Is it illegal to feed squirrels?

The short answer

• No US federal or state rule we read bans feeding squirrels in your own yard. Arizona's wildlife feeding law names tree squirrels as an exception.
• California's 14 CCR 251.1 does not ban it. There, feeding is the squirrel's own behavior that a person must not disrupt. The state's feeding ban, 14 CCR 251.3, covers deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear and Nelson bighorn sheep.
• Ontario's wildlife act has no feeding ban either. The bans are city bylaws: Toronto, Mississauga and Vaughan forbid feeding wildlife on private property, songbirds excepted, and a Vaughan couple got a $615 ticket for one squirrel.
• A few US cities reach your yard too. New Braunfels, Texas names squirrels and covers private property, with a warning first and then $75 to $500. Allen Park, Michigan bans it only when it causes problems such as food left on the ground.
• Under a songbird-only bylaw, a bird feeder that squirrels raid can itself break the rule, so a baffle is part of the law there, not just the hobby.

No US federal or state rule we read bans feeding squirrels in your own yard. The bans are city bylaws, and most of the strict ones are in Canada. Toronto, Mississauga and Vaughan in Ontario ban it in your yard. Only songbirds are exempt. In 2021 a Vaughan couple got a $615 ticket for feeding one squirrel. In the US, New Braunfels, Texas names squirrels and covers yards. The one federal ban covers national parks.

In these rules, feeding means more than handing out a nut. Toronto's bylaw defines it as "providing food to, or leaving food for consumption by, wildlife." So a pile of corn on the lawn counts. You do not have to see the squirrel eat it. Wildlife in Toronto's code means any animal "wild by nature" other than a pet or a stray cat. A gray squirrel is wildlife. A songbird is "a bird belonging to the oscine division," the singing perching birds. A squirrel is not a songbird. The bird feeder exception never covers it.

Two answers go around online. One says feeding squirrels is illegal in California, or in all of Ontario. The other says nobody can stop you on your own land. Both are wrong in places. The California claim misreads one rule. The Ontario claim mistakes city rules for a provincial law. And "your land, your call" fails in any city whose bylaw reaches private property.

The rules, place by place#

Read from the texts cited below on November 14, 2026. Where a row rests on a news report, the year is given. Each row is a ruling made in the sections that follow.

California: a harassment rule, not a feeding ban#

Pages that call squirrel feeding illegal in California cite 14 CCR 251.1. The rule says no one may "harass, herd or drive" a wild bird or mammal. Then it defines the key word: "harass is defined as an intentional act which disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, breeding, feeding or sheltering."

Read it again. Feeding there is something the animal does. Your act must not disrupt it, any more than its breeding or its shelter. Chasing a squirrel off its food could be harassment. Setting out food is not named. The rule protects the squirrel's feeding. It does not ban yours.

The rule that does ban feeding is the next one, 14 CCR 251.3: "No person shall knowingly feed big game mammals." Big game is defined in section 350 as deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear and Nelson bighorn sheep. Squirrels are not on the list.

The misreading has reached city law. Placentia's 2023 ordinance, as printed in the council agenda, says 251.1 expressly includes "intentional acts such as feeding." Its draft code then adds a line the state rule does not have: "Feeding a wild animal, including, but not limited to ducks and squirrels is considered animal harassment." That line is the city's. Voice of OC reported that the final law bans feeding wildlife on public property. On private land it applies only if feeding "results in a nuisance." Ground squirrels had been digging holes in the city's sports fields.

Berkeley did the same in its parks. Since October 2014 it has been illegal to feed squirrels in any city park. The fine is $100 after a warning period, ABC7 reported.

Arizona names squirrels as an exception#

Arizona's law, A.R.S. 13-2927, bans "feeding, attracting or otherwise enticing wildlife" in counties of more than 280,000 people. It then lists exceptions, and number 4 is "tree squirrels or birds." So the one state feeding law we found that mentions squirrels says feeding them is allowed.

Ontario: the bans are city bylaws#

Search results often say that Ontario law bans feeding wildlife. We read the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. It has no such ban. Section 113 only lets the province make rules "prohibiting or regulating the feeding of wildlife." We found no such rule that reaches a backyard squirrel.

The bans are city bylaws, and they differ. In 2022 Toronto staff looked at other cities. London, Mississauga, Vaughan, Hamilton, Markham and Halifax had full bans. Ottawa, Brampton, Vancouver and Calgary banned it only in parks.

Toronto added its rule on April 1, 2023: "No person shall feed or attempt to feed wildlife, or permit the feeding of wildlife on their property." Songbird feeding is allowed on four terms. The feeder must sit high enough "so as to not attract or be accessible to wildlife." It must be on private land, with the owner's okay. Spilled food must be picked up "in a timely manner." And the feeder must be kept clean. The top fine for breaking the chapter is $100,000.

Mississauga bans feeding wild animals "on public or private property." Its page adds: "Wildlife such as squirrels should not be able to get to the birdseed." The top fine is also $100,000.

