California

Regulatory Agency

California Department of Fish & Wildlife

  • Headquarters: (916)-445-0411
  • Regional Offices
    • Northern Region (Region 1)
      • Main Office: (530)-225-2300
      • Field Office: (707)-445-6493
    • North Central Region (Region 2)
      • Main Office: (916)-358-2900
    • Bay Delta Region (Region 3)
      • Main Office: (707)-428-2002
      • Stockton Office: (209)-234-3420
    • Central Region (Region 4)
      • Main Office: (559)-243-4005 ext. 151
    • South Coast Region (Region 5)
      • Main Office: (858)-467-4201
    • Inland Desert Region (Region 6)
      • Main Office: (909)-484-0167
    • Marine Region (Region 7)
      • Main Office: (831)-649-2870

License Details

Fees

There is no fee for the license

How to Apply

  • Call your County Clerk’s Office for information to get an application sent to you

Laws and Regulations

  • Traps… shall be inspected and all animals in the traps shall be removed at least once daily. The inspection and removal shall be done by the person who sets the trap or the owner of the land where the trap is set
  • You must have your trapping license in your immediate possession while trapping for either commercial fur or nuisance wildlife control purposes
  • Leg-hold traps may be used only to protect human health or safety, and only by government agencies
  • A trapper must either euthanize a trapped animal or release it immediately on site
  • Fur-bearing or nongame mammals taken under the authority of depredation, may not be bought, sold or enter into the commercial market
  • pest control technicians, nuisance wildlife control personnel, wildlife biologists, and other individuals at particular risk of contact with rabid bats (or other wildlife) should receive a rabies pre-exposure vaccination
  • Steel-jawed leg-hold traps are prohibited
  • A trapper must euthanize a trapped animal or release it immediately on site

Laws Regarding Translocation

It is illegal in the State of California to relocate nuisance wildlife and most animal control agencies will not accept them

Trap Tags

Traps must have trapper identification number affixed to or engraved on it

Hunting and Trapping License

A hunting license is not required to obtain this license. However, if a firearm is to be used as a method of control or euthanasia, a hunting license is required.

A trapping license is required