By Bob Paterson No, an ordinary person generally cannot legally capture or keep a bat as a household pet in Illinois. Illinois classifies bats in the family Vespertilionidae as protected wild mammals. State wildlife regulations also specifically provide that bats may not generally be shot, trapped, transported, or held in confinement. Limited exceptions exist for wildlife rehabilitation, scientific or educational institutions, zoological facilities, nuisance-wildlife situations, and certain other activities specifically authorized by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
What Does Illinois Law Say About Owning a Bat?
Bat possession is primarily regulated under the Illinois Wildlife Code, 520 ILCS 5.
Section 2.2 identifies bats in the family Vespertilionidae among the wild mammals protected by Illinois law. This family includes the native bat species commonly found throughout the state.
Illinois law generally prohibits a person from taking, possessing, selling, propagating, or releasing protected wild mammals contrary to the Wildlife Code.
The state’s nuisance-wildlife regulations are even more specific. Under Illinois administrative rules, bats generally may not be shot, trapped, transported, or held in confinement except under the limited circumstances authorized by the regulations.
For this reason, catching a wild bat and deciding to raise it as a pet is not lawful ordinary pet ownership.
Can You Catch a Wild Bat and Keep It?
Illinois does not allow someone to capture a bat from the wild and simply keep it at home.
A bat found in a yard, attic, garage, barn, park, or other location remains protected wildlife. Capturing the animal does not transfer ownership to the person who found it.
Illinois regulations allow people to remove bats from living quarters in certain limited circumstances, but these provisions are intended to address nuisance and public-health situations rather than create pet ownership rights.
For example, a person may capture a bat found inside the living quarters of a structure and immediately release it outdoors under circumstances permitted by state regulations.
A person may also capture and transport a bat to an appropriate health department, animal-control office, or veterinarian when there is concern about possible rabies exposure.
Neither situation allows the person to keep the bat permanently.
What Should You Do if You Find a Bat Inside Your Home?
The proper response depends on whether anyone may have been exposed to the bat.
Illinois regulations allow a person to capture a bat found in the living area of a building and immediately release it outside when there is no reason to suspect human or domestic-animal exposure.
However, the situation changes when possible rabies exposure exists.
Examples can include situations where:
- Someone was bitten or scratched by the bat.
- Someone touched the bat with bare skin.
- A bat was in a room with a sleeping person.
- A bat was present around someone who was unconscious or unable to determine whether contact occurred.
- A pet may have come into direct contact with the bat.
In such circumstances, the bat may need to be submitted to animal-control or public-health authorities for rabies testing rather than released.
Can You Keep an Injured or Orphaned Bat?
Finding an injured or young bat does not give someone the right to keep it as a pet.
Illinois licenses wildlife rehabilitators who are authorized to temporarily possess protected wildlife for treatment and rehabilitation.
A licensed rehabilitator may care for qualifying bats within the scope of the applicable permit and wildlife regulations. The purpose is generally to rehabilitate the animal and release it when legally and medically appropriate.
Wildlife rehabilitation is therefore different from ordinary private ownership.
Someone who finds an injured or apparently orphaned bat should contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources or an appropriately licensed wildlife rehabilitator rather than attempting to raise the animal permanently.
Can Zoos or Educational Organizations Keep Bats?
Certain organizations can legally possess protected bats.
Illinois law expressly allows bona fide public or state scientific, educational, and zoological institutions to receive, hold, and display protected species that have been salvaged or legally obtained.
Research facilities and other appropriately authorized organizations may also operate under applicable state or federal permits.
These institutional exceptions do not create a general permit allowing an Illinois resident to keep a bat simply because the person is interested in exotic animals.
The institution must have a legitimate scientific, educational, zoological, rehabilitation, or other authorized purpose.
Can You Buy a Captive-Bred Bat From Another State?
Purchasing an animal outside Illinois does not automatically make possession legal after the animal enters the state.
Illinois’s Wildlife Code applies to protected wildlife found within Illinois as well as protected animals brought into the state.
Exotic or non-domesticated animals entering Illinois may also be subject to veterinary health-certificate and animal-import requirements administered by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Therefore, someone should not assume that an online seller or out-of-state breeder can legally sell a bat for private Illinois ownership merely because possession may be allowed elsewhere.
The species of bat, its origin, applicable wildlife protections, import rules, and purpose for possession would all need to be considered.
Why Are Bats Strictly Protected in Illinois?
Bats play an important ecological role, particularly by consuming large quantities of insects.
Illinois recognizes 13 bat species living in the state, and several are listed as threatened or endangered. Bat populations have been affected by habitat loss, disturbance of roosting areas, pesticides, wind turbines, and diseases such as white-nose syndrome.
Rabies is another reason bats are handled carefully under state rules. Although most bats are not rabid, bats are recognized carriers of rabies, and direct human contact should be treated seriously.
These wildlife-conservation and public-health concerns help explain why Illinois does not treat bats as ordinary household pets.
What Are the Penalties for Illegally Keeping a Bat?
Violating Illinois rules that prohibit trapping, transporting, or holding bats in confinement can result in criminal penalties.
A violation of the applicable nuisance-wildlife regulation concerning bats is a Class B misdemeanor.
Other Wildlife Code violations can carry separate penalties depending on the conduct involved. Illinois may also impose civil wildlife penalties for unlawfully taking or possessing protected species.
A bat being illegally held may also be removed from the person’s possession and transferred to an appropriate wildlife or rehabilitation authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can you legally keep a wild bat as a pet in Illinois?
No, Illinois protects native bats and generally prohibits capturing and holding them in confinement. Ordinary private pet ownership is not authorized.
Q2. Can I keep a baby bat that I find?
Finding a baby or injured bat does not create ownership rights. It should generally be referred to an appropriately licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Q3. Can I remove a bat that gets inside my house?
Illinois allows limited capture and removal of bats found in living quarters. A bat may sometimes be immediately released outdoors, but possible human or pet exposure may require the animal to be submitted for rabies testing instead.
Q4. Can a zoo or wildlife facility legally keep bats in Illinois?
Yes, qualifying scientific, educational, zoological, rehabilitation, and other authorized facilities may possess protected bats when they comply with applicable Illinois and federal requirements.