Vaughan says feeding wildlife, songbirds aside, carries a $500 fine. In 2021 a couple there got a $615 ticket for feeding a gray squirrel they called Sunny. They had been warned once. Neighbors had complained, blogTO reported, in a story the city posted on its own site. Vaughan writes of its bylaw: "Reconsider bird feeders as they attract small mammals, which encourage larger wild animals to visit your yard." The story named coyotes.

Quebec cities work the same way. Montreal says feeding wild animals is "strictly prohibited." The fine starts at $300. Global News reported in 2016 that Montreal West had issued two fines in a month for feeding squirrels. It named Cote-Saint-Luc and Kirkland as banning it too.

US cities that reach your yard#

New Braunfels, Texas bans feeding wildlife across "the entire city limits, including public parks, private property, and green spaces." The city page names "deer, ducks, geese, and squirrels." Bird feeders at least 5 ft off the ground are exempt. A first offense gets a warning. After that it is a Class C misdemeanor, with a fine of $75 to $500.

Allen Park, Michigan rewrote its rule in 2025. The old title allowed "the feeding of birds and squirrels by means of an elevated feeder." The new one drops squirrels. Feeding wildlife is now unlawful if it causes certain problems. Animals gather on a neighbor's land. Food piles up on the ground. Property is damaged, or health is put at risk. Bird feeders must keep out "other rodents and/or wild animals." Fines are $250, up to $500, then $1,000.

A worked case: one handful of peanuts, four yards#

Take a handful of peanuts and put it on a backyard deck rail in four places, under the rules above.

Yard 1: Phoenix, Arizona. Maricopa County has far more than 280,000 people, so the state feeding law applies. But tree squirrels are an exception. The peanuts are legal.

Yard 2: a California town with no feeding bylaw. State rule 251.1 does not reach this, and 251.3 covers only big game. The peanuts are legal. In Placentia they would be legal too, unless they became a nuisance.

Yard 3: New Braunfels, Texas. The city names squirrels and covers private yards. The first time brings a warning. The next handful can cost $75 to $500.

Yard 4: Vaughan, Ontario. The bylaw covers private property, and a squirrel is not a songbird. The posted fine is $500, and one couple's ticket was $615.

So the same handful is legal in two yards and an offense in two. Each time, the city decided it, not the state.

Your bird feeder is part of the answer#

Under a songbird-only bylaw, a feeder that squirrels empty can break the rule by itself. Toronto, Mississauga and Allen Park all want feeders that wildlife cannot reach. So in those cities a baffle on a pole is how you comply. Spilled seed counts too, and it draws rats and mice as well as squirrels. Our squirrel guide covers placement, and squirrel-proof feeders cover the hardware.

Where this answer stops#

• A sample, not a census. We read rules for two states, one province and nine cities. Thousands of towns have codes we did not read. Some code sites blocked us, such as Downey, California and Des Plaines, Illinois. So they are not in the table.
• News rows are dated. Vaughan, Placentia, Berkeley and Montreal West rest on reports. Montreal West's posted animal bylaw has no feeding clause, and we could not find the text the town enforced.
• Penalties are what the text states. Toronto and Mississauga give a maximum, not a typical fine.
• Not covered. Trapping and moving a squirrel is a separate question, answered in relocating squirrels by state. Parks have their own rules, covered on our page about feeders at campsites and in parks.
• Other rules add to these. An HOA, a lease or a neighbor's nuisance claim can apply where no bylaw does.

If you feed squirrels on purpose, search your city code for "feeding" and "wildlife." Our feeder ordinances page shows the height and spill rules cities set for bird feeders, and the duck feeding page does the same for ponds. The rest of the problems section works from what you see in the yard.

Frequently asked questions#

Is it illegal to feed squirrels?

Not under any US federal or state rule we read, unless you are in a national park, where feeding any wildlife is banned. It is illegal under some city bylaws. Toronto, Mississauga and Vaughan in Ontario ban feeding wildlife on private property, with an exception for songbirds only. New Braunfels, Texas bans feeding squirrels anywhere in the city, yards included. Check your city code under animals or wildlife.

Is it illegal to feed squirrels in California?

Not under state law. Pages that say so cite 14 CCR 251.1, a rule against harassing animals. It defines harass as an act that disrupts an animal's normal behavior, which includes its feeding. So the rule protects the squirrel's own feeding; it does not ban yours. California's feeding ban, 14 CCR 251.3, covers big game mammals such as deer and bear, not squirrels. Cities can still ban it, and Berkeley bans it in city parks.

Is it illegal to feed squirrels in Ontario?

Not under provincial law. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act contains no feeding ban; it only lets the province make regulations on feeding. The bans are city bylaws. Toronto, Mississauga and Vaughan ban feeding wildlife on public and private property, except songbirds at a feeder. Ottawa and Brampton banned it only in city parks as of a 2022 Toronto staff survey.

Can I get fined for feeding squirrels in my backyard?

