Is Killing Snakes You See At Your House Illegal In New York?

As people get out into their yards and start doing some outdoor work, it's pretty common to come across a snake or two in New York. The first instinct might be to introduce it to the tip of your shovel, but hold up. Before you take it out, there are some things you should know.

Snakes are actually good to have around your house

Yeah, they're slimy-looking (even though they aren't actually slimy) and they move in ways that don't seem natural at all. But it can be a good thing to have them around your house.

If you have trouble with mice getting into your house and multiplying, it might be because you don't have enough snakes outside of your house. Rodents are often their favorite snack and they do a really good job of keeping them in control. So, mice, voles, moles, and more normally aren't a huge issue.

They like some insects that are a pain in the neck too.

New York snakes aren't normally dangerous

Again, I know they look scary, but in New York, most of the snakes we come into contact with will really cause you any harm. For the most part they're non-venomous and all they really want to do is get away from you. If you have them cornered, they might strike to defend themselves, but they aren't trying to eat you. They just want to survive.

It is illegal to kill snakes in New York State

People do it all the time, but it is actually illegal to kill snakes (and many other animals) in New York State without a DEC permit. So if the reasons above aren't enough for you, according to the law, it is illegal to capture, release, move, or kill any native snakes in New York.