Moving a live animal: what DSHS prohibits
DSHS calls rabies in Texas an ongoing state health emergency. Under the Rabies Control and Eradication rules (25 TAC chapter 169) it is illegal to transport any live species of fox, skunk, coyote or raccoon, which is the statewide rabies quarantine, and a violation is a Class C misdemeanor.
The exemptions apply only as part of an official duty: people hired by state, federal or local governments, accredited zoo staff, TPWD-permitted educators and rehabilitators, holders of TPWD nuisance fur-bearer relocation authorization, and pest management professionals licensed by TDA. An animal moved under an exemption must be released within ten miles of where it was captured, or of the city limits, and within the county of capture.
What wildlife removal costs in Texas
For a wildlife removal job in Texas our estimate is $195 to $525 per job, and the table adds an estimate for an attic job with trapping, sealing and cleanup. Both figures come from national ranges scaled by Texas's pest control wage ratio of 0.89, and neither one is a quote.
One Texas company's published price for wildlife work, from El Paso, is below the five we need to set a range of our own. Ask what the company does with a live animal, who holds the authorization and whether sealing the entry points is in the price.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $195 to $525 per job | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Texas pest control worker wage ratio (0.89). Four Texas pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (one counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Estimated range for an attic job, not a quote | $760 to $3,600 per attic job, trapping, sealing and cleanup | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas pest control worker wage ratio (0.89). Four Texas pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Pest control worker wage, Texas mean | $19.90 an hour | BLS figure for Texas pest control workers' mean pay, May 2025, not a removal price. |
| Liability cover a licensed business must carry | $500,000 injury and property, $1,000,000 total | The company's required liability cover under TDA rules, at least $500,000 with a total aggregate of $1,000,000. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by Texas's pest control worker wage ratio to the US (0.89, BLS May 2025), with no permit fee added because pest control has no city permit. Not a quote. Four Texas pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Only one Texas company publishes a price we could count for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
What TPWD says about your own land
TPWD says landowners or their agents may take nuisance fur-bearing animals in any number, by any means, at any time on their land without a hunting or trapping license. The animals and pelts may not be kept except by licensed trappers in season. Relocation needs authorization from TPWD and consent from the owner of the property where the release will occur, with a monthly report to TPWD.
TPWD also notes it is a Class C misdemeanor to transport or sell live foxes, coyotes and raccoons from, to or within the state. Its April 2026 release says it is unlawful to take, capture, possess or attempt to relocate wildlife except as allowed by state regulations.
Bites, scratches and what DSHS says to do
DSHS says not to handle wildlife regardless of whether it appears healthy or sick, and that rabies is transmitted through saliva, typically by bites. Wash a bite with soap and water and seek medical help. DSHS's 2024 county summary counted 10,369 animals submitted for testing in Texas and 412 positive (3.97 percent), and DSHS notes Texas has periodic skunk-rabies outbreaks.
Bats in a building
AgriLife says bats in Texas buildings can be evicted using special exclusion techniques before or after maternity season. Young bats cannot leave until they can fly, and evicting the adults in maternity season will orphan and kill the babies inside. Maternity season varies by species and location, usually spring to late summer, and AgriLife puts the best time for eviction at September to April, depending on location. Those dates are AgriLife guidance written for schools, and DSHS's rabies pages don't set a legal exclusion season, so ask the company which months it schedules bat work.
Does wildlife need a same-day call?
- A bite or scratch from a wild animal: wash it with soap and water and seek medical help, as DSHS says.
- Bats in the attic: AgriLife says the best time for eviction is generally September to April, depending on location.
- Choosing a company, which can include asking in writing what it will do with a live animal.
Steps before the visit
- Do not handle the animal, and keep children and pets away.
- Photograph droppings, tracks or the entry point.
- Ask the company which authorization or license it holds.
- Ask in writing what it will do with a live animal.
- For bats, ask when the company schedules the exclusion.
Authorizations and licenses for wildlife work
DSHS's exemption names holders of TPWD nuisance fur-bearer relocation authorization and pest management professionals licensed by TDA, and TDA's Pest control category covers pest animals such as rats and mice. Ask the company which of those it holds for what it plans to do, and how it will handle a live fox, skunk, coyote or raccoon, in writing.
Ask for the company's TDA business license number and the applicator's name, and check both with TDA's Structural Pest Control Service before any work starts.
Questions people ask
Can a company relocate a raccoon in Texas?
Only under an exemption: DSHS makes it illegal to transport any live raccoon, fox, skunk or coyote, with release within ten miles and in the same county for exempt professionals. TPWD separately requires its authorization and the release-site owner's consent for relocating nuisance fur-bearing animals.
Can I trap a nuisance animal on my own land in Texas?
TPWD says landowners or their agents may take nuisance fur-bearing animals on their land without a hunting or trapping license. Keeping them is limited to licensed trappers in season.
When can bats be removed from a Texas building?
AgriLife says the best time is generally September to April, depending on location. Evicting adults in maternity season, usually spring to late summer, orphans and kills the young.
What should I do about a bite from a wild animal?
Wash the bite with soap and water and seek medical help, DSHS says. DSHS also says not to handle wildlife whether it looks healthy or sick.
What does wildlife removal cost in Texas?
$195 to $525 per job for one job in our model, which isn't a quote. An attic job is estimated separately in the table.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), Texas, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- PestControlMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Structural Pest Control Business Read Oct 23, 2026.
- DSHS: Laws, Transport of rabies vector species Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TPWD: Nuisance Fur-bearing Animals; TPWD news release 2026-04-28 Read Oct 23, 2026.
- DSHS: Rabies Read Oct 23, 2026.
- DSHS Zoonosis Control: Rabies Summary by County 2024 Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Texas A&M AgriLife: Bats in Schools, Removing a bat colony Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Structural Pest Control Licensing Read Oct 23, 2026.