Who may remove wildlife for hire in Michigan
A business that does nuisance wildlife control for hire needs a DNR Wildlife Damage and Nuisance Control Permit, issued by the Wildlife Division's Permit Specialist. It is free, takes about 60 days to process and expires on the third March 31 after it is issued, and the business's employees work under its permit. Under Wildlife Conservation Order 5.52 the species a permittee may control are non-threatened bats, coyote, fox, weasels, mink, raccoon, skunk, opossum, woodchuck, badger, muskrat, squirrels, ground squirrels, rabbits, English sparrows, feral pigeons, starlings and crows, with beaver in a limited case. Other wildlife only as a DNR biologist or conservation officer authorizes, and animals not on the list are not eligible for removal.
A permittee in DNR's General classification must also hold an MDARD pesticide applicator license in category 7A or 7D to use pesticides, and a Restricted permittee may not use pesticides. DNR publishes a directory of permitted businesses, says it does not endorse any listed business, and says the list is updated once a year and may be missing some. DNR's Permit Specialist can be reached at 517-284-6210.
Wildlife removal pricing: what we can show
Our estimate for wildlife removal in Michigan is $215 to $575 per job, and $835 to $3,950 for an attic job that includes trapping, sealing and cleanup. It is a model, not a quote: published national ranges adjusted for what Michigan pest control workers are paid. You usually pay a company for wildlife removal, because the DNR permit is free to the business but the work is not, and a state permit fee is not part of the estimate.
Under the estimate, the table shows the wage and the free permit. Ask what the price includes: the animal, the entry repair, cleanup of droppings and a return visit.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $215 to $575 per job | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Michigan pest control worker median wage ratio (0.98). No Michigan pest control company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a regular price. |
| Estimated range for an attic job, not a quote | $835 to $3,950 per attic job, trapping, sealing and cleanup | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan pest control worker median wage ratio (0.98). No Michigan pest control company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a regular price. |
| Pest control worker wage, Michigan median | $21.38 an hour | What pest control workers are paid (O*NET republishing BLS, May 2025), not what you are charged. Percentile data, not re-checked against the BLS table. |
| DNR nuisance animal control permit | Free | Issued to the business, about 60 days to process. The business still pays its other costs. |
| State fee, pesticide application business license | $100 a year, expires every December 31 | Every company that applies pesticides for hire needs one, in addition to its applicators' credentials. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes two published national ranges for this job (cost guides from third-party sites that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies them by Michigan's pest control worker median wage ratio to the US (0.98, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine). The wage and state fee rows in the table are what pest control workers are paid and what the state charges to license them, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes, and we found no Michigan pest control company that publishes a regular price. Full method. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
Why "humane relocation" is not a safe promise
DNR's species pages for raccoons, skunks, squirrels and opossums say Michigan DNR does not authorize or conduct live capture and release other than for permitted research. A separate DNR circular for permittees gives rules for relocated animals: they go at least 10 miles away within the county of capture, raccoons only within the county of capture, skunks must be euthanized and may not be possessed or relocated, and no animal may be held over 24 hours. The two documents differ in emphasis, so ask any company which one it follows and what happens to the animal after it leaves your property.
DNR's euthanasia rule is that methods must be recommended and approved by DNR, following the American Veterinary Medical Association's guidelines. That is hard reading, which is why we advise asking before the visit rather than after.
When and where a company may act
A permittee may control animals at any time of year in cities, villages or townships closed to hunting or that prohibit discharging firearms, and elsewhere only from April 1 to September 30, except within the curtilage of the person who complained, meaning the house, buildings and yard, where it may act at any time. We have not checked which of the places on this site fall in a closed area, so ask your city or township. Young animals in the nest are a separate issue: only licensed wildlife rehabilitators may possess abandoned or injured wildlife, and DNR suggests contacting one before removing a young animal whose mother is believed dead.
