Last updated 2026-11-04
Most people call “an exterminator” for anything with legs. In New Jersey, that one word covers two jobs with different rules. Insects, mice and rats are pest control, regulated through the NJDEP pesticide licence. Raccoons, squirrels, skunks, groundhogs and bats are wildlife control, governed mainly by NJ Fish and Wildlife and the state Game Code. Some companies do both. Many do only one, and hiring the wrong one wastes a visit.
| Problem | Usually | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| Ants, roaches, fleas, bed bugs, wasps | Pest control | NJDEP pesticide licence, category 7A |
| Termites and other wood destroying insects | Pest control | NJDEP licence, category 7B |
| Mice and rats | Pest control (sometimes wildlife firms) | NJDEP licence, category 7A covers rodents |
| Raccoon, squirrel, opossum, skunk, groundhog, fox | Wildlife control | Game Code, N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.21 |
| Bats in the attic | Wildlife control (bat exclusion) | NJ Fish and Wildlife bat guidelines |
| Other protected wildlife and migratory birds | Wildlife control | NJ Fish and Wildlife depredation permit, plus federal permits for migratory birds |
| Canada geese | Specialist | USDA-APHIS and federal permits |
Any business that applies pesticides for hire must hold an NJDEP Pesticide Applicator Business licence, renewed by October 31 each year (NJDEP Bureau of Pesticide Control). Category 7A, general and household pest control, covers “roaches, ants, bees, ticks (inside and outside the structure), fleas (inside and outside the structure), rodents, other vertebrates and birds,” according to the regulation text.
So a wildlife company that puts out rodenticide bait, or applies any registered pesticide for hire, needs the business licence and a 7A applicator just like an exterminator. A company that only traps and seals entry points does not, because trapping is not a pesticide application. You can check what a business is licensed for with our licence verification guide.
The Game Code rule N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.21 is the one that matters most here. It lets property owners and occupants of dwellings suffering damage, or their agents designated in writing, control squirrel, raccoon, opossum, skunk, weasel, woodchuck, coyote, gray fox and red fox by lawful procedures at any time, subject to state law and local ordinances. Anyone controlling coyotes must notify a Division regional law enforcement office within 24 hours (rule text via Cornell LII).
NJ Fish and Wildlife’s own Depredation Control Permit application says the same thing from the business side: under the current Game Code, “pest and wildlife control agents do not require a permit to control gray squirrel, raccoon, opossum, skunk, weasel, woodchuck, gray fox, red fox, and coyote causing damage to property.” For Canada geese and other nuisance wildlife the form points to USDA-APHIS. The permit itself is issued in three categories, pest/wildlife control, migratory birds and inactive osprey nests; any work with nongame migratory birds also needs a matching federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit. The application fee is $22, and permit holders file an annual report listing species handled, methods and where each animal was released or disposed of.
What we could not find is a separate New Jersey licence for nuisance wildlife control operators of the kind some states issue. If a company tells you it holds a “state wildlife licence,” ask which permit it means and its number. A depredation control permit is a real document; so is a federal migratory bird permit.
People often assume a trapped raccoon can be driven to a park and released. In New Jersey it generally cannot. Rutgers Cooperative Extension fact sheet FS1017, Regulations Governing the Management of New Jersey Wildlife, summarising the Division’s relocation policy, says:
That fact sheet dates from 2003, and the Division’s relocation policy may have changed since, so treat the distances as the last published guidance rather than current law. The practical point holds: ask any wildlife company what it does with the animal after capture, and where.
Bats are the clearest case where a pest control habit is illegal. NJ Fish and Wildlife’s bats in buildings page says bats are protected under the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act of 1973, that “physically removing bats or poisoning bats is NOT legal and NOT effective,” and that glue traps should not be used where bats might reach them.
The legal route is exclusion: one-way devices that let bats leave and not return, then sealing the gaps. It can only be done on New Jersey’s safe dates, April 1 to May 14 and August 1 to October 15, which avoid flightless pups in summer and hibernating bats in winter. Ocean County Health Department reminds residents every autumn that the window closes October 15. If a company offers to clear bats from an attic in June or January, it is either planning to wait or planning to break the rules.
If a bat may have touched a person or pet, call your local health department first. NJ Fish and Wildlife says the bat will likely need rabies testing.
HomeGuide’s 2026 price list gives national one-time ranges:
| Animal | National range |
|---|---|
| General wildlife removal | $200 to $600 |
| Raccoons | $200 to $300 |
| Squirrels | $300 to $600 |
| Bats | $200 to $600 |
| Groundhogs | $150 to $300 |
| Snakes | $150 to $600 |
Those figures usually cover trapping or the exclusion visit. Repairing the hole the animal used, such as a chewed soffit or a torn ridge vent, is often a separate quote, and it is the part that stops the next animal. We have not found NJ-specific wildlife pricing.
For insects and rodents, go back to pest control cost in NJ.
A wildlife control company. Removing or excluding a raccoon is trapping and exclusion work governed by NJ Fish and Wildlife rules, not pesticide work. Some pest control firms also do wildlife; many do not. Ask before booking.
For some animals. NJ Fish and Wildlife's depredation permit form says pest and wildlife control agents do not need a permit to control gray squirrel, raccoon, opossum, skunk, weasel, woodchuck, gray fox, red fox and coyote causing damage to property, subject to state law and local ordinances. For species outside that list, the Division issues a depredation control permit, and some birds also need federal permits.
Not by trapping or poisoning. Bats are protected under the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act, and NJ Fish and Wildlife says physically removing or poisoning them is not legal. They can be excluded with one-way devices, but only during the state's safe dates: April 1 to May 14 and August 1 to October 15.
Only if they apply pesticides. Trapping and exclusion are not pesticide applications. A company that uses rodenticides or other pesticides for hire needs an NJDEP Pesticide Applicator Business licence, and category 7A covers rodents, other vertebrates and birds.
National cost data puts general wildlife removal at about $200 to $600, raccoons at $200 to $300, squirrels at $300 to $600, bats at $200 to $600 and groundhogs at $150 to $300 per job. Exclusion and repairs to entry points are often quoted on top.
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