Raccoons are everywhere in New York — from the Adirondack backcountry to Brooklyn brownstones — and dealing with a persistent one on your property raises an immediate question: can you legally kill it? The answer depends on who you are, why you want to act, and how you plan to do it.
New York law gives property owners more options than most people expect, but it also draws hard lines around licensing, methods, and what you can do with a trapped animal. Before you take any action, it pays to understand exactly where you stand under state law.
Are Raccoons Protected in New York
Raccoons are protected by law in New York. No one may possess a raccoon without a license, and licenses are not issued for pet wildlife. Hunting or trapping raccoons requires a license. That protection does not mean raccoons are untouchable — it means the state controls how and when they can be taken.
Raccoons are important furbearers, providing income and recreation to hunters and trappers in New York State. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) manages them as a regulated wildlife species under the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), which sets out the specific circumstances under which killing a raccoon is permitted…