What you can do yourself, and what DNR suggests first
DNR says a raccoon doing or about to do damage may be lethally removed on private property year-round by the property owner or a designee, with a legal weapon or trap, without a written permit where hunting and trapping are allowed. The same holds for an opossum, and skunks and their offspring may not be rehabilitated or possessed because of rabies risk. Call DNR before acting, since local ordinances on firearms and traps vary. For a raccoon in an attic, DNR suggests noise or ammonia-soaked rags, then sealing the entry once it has left. The attic guide covers all of this in order.
What your city's animal control does not do
Ann Arbor's animal control, working with the Humane Society of Huron Valley, says it does not remove skunks or bats and tells residents to find a private service. Sterling Heights Animal Control does not respond to calls for skunk removal either. Bats have their own timing rules and a rabies reporting duty, covered on the emergency page.
Wildlife: urgent or not
- A bat may have bitten or scratched someone, or was in a room with a sleeping person: call the local health department.
- Noises in an attic at night.
- An animal that has left and a hole that needs sealing.
- A raccoon in the yard.
Before the company arrives
- Note where you hear or see the animal and when.
- Do not seal the entry while an animal may be inside.
- Ask for the DNR permit number and what happens to the animal.
- Ask who repairs the entry point and what the price includes.
- If it may be a bat, read the bat steps before anyone enters the room.
License and rules for wildlife work
Ask a wildlife company for its DNR permit number and, if it uses any pesticide, its MDARD business license and applicator category. MDARD complaints go to 800-292-3939. DNR's directory is a place to look, with the caveat that DNR does not endorse the businesses on it.
Ask for the company's state pesticide business license number and the applicator's name, and look both up with your state's pesticide regulator before any work starts.
A tool for this job
Pest identification guide
Pick what you noticed and what you have checked. The guide names what that most likely is, using only the distinguishing features a government or university source gives, and says whether the sources point to a professional. It cannot identify a pest from a description with certainty, so treat the answer as where to look next. It runs in your browser and asks for nothing.
Open the toolQuestions people ask
Do you have to pay for wildlife removal in Michigan?
Usually yes, to the company. The DNR permit is free to the business, but the work is not. A property owner may in some cases remove a raccoon, skunk or opossum doing damage without a permit where hunting or trapping is allowed, and we suggest calling DNR first.
Can wildlife be relocated in Michigan?
DNR says it does not authorize or conduct live capture and release of raccoons, skunks, squirrels and opossums other than for permitted research. A DNR circular gives limits on relocating some animals. Ask a company which it follows.
Who may remove nuisance wildlife for hire in Michigan?
A business with a DNR Wildlife Damage and Nuisance Control Permit, working under its permit and only on listed species. DNR publishes a directory and does not endorse it.
Can I remove a raccoon myself in Michigan?
DNR says a raccoon doing or about to do damage may be lethally removed by the property owner or a designee on private property year-round where hunting or trapping is allowed. For an attic, DNR suggests noise or ammonia-soaked rags and then sealing the entry.
What is the average cost of raccoon removal in Michigan?
Our estimate for wildlife removal is $215 to $575 per job, and $835 to $3,950 for an attic job with trapping, sealing and cleanup. It is modeled from published national ranges adjusted for what Michigan pest control workers are paid, and the DNR permit adds nothing because it is free. Ask what the price covers, including repairs.
- O*NET OnLine: Michigan Wages 37-2021.00 Pest Control Workers (BLS 2025 data) Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- PestControlMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DNR Information Circular IC2004-3: Wildlife Damage and Nuisance Control Permits (rev. 7/1/2024) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MDARD: Pesticide Applicator Business License (PABL) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 324.8317 (Michigan Legislature) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan DNR: Nuisance wildlife Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan DNR: Raccoons (and IC2004-3 for the permittee relocation rule) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan DNR: Skunks Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan DNR: Squirrels Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan DNR: Nuisance Animal Control Directory Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan DNR: Opossums (and Groundhogs/Woodchucks) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City of Ann Arbor: Animal Control Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City of Sterling Heights: Damaging Wildlife Calls Read Oct 19, 2026.