Foraging laws

Alabama

Alabama state park rules bar destroying or removing native plants and collecting natural objects, and wildlife management area rules bar removing plants without legal authorization. Neither names mushrooms, so ask the land manager before you pick. Restaurants may sell wild mushrooms only with state approval and only listed species, including morels.

Alaska

Alaska allows personal-use mushroom picking in state parks and on most state land managed by DNR's Division of Mining, Land and Water. Picking to sell is not allowed in state parks, and commercial harvest on state land needs a permit. Alaska food-code rules for selling wild mushrooms to restaurants were not verified.

Arizona

No Arizona rule I found names mushrooms. State park rules bar removing plants without authority, and state trust land rules talk about removing "natural products" under permits, but neither says whether mushrooms count. Check with the land manager before you pick.

Arkansas

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission land rules bar removing objects, including plants, without Commission permission, and the rule does not name mushrooms. State natural areas managed by the Natural Heritage Commission name fungi and prohibit collecting them. I found no state park rule text on mushrooms; ask park staff. Retail food rules allow wild mushrooms to be sold only if cultivated or packaged from a regulated plant.

California

In California State Park units, gathering mushrooms is allowed only in units that authorize it, for personal use only, up to five pounds a day. State forests ban removing 'forest products' without written consent, but the rule does not say whether that covers mushrooms. California's retail food code has no mushroom-specific section, so check with the local health department before selling.

Colorado

Colorado has no rule that names mushrooms on state land. State park and wildlife area rules ban removing plants or vegetation, so ask the land manager before you pick. Restaurants and stores face tight limits on selling wild mushrooms.

Connecticut

Connecticut law requires the DEEP commissioner to allow people to take mushrooms from DEEP-controlled land for personal use only, and the state is not liable for people who do. The statute applies despite DEEP's general rules on protecting plants. I found no official Connecticut rule on selling wild mushrooms.

Delaware

Delaware State Parks rules and Fish & Wildlife land rules ban cutting, injuring or removing plants, including wildflowers, ferns and mosses, unless the Department authorizes it for management, research or educational purposes. State park rules also ban willfully collecting flora. Mushrooms are not named, so ask first. Delaware's Food Code adopts the 2017 FDA Food Code, which requires approval before a food establishment sells wild-picked mushrooms.

District of Columbia

Much District parkland, including Rock Creek Park, is run by the National Park Service. National Park Service rules ban removing plants, and Rock Creek Park's own FAQ says no one may take plants, berries or mushrooms out of the park. District food rules require wild mushrooms to come from approved sources, inspected by an approved identification expert. I did not find a DC Parks and Recreation rule on picking.

Florida

Florida state park rules say plant life is state property and may not be removed from a park, and collecting natural objects needs a permit. The rule text does not mention mushrooms or fungi, so it is unclear; ask the park. State forest rules also bar removing plants and other materials without a permit and do not name mushrooms.

Georgia

Georgia state park rules bar removing plants, but let a site manager designate certain fruits, berries, nuts or pine needles that may be gathered by hand for personal use. Mushrooms are not mentioned, so ask the park. Selling wild mushrooms requires identification by a certified identifier, and restaurants need approval.

Hawaii

Hawaii's land rules do not name mushrooms. State forest reserves require a free collecting permit for personal-use forest products, and state park and other public-land rules allow personal gathering of renewable natural products but ban gathering for sale. Whether mushrooms fall under those rules is unclear, so check with the land manager first.

Idaho

An Idaho Department of Lands guidance document lists morels as needing no permit for personal use, up to 10 gallons per person per year. Selling or picking for profit on state endowment land needs a permit or lease. State park rules ban removing "natural resources" but do not say whether that includes mushrooms. Federal lands follow their own rules.

Illinois

Illinois DNR rules allow collecting edible fungi on its sites for personal use only, during the site's regular hours, and not for resale. Nature Preserves are off limits. Illinois health guidance says wild mushrooms may not be sold at farmers markets, so selling is very restricted.

Indiana

Indiana DNR allows mushroom hunting for individual use on state park properties with no license, but not for sale. Rules may differ at state forests and fish and wildlife areas, so call the property office. Selling wild mushrooms to stores, restaurants or farmers markets requires inspection by a state-registered identifier.

Iowa

Iowa's Natural Resource Commission rules say the public may harvest mushrooms on its lands during the hours the areas are open. Selling wild mushrooms to restaurants or farmers markets is allowed only for eight listed types, each inspected by a certified identification expert. Federal land and county or city land follow their own rules.

Kansas

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks rules bar removing vegetation on department lands and waters but exempt the noncommercial gathering of edible wild plants, fruits, nuts or fungi for human consumption. Selling mushrooms taken from those lands is not covered by the exemption. Kansas Department of Agriculture rules on selling wild mushrooms could not be opened, so check with KDA before selling.

Kentucky

Kentucky State Parks prohibits collecting plants without written approval from the Commissioner of Parks, and Wildlife Management Area rules bar collecting or removing plants unless the department authorizes it. Neither official source names mushrooms. A University of Kentucky Extension sheet says mushrooms may be gathered for personal use on WMAs and that collecting is prohibited in state parks, so ask the land manager before you pick.

