Florida Iguana Laws: What Homeowners & HOAs Can Legally Do | Iguana Removal Pros

This is not legal advice

This post summarizes publicly available FWC rules and Florida statutes. Specific fact patterns — an injury to a neighbor, an HOA dispute, a municipal firearm citation — deserve a consultation with a Florida-licensed attorney. We point at sources throughout so you can verify any claim yourself.

The big picture: green iguanas are a Prohibited species

On February 25, 2021 the FWC Commission approved adding green iguanas (Iguana iguana) to Florida's Prohibited species list. The rule took effect April 29, 2021 (Rule 68-5.007, F.A.C.). Commercial breeding of green iguanas for sale under limited-exception permits was allowed to continue until June 30, 2024, at which point it was fully prohibited.

What "Prohibited" means in practice:

No new pets. You cannot acquire a green iguana as a new personal pet in Florida after the rule's effective date.
No live release. Releasing a captured green iguana into the wild in Florida is unlawful — no exceptions for "just moving it to the Everglades." (Fla. Stat. §379.231 and FWC Prohibited species rule.)
Transport requires a permit. Moving a live prohibited species off the property of capture requires an FWC permit. A homeowner hauling a live iguana across the county line is committing two separate violations: unpermitted transport and illegal release if they let it go.

What homeowners may legally do on their own property

FWC has consistently issued public guidance — and the 2021 rule change did not alter this — that a property owner may humanely kill green iguanas on their own private residential property year-round, without an FWC permit or hunting license. This is the single most important thing for homeowners to understand:

You do not need a permit.
There is no bag limit.
There is no season — you can act year-round.
Someone else may act with your written permission (common for contractors).

What the rule does not give you:

License to use inhumane methods. Killing must be humane under Florida Statute §828.12 (animal cruelty). Acceptable methods per veterinary (AVMA) guidance include captive bolt, a single-shot to the head, and pharmacological euthanasia. Drowning, freezing a live animal, and decapitation without prior stunning are not humane under Florida law and have resulted in criminal charges in the past.
Override of local firearm ordinances. State wildlife law allows firearms for wildlife control on your own property "in many settings," but Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties each have their own firearm-discharge ordinances that cover most residential zones. Air rifles are allowed in some municipalities where firearms are not. Check your city and county code before discharging any weapon. See Miami-Dade County Code §21-28, Broward County Code §39-57, and Palm Beach County Code §3-1 for the starting points in each county.
Authority on someone else's property. Trapping or killing on a neighbor's property requires their written permission — standard Florida trespass rules apply.

Do not believe the "humane relocation" pitch

If a provider tells you they will capture your iguanas and release them in a park, the Everglades, or any other outdoor location in Florida — walk away. Green iguanas are a Prohibited species; live release is unlawful. A provider pitching relocation is either uninformed about FWC rules or being deliberately dishonest. Read our post on live trapping and relocation myths for the long version.

Commercial providers: what they need

Professional iguana removal providers operating commercially in Florida generally hold one or both of the following:

FWC Nuisance Wildlife Trapper registration. Covers commercial wildlife abatement including green iguanas. Nuisance Wildlife Trappers in Florida are registered (not licensed), renew annually, and agree to FWC conduct standards.
Florida Department of Agriculture (FDACS) Pest Control License. Required for any commercial operator applying pesticides or providing integrated pest-management services. Some iguana-removal providers hold this in addition to the FWC Nuisance Wildlife Trapper registration.
General liability insurance. Not a licensing requirement, but every reputable provider carries it — minimum $1M is the industry standard. A certificate of insurance (COI) naming the property owner should be available on request.

Our own Vetted Provider program verifies each of these directly — license, insurance, and a 7-year background check.

HOA and condo-association authority

Florida condominium law (Chapter 718) and HOA law (Chapter 720) both grant associations authority over wildlife abatement on common elements — shared seawalls, retention ponds, pool decks, clubhouse grounds, and landscaping. An association may:

Adopt an iguana-management policy by board action (no membership vote required for routine pest control on common elements).
Contract a licensed provider and budget for ongoing service.
Restrict resident-led removals that would violate municipal firearm ordinances or cruelty law.
Post a "permissions granted" memo authorizing the contracted provider to act on common elements and, with individual owner consent, on limited-common elements.

