Which license is required to rehabilitate raccoons?

• A. NYS wildlife rehabilitation license only
• B. RVS license
• C. Federal license
• D. No license

Answer: (B)

Raccoons are considered rabies risk species, so handling and rehabilitating them is regulated with a special authorization. The Rabies Vector Species (RVS) license is the specific permit that allows a facility or individual to possess, care for, and rehabilitate these animals while meeting state requirements for safety, containment, quarantine, and reporting. This license exists because rabies risk requires stricter controls than a general wildlife rehab permit provides. Having a general NYS wildlife rehabilitation license alone isn’t enough to work with raccoons, since the RVS designation addresses the extra safeguards needed for rabies vector species. A federal license isn’t required for typical state-level rehab of raccoons, and operating without any license would be illegal.