Arkansas

Regulatory Agency

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

  • Headquarters: (501)-223-6300
  • Regional Offices:
    • Northwest Office: (479)-253-2506
    • East Central Office: (870)-734-4581
    • North Central Office: (870)-297-4331
    • South Central Office: (870)-836-4612 
    • Fort Smith Office – Fort Chaffee: (479)-478-1043
    • Southwest Office: (870)-777-5580
    • Hotsprings Office: (501)-525-8606
    • Northeast Office: ((870)-972-5438
    • Southeast Office: (870)-367-3553
    • West Central Office: (479)-967-7577

License Details

How to Apply

  • Depredation Permits may be obtained from Commission Wildlife Officers or Wildlife Biologists
  • Contact the regional office
  • Give all necessary information to the commission

Laws and Regulations

  • It is unlawful to take or attempt to take any game or furbearing animal damaging crops or personal property without obtaining a Depredation Permit and complying with the terms and provisions of the permit
  • Rodenticides may be used to control mice and rats, but poisons or chemicals may not be used to kill any other animal
  • English sparrows, blackbirds, starlings and crows committing damage to agriculture crops and personal property may be taken without a permit.
  • A Depredation Permit is required to trap nuisance game animals other than beaver, coyote, muskrat, nutria, opossum, raccoon, squirrel, and striped skunk outside of the trapping season.
  • Firearms may be used at day or night if specifically approved by the Commission employee issuing the Depredation Permit
  • A Depredation Permit is required to shoot any nuisance wildlife at night
  • Bats that have bitten or otherwise potentially exposed a human, pet or livestock to rabies may be killed provided that they are submitted to the Arkansas Department of Health for rabies testing.

Laws Regarding Translocation

Wildlife may not be released into the wild without prior AGFC approval.

If caught in a live trap, wildlife must be released unharmed outside the municipality’s boundaries within 24 hours

Trap Tags

Traps must have a tag affixed to them with the name and address of the owner, driver’s license number, and the AGFC customer identification number or current vehicle license number (registered to the trap user).

Hunting and Trapping License

If hunting nuisance wildlife during an open season for that species, a hunting license is required

A trapping license is not required to obtain a Depredation Permit. However, if trapping nuisance wildlife during trapping season, a trapping license is required.