Are Bats Protected in Utah?

Short answer: yes, every Utah bat is protected

All of Utah’s bats are protected wildlife. In a July 14, 2026 news release, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) put it plainly: “Because bats are a protected wildlife species, it’s illegal to kill them.” Utah State University Extension’s Wildlife Damage Management bulletin, written with DWR and the Utah Department of Agriculture, says the same thing in its legal status section: all bat species are protected by Utah law, and it is illegal to intentionally kill bats. The bulletin adds that federal protection also applies to bat species on the Endangered Species List. It is dated 1996, so check the current list with DWR before relying on it for a particular species.

Utah has 18 confirmed bat species, according to DWR. The big brown bat is the most common, per USU Extension, and about half of Utah’s species will use buildings at some point.

What the DWR rule says

The rule that covers bats is Utah Administrative Code R657-19, Taking nongame mammals. It lists “any species of bats” first among the nongame mammals it covers, and it sets these requirements:

• Certificate of registration required. Section R657-19-4 says a certificate of registration is required to take bats of any species. Most nongame mammals can be taken without one, but bats are on the short list that cannot.
• No live capture. R657-19-3 says live capture of nongame mammals is prohibited under the rule, with an exception for capture authorized under a different DWR rule (R657-3, which covers collection and possession of zoological animals).
• No buying or selling. A person may not purchase or sell any nongame mammal or its parts.
• Penalty. R657-19-11 makes any violation of the rule a Class C misdemeanor.
• Registration can be denied. DWR may deny a certificate if, among other reasons, the activity would violate another law or isn’t in the interest of wildlife or public safety.

In everyday terms, a homeowner cannot trap, poison, swat or otherwise take bats as pest control. The USU Extension bulletin also notes that no chemicals or toxicants are registered for lethal control of bats, and that earlier registrations such as DDT and RoZol have been withdrawn.

How legal removal works for a colony

DWR’s guidance for a colony in an attic is short: contact a local, permitted wildlife nuisance control company. DWR then coordinates with the company to authorize the removal at times of year that won’t harm the pups. That coordination is the reason a legitimate exclusion isn’t scheduled on the same day you call in June.

DWR describes the seasonal logic this way. Female bats usually move into a building in May or June to give birth. From June through August, DWR calls it the hardest time for bat nuisance issues, because the young can’t fly and depend on their mothers’ milk. Keeping the mothers out kills the pups, and badly timed removals can push bats into the living space as the mothers try to reach their young. Unless there is a human health and safety issue with bats in close contact with people, DWR does not permit bat colony removal during that period. The related guidance for homeowners is to avoid sealing openings from May through August. USU Extension’s bulletin gives “late May through July” as the period when flightless young are present, which is a slightly shorter window, but DWR’s current news release is the one to follow.

Outside that window, DWR describes a method that does not harm bats: after August, once young can fly, hang bird netting over an exterior opening, stapled at the top and sides and left open at the bottom, for four to five days or until all the bats have left, then seal the holes. Our exclusion vs. repellent guide and the maternity season guide cover the details.

What you can do yourself, legally

• Let a lone bat leave. If a bat gets into the living area and no one had contact, DWR says to turn off the lights inside, turn on a porch light, open a door or window, leave the room, and let it go on its own.
• Release one safely. If it won’t leave, DWR’s method is a small box or can placed over the bat while wearing heavy leather gloves, cardboard slid underneath as a lid, and a release outside on a tree or other high object. Never touch a bat with bare hands.
• Prevent entry. DWR recommends cooling the attic with fans, inspecting siding, chimneys and rooflines for gaps, and sealing with caulk, hardware cloth, foam sealant or chimney caps outside May–August. USU Extension says bats can enter any opening about ¼ inch across.
• Discourage a porch roost. If bats use a porch or overhang as a night roost, DWR suggests hanging streamers, balloons or old CDs that move in the breeze.
• Provide alternatives, carefully. USU Extension suggests alternative roosts such as bat houses, ideally in place before an exclusion.

When the law and public health meet: contact with a bat

The protection of bats doesn’t override the need to test one that may have exposed someone. Utah DHHS’s 2025 rabies report says all 24 rabid animals found in Utah that year were bats, and that 240 bats were tested, with 10.0% positive, the most bats ever submitted in one year. The rabid bats exposed at least 19 people and 26 pets. If a bat bit or scratched someone, touched a pet, or was found where someone was sleeping, DHHS’s guidance is to capture it without touching it and call your local health department; do not release it. Bites can be too small to see. Testing a captured bat can rule out the need for post-exposure treatment.

Some animal control agencies, Davis County’s for example, say they won’t respond to a bat unless a domestic animal had contact, so it is worth calling your local health department as well. Our rabies exposure guide lists the steps.

Who to call at DWR

• Northern Region (Ogden): 801-476-2740
• Central Region (Springville): 801-491-5678
• Salt Lake office: 801-538-4700
• Northeastern Region (Vernal): 435-781-9453
• Southeastern Region (Price): 435-613-3700
• Southern Region (Cedar City): 435-865-6100

DWR also asks the public to report dead or sick bats found between January and April, as part of white-nose syndrome surveillance. See our bats in winter guide.

Common questions

Sources

1. Utah DWR: What to know about bats in Utah (July 14, 2026)
2. Utah DWR: Administrative rule R657-19, Taking nongame mammals
3. Utah State University Extension: Bats (Wildlife Damage Management Series, PDF)
4. Utah DWR: Contact us (regional offices)
5. Utah DWR: White-nose syndrome
6. Utah DHHS: Rabies Annual Report 2025
7. Utah DHHS: Frequently asked questions about rabies (PDF)
8. Wild Aware Utah: Bats