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Story summary
- Tennessee eliminated the $31 permit fee for pet raccoons, sponsored by Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald).
- Owners must obtain raccoons from legal, non-native sources, verify they are not wild-caught, and hold a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency permit.
- The law still bans wild-caught raccoons as pets because the agency warns they can carry disease and become aggressive.
- Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) said thousands of Tennesseans want a pet raccoon, citing excited callers.