Louisiana

Louisiana wildlife management area rules name mushrooms: gathering mushrooms, soft fruits and berries is limited to five gallons per person per day, while removing wild plants needs an LDWF permit. State park rules bar removing park property, which includes plants and natural features, without the owner's consent, and do not name mushrooms. Commercial activity on WMAs needs a permit.

Maine

According to the Bureau of Parks and Lands, mushroom collecting on Maine Public Lands needs no permit, but state parks and historic sites do not allow gathering of any kind. State law makes removing anything natural from Bureau land without authorization a Class E crime. Maine's former wild mushroom certification law was repealed in 2021, and I did not find a current official rule on selling.

Maryland

Maryland's State park and State forest rules bar removing, disturbing or destroying any plant, with no personal-use exception and no mention of mushrooms. Two 2026 bills (HB 72 and SB 667) to create a foraging program on State land show only a committee hearing, and are not law. Food service facilities must use approved sources; I found no mushroom-specific sales rule.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts DCR park rules ban removing natural resources or vegetation from DCR land without written authorization and do not mention mushrooms, so personal picking is not clearly allowed. Ask DCR or the property manager before picking. Official sources reviewed here do not cover selling wild mushrooms; ask your local board of health.

Michigan

Michigan DNR rules let you pick mushrooms for personal use on state-owned land, except in wildlife food plots. Selling is a different matter: Michigan's Food Law requires wild-picked mushrooms sold for food to be inspected by an approved identification expert. Federal land follows its own rules.

Minnesota

Minnesota allows picking mushrooms for personal consumption in state parks, recreation areas, waysides and state forest recreation areas, but not along state trails. On state forests and wildlife management areas, small personal amounts need no permit while large amounts do. Selling to restaurants or stores requires being a certified mushroom harvester.

Mississippi

Mississippi state park rules bar taking or gathering any tree, shrub or plant on park property unless the Executive Director of the wildlife agency or a designee authorizes it, and they do not name mushrooms. Wildlife management area rules bar removing live plants without Commission approval. Ask the land manager before picking. No Mississippi rule on selling wild mushrooms was found.

Missouri

Missouri Department of Conservation rules say mushrooms on its areas may be taken only for personal consumption, and banned at several nature centers. MDC says most conservation areas and state parks allow mushroom collecting but rules vary. State park rules cap mushroom collecting at a two-gallon container but are worded in a confusing way, so ask the park.

Montana

On state trust land, general recreation needs a recreational use license, and the rules do not name mushrooms. Commercial or organized activity needs a special recreational use license, and state health guidance says commercial pickers need written permission from DNRC. Selling wild mushrooms at retail needs a state license. Federal lands follow their own rules.

Nebraska

Nebraska Game and Parks says non-commercial morel picking is allowed on its lands unless signed otherwise, but its state park regulations require the superintendent's permission to remove plant matter and do not name mushrooms. Selling wild mushrooms to stores, restaurants or farmers markets requires identification training and certification. Check with the park before you pick.

Nevada

Nevada law makes it unlawful to pick or remove flora on state park land unless you follow the Division of State Parks' regulations. Neither the law nor the park rules name mushrooms, so it is unclear whether picking them is covered. Restaurants and stores must buy wild mushrooms from an approved identification expert.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire park rules bar removing, damaging or disturbing any plant on Department of Natural and Cultural Resources properties and do not mention mushrooms, so ask before picking. State law requires a DHHS license to identify, harvest or offer wild mushrooms for sale; the law defines a harvester as someone who harvests for sale.

New Jersey

State Park Service rules say you need the superintendent's permission to remove any plant or natural resource from State parks and forests; mushrooms are not named. Bill A3425 would allow personal-use foraging there, but it has only been introduced and referred to committee (January 13, 2026), with no later action on the legislature's site. The retail food rule allows wild mushrooms sold in packaged form from a regulated food processing plant.

New Mexico

New Mexico's state park rules do not address picking mushrooms. State trust land rules bar removing "any other plant life" for recreation permit holders but do not say whether mushrooms count. Check with the land manager before you pick.

New York

On State land managed by DEC, the rule against removing plants and fungi has an exception for personal consumption. State park rules ban removing 'plant life' but do not name mushrooms. Wild mushrooms sold at retail food stores must be inspected and found safe by an approved mushroom identification expert.

North Carolina

North Carolina state parks ban removing any plant or fungus unless you hold a scientific or educational collection permit. State game lands and other Wildlife Resources Commission lands are different: the rule names mushrooms and allows taking them for personal use without written permission. Selling to restaurants is tightly regulated.

North Dakota

North Dakota state park rules prohibit collecting fruit or plant materials in parks, and do not name mushrooms. Rules on other state land vary, so ask the land manager. For selling, the state health department says wild morels must come from an approved wild-harvest identification program.

