Porcupines by State 2025

Yes

State	Porcupines Present ↓	Hunting Laws	Specific Habitat Range
Alaska	Yes	Permitted w license	Throughout all of Alaska except the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak, Nunivak, and St. Lawrence island
Arizona	Yes	Hunting prohibited	Most common in Northern Arizona
Arkansas	Yes	Permitted w license	From woodlands and forests to rocky cliff
California	Yes	Permitted	Most common in montane conifer and wet meadow habitats, and can be found in the Coast Ranges, Klamath Mountains, southern Cascades, Modoc Plateau, Sierra Nevada, and Transverse Ranges
Colorado	Yes	Permitted if porcupine is damaging crops, property, or livestock	Throughout Colorado in wooded and brushy habitats but probably are most common in woodlands of ponderosa or pinyon pine
Connecticut	Yes	Permitted	Forest areas; Northwest corner; most common in northern Litchfield County
Georgia	Yes	Permitted w license	Throughout Georgia - mountainous and hilly regions
Idaho	Yes	Permitted w license	Throughout the state
Kansas	Yes	Permitted w license	Throughout Kansas except outheastern portion of the state
Kentucky	Yes	Permitted w license	Throughout the state
Maine	Yes	Permitted	Statewide in hardwood/hemlock forests
Maryland	Yes	Permitted w license	Western part of the state (Allegany, Garrett, Washington and Frederick)
Massachusetts	Yes	Permitted w license	Western and central parts of the state and occasionally observed in Middlesex County
Michigan	Yes	Permitted w license	Statewide in forests areas
Minnesota	Yes	Permitted	Throughout the state excluding the southwestern region of the state
Missouri	Yes	Permitted	Porcupines are not native to Missouri and have only been documented a few times in the state.
Montana	Yes	Permitted	Throughout the state
Nebraska	Yes	Permitted w license	Statewide in forests areas
Nevada	Yes	Permitted w license	Dispersed across the state, besides in Nevada's most southern deserts
New Hampshire	Yes	Permitted	Throughout the state in coniferous and mixed forested areas
New Jersey	Yes	Permitted w license	Northern part of the state
New Mexico	Yes	Permitted	Throughout the state
New York	Yes	Permitted	Upstate New York, most common in Finger Lakes
North Dakota	Yes	Permitted	Eastern part of the state
Ohio	Yes	Permitted	Occasional sightings in Northeast Ohio
Oklahoma	Yes	Permitted w license	Throughout the state (mostly northwest)
Oregon	Yes	Permitted	Throughout most of the state east of the Cascade Range
Pennsylvania	Yes	Permitted w license	Throughout the state (in areas of extensive forests)
Rhode Island	Yes	Permitted if approved by Dept. of Environmental Management	Rare
South Dakota	Yes	Permitted w license	Western half of the state
Texas	Yes	Permitted w license	Western half of Texas, including the Panhandle
Utah	Yes	Hunting prohibited	Throughout the state ( wetlands, deserts, and shrub-land habitats)
Vermont	Yes	Permitted	Throughout the state
Washington	Yes	Permitted	Forested areas or brushy wetlands throughout the state
Wisconsin	Yes	Permitted	Northern half of the state
Wyoming	Yes	Permitted w license	Throughout the state
Alabama	No
Delaware	No
Florida	No
Hawaii	No
Illinois	No
Indiana	No
Iowa	No
Louisiana	No
Mississippi	No
North Carolina	No
South Carolina	No
Tennessee	No
Virginia	No
West Virginia	No

There are plenty of states that are scattered across the country that are home to porcupines. In general, this is an animal that can be found throughout most of Canada, but it is also common in the United States. There are even some species that can be found as far south as Mexico. Some of the states that have a lot of porcupines include New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the vast majority of states in the New England area. As long as you keep your eyes open, you should be able to find them in some of the cool, moist areas of the United States.

There are fourteen states that do not have porcupines. In Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, you won’t see a porcupine. In other states, sightings of porcupines may be rare or only occur in specific parts of the state.

Can You Have a Porcupine as a Pet?

There are a lot of people who are wondering if they can keep this animal as a pet. Keep in mind that the laws regarding different types of pets can vary significantly from state to state, so you need to take a look at the regulations in your area to make sure you are allowed to have a porcupine before you go out and buy one.

The good news is that most states will allow you to have one as a pet, but that does not necessarily mean that you want to have one. Porcupines are relatively easygoing, but they are not necessarily animals that are going to cuddle with you in your bed. Keep in mind that they do not necessarily have hair, but instead have spikes, which means that they will hurt you if you try to hug them.

What Does a Porcupine Eat?

If you are interested in keeping one of these animals, as a pet, you need to make sure you have the ability to feed them. What types of foods do porcupines eat? They can eat a variety of plants, as they are chiefly foragers. In the wild, they can be found feeding on the bark of different types of trees. Some of the most common species of bark they eat include hemlock, birch, beech, pine, aspen, elm, oak, willow, spruce, and fir. In addition, they like to eat various types of wildflowers and acorns. These animals also like to munch on roots and seeds. You need to make sure that your pet porcupine has enough to eat, so make sure you talk to an expert who can help you before you decide to take one home.

Porcupines by State 2025

Can You Have a Porcupine as a Pet?

What Does a Porcupine Eat?

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