1. The sale of live native turtles collected in Wisconsin is not allowed.
2. Residents and nonresidents may possess and exhibit non-native herptiles for commercial purposes without any Department of Natural
Resources license.
3. Residents and nonresidents may exhibit but not sell native herptiles, at commercial exhibits, such as swap meets, but ONLY under the
authority of a Class A or Class B Captive Wild Animal Farm or Nonresident Temporary Exhibitor’s License.
4. Residents holding a Commercial Fishing License may harvest turtles on Wisconsin/Mississippi Boundary Waters. These licenses are available
only to residents.
5. A captive wild animal farm license authorizes the holder to possess, propagate, kill, exhibit, purchase and sell live captive wild animals of
the species specified by the department on the license. A captive wild animal farm license does not authorize taking, capturing or killing
animals from the wild. All animals must be obtained from a legal captive source. The licensee may only sell live animals of the species
listed on the license to persons authorized to possess these species.
6. A class A captive wild animal farm license allows and is required to sell any native reptile or amphibian taken or reared outside Wisconsin.
Native reptiles and amphibians taken or reared outside of Wisconsin may only be sold to individuals or businesses outside of Wisconsin or
to educational or research institutions located in Wisconsin
Blanding’s Turtle Emydoidea blandingii
Common Map Turtle Graptemys geographica
Common Musk Turtle Sternotherus odoratus
Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentina
Eastern Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera spinifera
False Map Turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica pseudogeographica
Midland Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta marginata
NATIVE SPECIES
1. A person may collect or possess up to 5 individuals of each native herptile species that are not protected except the possession limit for
snapping turtles, Chelydra s. serpentina, and softshell turtles, Apalone sp., is 3 statewide. The one exception is on the Mississippi River,
where the possession limit is 10 for snapping turtles and 5 for softshell turtles.
2. There are no possession limits or restrictions for residents or nonresidents for nonnative herptiles.
3. It is unlawful to possess: Ornate box turtle, Terrapene o. ornata, Blanding’s turtle, Emydoidea blandingii, Wood turtle, Clemmys insculpta
or any federally protected species.
4. Native herptiles not listed as endangered or threatened may be sold without a license if it has an atypical color or an atypical pattern
5. The sale of live native turtles collected in Wisconsin is not allowed
SUMMARY OF WISCONSIN TURTLE LAWS
POSSESSION
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Wisconsin
Nauti-Lass Ponds & Critters, Inc.
pet turtles turtle facts types of turtles baby turtles for sale
TAKING FROM THE WILD
Midland Smooth Softshell Apalone mutica mutica
Ornate Box Turtle Terrapene ornata ornata
Ouachita Map Turtle Graptemys ouachitensis ouachitensis
Western Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta bellii
Western Spiny Softshell Apalone spinifera hartwegi
Wood Turtle Glyptemys insculpta
COMMERCIAL
1. Any person who collects, attempt to collect, or possesses native Wisconsin aquatic turtles must possess a Fishing, Small Game or specialty
license
2. State or federally protected species may not be taken.
3. The open season for aquatic turtles runs from July 15 through November 30. Turtles or turtle eggs may not be taken or collected during
the closed season
4. No native herptile with open season may be collected or possessed dead or live in Wisconsin above the legal possession limits (see limits
above under Possession) without a Scientific Research License or a Class A Captive Wild Animal Farm License.
5. Snapping turtle have a minimum carapace (top shell) size limit of 12-inches and a maximum of 16-inches in length. There are no size
limits for other herptiles.
6. Turtles may be taken by hand, dip net, hook and line, set line, set or bank poles, hooking, or hoop net trap.