Yes, where a city bylaw covers private property. A couple in Vaughan, Ontario got a $615 ticket in 2021 for feeding one squirrel in their backyard, after a warning. Vaughan's posted fine is $500. In New Braunfels, Texas, a first offense gets a warning and later ones a fine of $75 to $500. Allen Park, Michigan fines $250 for a first offense, but only when feeding causes a nuisance such as food left on the ground.

Does a bird feeder count as feeding squirrels?

Under a songbird-only bylaw it can. Toronto lets you feed songbirds only from a feeder high enough that it does not attract or let in other wildlife, with spilled food removed. Mississauga says squirrels should not be able to reach the birdseed. Allen Park wants feeders that keep rodents and wild animals out. A feeder squirrels eat from freely can break these rules. A baffled pole fixes that.

Sources and further reading

1. Cal. Code Regs. tit. 14, § 251.1, Harassment of Animals Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School No person shall harass, herd or drive any game or nongame bird or mammal or furbearing mammal; harass is an intentional act which disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering; landowner exception for preventing damage
2. Cal. Code Regs. tit. 14, § 251.3, Feeding Big Game Mammals Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School No person shall knowingly feed big game mammals, as defined in Section 350; operative 1996, amended 2008
3. Cal. Code Regs. tit. 14, § 350, Big Game Defined Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, black bear and Nelson bighorn sheep (in named areas)
4. A.R.S. 13-2927, Unlawful feeding of wildlife Arizona State Legislature Feeding, attracting or enticing wildlife banned in counties over 280,000 people; tree squirrels and birds excepted; petty offense
5. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 41 Government of Ontario, e-Laws No feeding prohibition in the Act; section 113(1) para. 10 lets regulations prohibit or regulate the feeding of wildlife, other than bait
6. Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals (§ 349-10.1 Feeding wildlife; § 349-27 Offenses) City of Toronto Added April 1, 2023 by By-law 1065-2022; no person shall feed wildlife or permit it on their property; songbird exception: device above grade, not accessible to wildlife, on private property, spills removed, sanitary; songbird means oscine; fine of no more than $100,000
7. Attachment 2, Jurisdictional Scan, Updates to Chapter 349, Animals (2022) City of Toronto Full feeding ban: London, Mississauga, Vaughan, Hamilton, Markham, Halifax; city parks only: Ottawa, Brampton, Vancouver, Calgary, New York City; explicit bird feeder exemption in Mississauga, Vaughan and Markham
8. Couple fined $615 for feeding squirrels in their own suburban Toronto backyard (blogTO, Aug. 4, 2021) City of Vaughan, Corporate Communications news clip Vaughan states feeding wildlife (with the exception of songbirds) is subject to a $500 fine; couple received $615 after one warning following neighbor complaints, for an Eastern gray squirrel; city statement on attracting coyotes
9. Feeding wildlife City of Mississauga No feeding wild animals on public or private property; songbird feeders above grade and sanitary; wildlife such as squirrels should not be able to get to the birdseed; Animal Care and Control By-law Part 4, Section 10; maximum penalty $100,000
10. Feeding a wild animal could cost you a lot Ville de Montréal Feeding wild animals strictly prohibited; minimum fine of $300 under the by-law concerning domestic animals; updated August 12, 2024
11. Montreal West residents facing fines for feeding squirrels (April 14, 2016) Global News Town bylaw against feeding squirrels and other wild animals; two fines in the previous month; also illegal in Cote-Saint-Luc and Kirkland; Westmount resident fined almost $500 about six years earlier
12. Wildlife Feeding Prohibition (Code Sec. 82-24 to 82-28) City of New Braunfels, Texas Deer, ducks, geese and squirrels; entire city limits including private property; bird feeders at least 5 ft off the ground exempt; warning first, then Class C misdemeanor, $75 to $500
13. Ordinance 03-2025, Sec. 6-21 Feeding of pigeons and sea gulls prohibited; feeding of wildlife City of Allen Park, Michigan Repeals a section that allowed feeding birds and squirrels by elevated feeder; feeding wildlife on public or private property unlawful if it causes listed conditions; bird feeders must prohibit access by rodents and wild animals; $250, up to $500, $1,000
14. Ordinance No. 2023-01, Chapter 9.20 Wildlife (council agenda text) City of Placentia, California Recital reads 14 CCR 251.1 as expressly including feeding; proposed 9.20.040 adds that feeding a wild animal, including ducks and squirrels, is animal harassment
15. Placentia Bans Public Feeding of Wildlife to Curb Harmful Effects of Squirrels (May 2023) Voice of OC Final approval April 2023; bans feeding wildlife on public property, and on private property if it results in a nuisance; bird feeder restrictions dropped unless a nuisance; ground squirrel holes in athletic fields
16. It's now illegal to feed squirrels in Berkeley parks (Oct. 1, 2014) ABC7 News Illegal to feed squirrels at all city parks; $100 after an initial warning period
17. 36 CFR 2.2, Wildlife protection National Park Service, via Cornell Legal Information Institute (a)(2) prohibits the feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentional disturbing of wildlife