Arizona Game and Fish Department
Wildlife Service License Application
Brief Description – A wildlife service license authorizes an individual or company that provides, advertises, or offers assistance with nuisance wildlife to capture, remove, transport, and relocate to the wild designated live wildlife if the wildlife causes a nuisance, property damage, poses a threat to public health or safety, or if the health or well-being of the wildlife is threatened by its immediate environment.
Checklist:
Process: Complete application form and submit with the appropriate documentation as outlined on the application.
· Fee: None
· Additional Information: License holder is required to file a report with Department by January 31 describing the activities performed under the license during the previous calendar year.
· Wildlife Service Licenses expire annually on December 31.
· Wildlife Service Licenses are issued from the Regional Office where the applicant resides.
Trapping license is valid for one year.
License Fees
Trapping License fee for a resident is $30 and for a non-resident is $275.
An individual born on or after January 1, 1967 shall successfully complete a Department-approved trapping education course to obtain a trapping license.
All trappers must submit a trapping report (FORM 2731-B [pdf, 29kb]) following the closing of the trapping season. The report must contain information requested for all predatory and furbearing animals taken by trapping during the November through February season. Completed forms must be sent to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn: Game Branch, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000.
17-301. Times when wildlife may be taken; exceptions; methods of taking
A. A person may take wildlife, except aquatic wildlife, only during daylight hours unless otherwise prescribed by the commission. A person shall not take any species of wildlife by the aid or with the use of a jacklight, other artificial light, or illegal device, except as provided by the commission.
B. A person shall not take wildlife, except aquatic wildlife, or discharge a firearm or shoot any other device from a motor vehicle, including an automobile, aircraft, train or powerboat, or from a sailboat, boat under sail, or a floating object towed by powerboat or sailboat except as expressly permitted by the commission. No person may knowingly discharge any firearm or shoot any other device upon, from, across or into a road or railway.
C. Fish may be taken only by angling unless otherwise provided by the commission. The line shall be constantly attended. In every case the hook, fly or lure shall be used in such manner that the fish voluntarily take or attempt to take it in their mouths.
D. It shall be unlawful to take wildlife with any leghold trap, any instant kill body gripping design trap, or by a poison or a snare on any public land, including state owned or state leased land, lands administered by the United States forest service, the federal bureau of land management, the national park service, the United States department of defense, the state parks board and any county or municipality. This subsection shall not prohibit:
1. The use of the devices prescribed in this subsection by federal, state, county, city, or other local departments of health which have jurisdiction in the geographic area of such use, for the purpose of protection from or surveillance for threats to human health or safety.
2. The taking of wildlife with firearms, with fishing equipment, with archery equipment, or other implements in hand as may be defined or regulated by the Arizona game and fish commission, including but not limited to the taking of wildlife pursuant to a hunting or fishing license issued by the Arizona game and fish department.
3. The use of snares, traps not designed to kill, or nets to take wildlife for scientific research projects, sport falconry, or for relocation of the wildlife as may be defined or regulated by the Arizona game and fish commission or the government of the United States or both.
4. The use of poisons or nets by the Arizona game and fish department to take or manage aquatic wildlife as determined and regulated by the Arizona game and fish commission.
5. The use of traps for rodent control or poisons for rodent control for the purpose of controlling wild and domestic rodents as otherwise allowed by the laws of the state of Arizona, excluding any fur-bearing animals as defined in section 17-101.
Game species
See website for details. License application is submitted online.
Not specified for NWCOs
Allowed within the provisions of the law
Annually. The Report Form needs to be received by January 31 for the previous year.