Licenses and the Fur-Harvest Permit
Assumes the Hunting Primer. New here? Start there first.
Your objective
By the end, you'll be able to distinguish the basic hunting license required to hunt raccoon from the Commercial Fur Harvest License required to sell pelts, and state the basic cost and requirement structure of each.
You’ve had a great night — three raccoon in the bag and a buyer lined up for the pelts. You pull into the fur buyer’s lot and he asks to see your commercial license. You hand him your hunting license. He shakes his head. That single missing document could mean a citation and forfeited pelts. License structure takes five minutes to learn and saves a season of frustration.
Quick recall
From the previous lessons — which classification unlocks the commercial pelt-sale rules for raccoon?
Layer 1: the hunting license
Every person who hunts raccoon in South Carolina must hold a valid SC hunting license. This applies whether you are on private land or a WMA, whether you use dogs, a .22, or a shotgun, and whether you intend to keep, release, or sell the animal.
The standard resident hunting license covers small-game species including raccoon. Nonresident hunters need a nonresident equivalent. Both are available through SCDNR’s GoOutdoorsSC portal and at license agents statewide.
Edge case Are there age exemptions?
SC provides a resident senior exemption and a youth hunting license at reduced cost. Even under these exemptions, a valid license document is still required before hunting — there is no complete exemption that allows hunting with zero paperwork. Verify current exemption rules at dnr.sc.gov/licenses.html. (Verify current SCDNR regulations before you hunt — these change yearly.)
Layer 2: the Commercial Fur Harvest License
The hunting license covers the pursuit and take of raccoon. It does not authorize the commercial sale of pelts. The moment you plan to:
- Sell a pelt to a fur buyer or at auction
- Trap raccoon for commercial purposes
- Possess more than 5 furbearing animals or pelts at one time
…you need a Commercial Fur Harvest License in addition to your hunting license.
Commercial Fur Harvest License basics (verify current SCDNR regulations before you hunt — fees change yearly):
- Resident: approximately $25
- Nonresident: approximately $200
- Available from SCDNR directly — the application is on the SCDNR licensing page
Annual reporting requirement
Commercial fur license holders must submit a harvest report to SCDNR by April 15 each year. The report records the number and species of animals harvested. Failing to file can jeopardize future license renewals.
If you are hunting for personal use only — keeping the meat, keeping the pelt for yourself, not selling — this annual reporting requirement does not apply. The moment a pelt goes to a buyer, even as a one-time sale, the commercial license and its reporting obligations follow.
Edge case What about bobcat and otter — are they the same?
Bobcat and otter have additional requirements beyond the standard commercial fur license. Both species require CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) tags before a pelt can be sold or transported. Tags are issued through SCDNR. Raccoon and opossum do not require CITES tags, but if your line incidentally catches a bobcat or otter, that animal has its own paperwork. Stay aware of what species are on your trapline.
Make the right call at the license counter
Knowledge check
A hunter took 4 raccoons last season, kept the meat, and gave the pelts to a neighbor as a gift (no money changed hands). Which licenses were required?
Knowledge check
A nonresident trapper wants to run a line in SC and sell raccoon pelts to a fur buyer. What documents does she need?
Take it to the woods
License check before opening day
Sources
- SCDNR Trapping and Commercial Fur Harvesting (eRegulations): https://www.eregulations.com/southcarolina/hunting/trapping-commercial-fur-harvesting (verify current SCDNR regulations before you hunt — these change yearly)
- SCDNR Commercial Fur License Application (PDF): https://www.dnr.sc.gov/licenses/pdf/CommFurLicense.pdf (verify current fees and requirements)
- SC Code of Laws Title 50 Chapter 16 (Furbearing Animals): https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t50c016.php
- SCDNR Licensing Home: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/licenses.html
If you remember nothing else
- A valid SC hunting license is required for all raccoon hunting — regardless of whether you intend to sell pelts.
- The Commercial Fur Harvest License is required to trap, take, or sell furbearers commercially — including selling a single pelt.
- As of recent regulations: resident commercial fur license runs $25; nonresident $200 — verify current fees at SCDNR.
- Commercial fur harvesters must ALSO hold a valid hunting license — the commercial license does not replace it.
- A harvest report is due each year by April 15 for commercial license holders — missing it can affect future licensing.
How ready do you feel?
How confident are you that you could walk into an SCDNR license office and ask for exactly the right license(s) for your raccoon hunting plans this season?
Before you go — a quick look back
Distributed practice: one fast recall from an earlier lesson keeps it from fading.
Quick recall
From Seasons and Limits — the raccoon bag limit is stated per party. What does that mean if a party of four hunters takes 2 raccoon early in the night?
Done with this lesson?
Mark it complete to track your way through the path. Saved on this device — no account needed.