Is it legal to own a raccoon in Iowa?
The short answer
No. Iowa Code § 481A.38 prohibits possessing live protected wildlife - including furbearers like raccoons - except as authorized by the DNR, and the DNR does not issue permits to keep raccoons as pets. Raccoons may be hunted or trapped in season, but not kept alive in your living room.
What Iowa law says
Iowa Code § 481A.38 restricts the taking and live possession of wildlife; raccoons are regulated furbearers under chapter 481A, and no pet-possession pathway exists in DNR rules.
Which agency regulates raccoons in Iowa
Iowa Department of Natural Resources is the authority for raccoon (Procyon lotor) possession in Iowa.
Is there a permit for pet raccoons?
No. There is no permit pathway that allows private pet ownership. Licensed wildlife rehabilitators, educational/scientific permit holders, and licensed fur harvesters during lawful seasons (for taking, not pet-keeping).
Penalties for owning a raccoon illegally
Simple misdemeanor fines per animal plus seizure of the animal; civil damages may be assessed for unlawfully possessed wildlife.
Local city and county rules
City ordinances add further rabies-vector bans, but the state prohibition is what controls here.
Legal alternatives in Iowa
- Sugar Glider in Iowa — A palm-sized gliding marsupial, legal in most states but banned in a handful of cities and states.
Frequently asked questions
Can I rescue and keep an orphaned raccoon in Iowa?
No - transfer it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Keeping it yourself violates Iowa Code ch. 481A and the animal can be seized.
Sources
More animals in Iowa
- Is it legal to own a monkey in Iowa?
- Is it legal to own a serval in Iowa?
- Is it legal to own a fennec fox in Iowa?
See all animals on the exotic pet laws in Iowa page, or compare every state on the pet raccoon laws by state page.
Last verified 2026-07-03 against the cited primary sources. This is a research directory, not legal advice — confirm current rules with Iowa Department of Natural Resources and your local animal-control authority before acquiring any animal.