About Possible Changes to Wildlife Trapping Regulations

Wildlife biologists recognize regulated trapping as an important wildlife management tool with many uses, including:

• Manage and protect endangered species
• Collect important ecological information about wildlife
• Reduce or prevent damage to agricultural crops and personal property
• Remove nonnative species
• Reduce or prevent threats to human and pet health and safety
• Harvest animals for food and other uses

Regulated trapping and the associated data can be monitored by professional wildlife biologists to ensure it does not negatively impact wildlife populations. The FWC is evaluating existing rules and exploring possible changes that align with best practices in support of humane trapping, and staff is actively seeking public comment throughout this process. In certain situations, trapping may be the only way to achieve desired results in wildlife management. Regulated trapping is used as an effective tool throughout the country.

Wildlife management is a complex, scientific discipline that incorporates habitats, wildlife damage control, public health and safety, and the responsible treatment of wildlife. Our goal is to apply this science to manage wildlife populations. Balancing the long-term well-being of wildlife with the benefit of people is the focus of our mission. Regulated trapping is a proven method for conserving and managing Florida’s wildlife resources.

There are a variety of resources available to trappers including:

• AFWA Best Management Practices
• Trapper Education Courses
• FWC Furbearer Trapping Regulations
• FAQs: Nuisance Wildlife

Proposed rule changes would also include required training.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) represents North America’s state, provincial and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to advance sound, science-based management and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats in the public interest.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies coordinated with experts from all state fish and wildlife agencies in the U.S. and Canada as well as other conservation, natural resource and animal welfare organizations and agencies to improve and update trapping technology. Professional wildlife biologists, veterinarians and experts in the field of trapping developed best management practices using scientific research to identify efficient and humane traps, improve those tools and techniques, and develop trapping education programs.

Best management practices (BMPs) are available to federal, state and provincial wildlife agencies, trapper organizations, and any other interested parties. Visit the Furbearer Management and Best Management Practices for Trapping webpage to download BMPs for 22 North American furbearer species and trapper education information. The BMPs and the trapper education materials have been incorporated into federal, state and provincial wildlife management programs.

Wildlife professionals, in cooperation with wildlife veterinarians, use the information gathered through the trapping best management practice research to determine which devices are most effective, species-specific and humane. This information is collected following standards for evaluation outlined by The International Organization for Standardization, an organization that determines standards for products around the world. Those standards for evaluation are intended for use in the United States and worldwide. These standards are consistent with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies' best management practices, which are supported by The Wildlife Society, the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

You can watch what was presented at the May 2025 virtual public meetings by accessing this Vimeo link.

The FWC periodically evaluates existing rules to determine if any changes are needed and has developed proposed changes that would update trapping rules to more closely align with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ best management practices in support of effective, species-specific, and humane trapping methods.

Trapping methods and technologies have improved over time to support more species-selective and humane practices. These improvements, coupled with a commitment to comprehensive trapper education, prioritize animal welfare.

Input from stakeholder groups and individuals involved in trapping is vitally important to this effort. The FWC has been seeking feedback from stakeholders and the public since 2021, when we hosted a series of webinars and opened an online commenting tool.

In January 2024, the FWC formed a Technical Assistance Group to meet directly with stakeholder group representatives and concluded these meetings in February 2025. The TAG met seven times and facilitated in-depth discussions on this topic to better understand the differing perspectives involved.

In May 2025, the FWC hosted a series of virtual public meetings and opened another online commenting tool that presented updated concepts to potential trapping rule changes based on feedback from the TAG.

The FWC contracted with the Florida State University Consensus Center to facilitate the webinars, virtual public meetings, and TAG meetings. In addition, the FWC contracted with the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences to capture and analyze input provided via both online commenting tools. We are working with UCF to gain a comprehensive understanding of the feedback received in 2025 as we develop a well-informed approach to exploring possible rule changes.

The FWC plans to bring proposed draft rule changes to the November 2025 Commission meeting for consideration. If approved, the rule changes would be advertised in the Florida Administrative Register, and staff would go back to the Commissioners at a future meeting for a final hearing.

Animal welfare is critically important to the FWC. Any discussion about people using animals has moral, ethical and practical implications. Trapping best management practices prioritize animal welfare by reducing injuries to animals while they are in a trap and allowing for the release of nontarget or unintended captures. The United States and Canada have conducted the most extensive scientific testing of traps in the world to develop best management practices that ensure traps are humane, efficient, safe and selective. The proposed rule changes would more closely align with these standards to promote animal welfare.

The recommended changes are based on extensive research efforts that show which trap designs, types, and locations will minimize injury to captured animals. For more information, see the introduction of AFWA’s best management practices.

Proposed changes would limit the size, type, and placement to reduce the chances of catching unintended captures or nontarget animals. For example, corral traps for hogs would be required to have open tops, which allow nontarget animals like deer, bear, or turkey to get out of the trap.

Snares, cable restraint, foothold/foot enclosed, body gripping, corral, cage, and glue traps are addressed in the proposed changes.

Learn more about current trapping requirements and possible changes. 

Steel traps (i.e., body gripping and foothold traps) are currently only allowed by Special Use Permit.

Special Use Permits were designed to accommodate unique situations that require the use of steel traps, such as when wildlife are creating a nuisance or game management. The proposed rules would support more effective, species-specific, and humane trapping. The proposed wildlife trapping permit would require training for all trap types, more robust reporting, and trap placement restrictions.

Glue traps can often capture nontarget native species, including native reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and birds. Nontarget bycatch in glue traps often dies within the 24-hour trap check time, and even if found alive, it's often difficult to remove an animal alive from the trap, creating concerns for animal welfare. 

Snares can be lethal to captured animals. The proposed cable restraint is designed for live capture and has several features that reduce nontarget captures and improve the welfare of captured animals.

Learn more by reviewing current trapping requirements and proposed changes.

The FWC is proposing to reduce the length of time a trapped animal can be held to reduce stress and injury that captured animals can experience. People trapping nuisance wildlife who are releasing, relocating or humanely killing an animal offsite after it has been trapped currently have 24 hours to do so. The proposed changes would reduce this to 12 hours. See the current Taking Nuisance Wildlife rule for more information.

Homeowners trapping on their own property using only one regular-sized (20" wide and 28" high) cage trap AND attempting to capture non-native species OR wildlife that meet the nuisance wildlife definition would be exempt from registration, training, and reporting requirements. Any wildlife trapping that does not fall under this exemption would require registration, training, and reporting.

Yes. Proposed changes would apply to any individual checking or setting wildlife traps. An exception to registration, training, and reporting will apply to homeowners trapping on their own property using only one regular-sized (20" wide and 28" high) cage trap AND attempting to capture nonnative species OR wildlife that meet the nuisance wildlife definition. 

Anyone setting or checking any traps in an attempt to capture wildlife will need to take trainings for the specific trap types they intend to use as well as an FWC trapping rules training. There are two proposed exceptions: 1) A homeowner setting one cage trap on their own property to catch non-native or nuisance wildlife would not have to take any training course, and 2) Persons born on or before June 1, 1975, would only be required to take the FWC trapping rules course.

Anyone setting any trap to capture wildlife will need to report trapping efforts, except a homeowner using a single, regular-sized cage trap on their own property while attempting to capture nonnative or nuisance wildlife.

Anyone who participates in wildlife trapping would be required to follow the rules established and enforced by the FWC. FWC Officers are trained to identify trapping devices in the field and will enforce rules regulating trap use. Penalties for trapping rule violations range from fines to jail time. In some cases, hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and privileges may be suspended or revoked, which could result in the loss of privileges in all 50 states that are members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (IWVC).