal Lacey Act prohibits transporting wildlife possessed or acquired in violation of state law, so driving your raccoon into a state that bans private possession creates a federal violation on top of the destination state’s charges.9U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Lacey Act Even if the destination allows raccoon ownership, its permit requirements will differ from West Virginia’s, and you need whatever it requires before you go.
Private owners keeping a raccoon for personal companionship generally do not need a separate federal USDA license. That licensing applies to businesses — dealers, exhibitors, and transporters — not to pet owners.2Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Apply for an Animal Welfare License or Registration
Practical Realities Before You Apply
Finding a veterinarian is harder than getting the permit. Most small-animal vets have no training in raccoon medicine and decline the appointment. You will likely need an exotic animal vet, and depending on where you live, the nearest one could be hours away.
Standard homeowner’s policies typically exclude liability for injuries caused by exotic or wild animals. If your raccoon bites a guest, you may be personally liable for medical bills and damages with no insurance backstop. Some specialty insurers write exotic animal liability policies, but coverage is expensive and limited.
Raccoons live 10 to 15 years, are nocturnal, and often become aggressive after sexual maturity around one year. Many owners who raise a kit find the animal unmanageable within 18 months. Wildlife rehabilitation centers are not required to accept surrendered pet raccoons, and a hand-raised raccoon often cannot be released back into the wild. Have a plan for the full lifespan before you pay the $2.