A new Tennessee law taking effect this month makes it slightly cheaper and easier for residents to keep a pet raccoon by eliminating the state’s $31 permit fee.

Sponsored by Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) and Rep. Kip Capley (R-Summertown), the updated regulation removes the cost associated with raccoon ownership, though several strict conditions remain intact. To legally keep a raccoon, owners must obtain a possession permit from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), ensure the animal comes from a legal vendor, verify it is non-native and properly vaccinated, and prove it was not captured from the wild.

Plucking a wild raccoon from the woods to keep at home remains entirely illegal in the state. The TWRA explicitly cautions against keeping raccoons as pets, warning that the animals can carry diseases and often grow territorial and aggressive upon reaching sexual maturity.

Despite the agency’s warnings, state lawmakers report strong public interest in the trend. Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) noted that his office heard from “hundreds, maybe thousands” of enthusiastic Tennesseans eager to take advantage of the updated regulations.