What associations should not do:

Instruct residents to take action that violates local ordinance. If the board tells residents to shoot iguanas on their lots in a city that prohibits firearm discharge, the association assumes exposure when a citation lands.
Hire an unlicensed "guy with a pellet gun." Cost savings vanish at the first insurance claim. HOA directors have fiduciary duties; hiring outside the standard of care breaches them.
Rely on verbal agreements. Every iguana-management contract should be in writing, specify scope, license and insurance verification, humane-method requirements, and carcass disposal.

Sample HOA authorization memo

A one-page memo from the board to the contracted provider is usually enough. At minimum include: (1) board authorization with meeting date, (2) scope — common elements only, or specific limited-common elements with owner consent attached, (3) provider name, license number, and COI on file, (4) humane method requirement citing Fla. Stat. §828.12, (5) start date and renewal terms, (6) emergency contact for resident questions. Keep a signed copy with board minutes.

What is NOT legal — a short list

Releasing a captured green iguana back into the wild anywhere in Florida.
Transporting a live iguana off the property of capture without an FWC permit.
Acquiring a new green iguana as a pet.
Drowning, freezing alive, or decapitating without prior stunning — any method considered inhumane under Fla. Stat. §828.12.
Discharging a firearm in a residential zone that prohibits it, even for wildlife control.
Trapping or killing on a neighbor's property without written permission.

Frequently asked questions

Are green iguanas illegal to own in Florida?

Green iguanas were added to the FWC Prohibited species list on April 29, 2021. New pet ownership is not allowed; previously-owned iguanas could be registered under a no-cost personal-possession permit during the transition window. Commercial breeding of green iguanas for sale was phased out in June 2024.

Can I legally kill iguanas on my own property in Florida?

Yes. A property owner (or someone with the owner's written permission) may humanely kill green iguanas on private residential property year-round without an FWC permit or hunting license. The method must be humane under Florida Statute 828.12 (animal cruelty). Using inhumane methods — drowning, freezing alive, or decapitation without prior stunning — is prosecutable.

Can I trap a live iguana and release it somewhere else?

No. Green iguanas are a Prohibited species — you cannot release a captured green iguana back into the wild in Florida under any circumstance. Transporting a live prohibited species also requires an FWC permit. A homeowner relocating a live iguana across county lines is committing two separate violations.

Can I shoot iguanas with a firearm on my property?

State wildlife law permits it, but local firearm-discharge ordinances almost always override that permission in residential South Florida. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties and most of their incorporated cities prohibit firearm discharge in occupied residential zones. Air rifles are allowed in some municipalities where firearms are not. Check your city and county code before discharging any weapon.

What authority does an HOA have over iguana management?

Florida condominium and HOA statutes (Chapters 718 and 720, Florida Statutes) give associations authority over wildlife abatement on common elements. An HOA may adopt an iguana-management policy, contract a licensed provider, and restrict resident-led removals that would violate municipal ordinances. The HOA assumes liability for any action it directs, so policies should explicitly require providers who are licensed, insured, and use humane methods.

Do iguana removal providers need a special license in Florida?

Commercial iguana removal providers typically operate under a Nuisance Wildlife Trapper registration with FWC or a Florida Department of Agriculture pest control license. Providers that handle iguanas commercially (including euthanasia and carcass disposal) should also carry general liability insurance. You can verify both through FWC and FDACS directly.

Verify anything in this post

Primary sources for every rule cited above:

FWC Invasive Nonnative Reptiles rule-development page (https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/nonnatives/rule-development/) — Prohibited species classification and effective dates.
Rule 68-5.007, Florida Administrative Code — Conditional and Prohibited Nonnative Species.
Florida Statutes §828.12 — Cruelty to animals (humane method requirements).
Florida Statutes §379.231 — Regulation of foreign wildlife.
Florida Statutes Chapter 718 (Condominium Act) and Chapter 720 (HOA Act) — association authority over common elements.
Miami-Dade County Code §21-28, Broward County Code §39-57, Palm Beach County Code §3-1 — local firearm-discharge ordinances.

Last reviewed: April 19, 2026. If you find an FWC rule change that post-dates that review and contradicts anything here, please let us know via the contact form and we will update the post.