Ohio

Ohio state forest rules allow gathering mushrooms that are not endangered or threatened, except in wilderness areas, nature preserves and posted areas. State park rules allow carrying away mushrooms for personal use but also contain a collector's-permit rule for fungi, so ask the park office. Wild mushrooms cannot be sold to licensed restaurants or stores unless they meet Ohio's approved-source rules.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma law (SB 447, effective November 1, 2025) lets anyone forage edible plants or fungi for personal use on public state-owned or state-managed property, with exceptions. State park rules separately bar removing plants and gathering natural products without a permit, so ask the park first. Restaurants generally cannot sell wild-picked mushrooms.

Oregon

Oregon State Parks allow picking mushrooms for your own use, up to five gallons per person per day unless posted otherwise. On state forestland, ODF says no permit is needed for personal use, though volume can be limited. Selling wild mushrooms to restaurants and stores requires an identifier's written documentation, and commercial harvest on state forestland needs a paid permit.

Pennsylvania

In state parks, Pennsylvania rules allow gathering fungi in reasonable amounts for your own or your family's use. State forest rules list fungus among things that need written permission, with an exception for edible wild plants that does not clearly cover mushrooms. Selling wild mushrooms requires approval from the Department of Agriculture first.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island DEM rules ban cutting, removing or damaging trees, shrubs, vegetation or natural features on DEM public reservations without official written permission, and do not name mushrooms. For selling, Rhode Island's Food Code adopts the 2022 FDA Food Code, under which a food establishment needs approval to sell or serve wild-picked mushrooms.

South Carolina

South Carolina bans taking plants or plant parts in state parks without a permit, and bans gathering plants and fungi on wildlife management areas and other Department of Natural Resources land unless a permit allows it. Mushrooms in state parks are not named. Selling wild mushrooms to food establishments requires an approved, tested identification expert and is limited to listed species, including morels.

South Dakota

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks rules bar destroying, damaging or removing living or dead trees, shrubs or vegetation on department lands without written permission. The rule does not name mushrooms. Rules vary by land manager, so ask the park first.

Tennessee

Tennessee State Parks rules allow gathering reasonable quantities of renewable natural products for personal use, with fruits, berries and driftwood given as examples; mushrooms are not named. Commercial gathering is prohibited and removing plants needs a permit. State Natural Areas allow no removal of natural materials unless the management plan says so.

Texas

Texas has no rule that names mushrooms for picking on public land. In state parks the rules ban picking or removing any plant life without a director's permit, and they define plant life to include fungus. A separate rule bans removing plants from public hunting lands unless TPWD authorizes it. Restaurants and stores may sell wild-picked mushrooms only if approved.

Utah

Utah has no rule that names mushrooms on state land. State park rules require written permission to remove natural resources, and it is unclear whether that covers mushrooms. Utah does bar food establishments from selling wild-picked mushrooms.

Vermont

Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation rules allow wild mushrooms to be collected for personal use, at the collector's own risk, on Department lands. Commercial harvesting for profit there needs a special written permit. To sell foraged mushrooms, the Department of Health says you must be trained to identify local species and keep records.

Virginia

Virginia lets you gather edible fungi for personal use in state parks, and the wildlife agency's land rule says it does not stop you from gathering mushrooms. Selling is tightly controlled: restaurants and stores need state approval to sell wild-picked mushrooms. State forests and federal land were not covered here, so check with the land manager.

Washington

Washington allows picking mushrooms for your own use on state park land (up to two gallons a day) and in some areas of DNR-managed land (three gallons of one species a day, with a yearly cap). Reselling what you pick is not allowed on these lands. Rules differ by land manager and some sites are closed to picking.

West Virginia

West Virginia state parks, state forests and wildlife management areas bar removing any natural object, material or plant without written authorization, and the rule does not mention mushrooms. Ask the Division of Natural Resources before you pick. Restaurants and stores may sell wild-picked mushrooms only with approval, and farmers markets may not sell them.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin lets you hand-pick wild mushrooms for your own consumption on DNR lands, including state parks, forests and State Natural Areas, with no permit. Selling is regulated: retailers must see proof that the forager completed an approved identification course. Federal land follows its own rules.

Wyoming

Wyoming's rules do not name mushrooms for state parks or state trust land. State parks require the superintendent's permission to remove "plant matter," and trust land allows only casual day uses, with commercial use needing a special use lease. Wild-picked mushrooms under the state food rule must be individually checked by an approved identification expert. Federal lands follow their own rules.

Alberta

The Provincial Parks (General) Regulation specifically allows picking common flowers, wild fruits or mushrooms in provincial parks and recreation areas if a conservation officer gives oral approval; without that approval, removing plants is prohibited. On vacant public land the Public Lands Administration Regulation lets anyone enter for recreation and says nothing specific about mushrooms. Selling to food businesses falls under the Food Regulation's inspected-source rule.

British Columbia

According to the BC government, mushroom picking is allowed on provincial Crown land without a permit, but it is illegal in provincial and national parks. Picking is also not allowed in several other protected or conservation areas, and Crown land can be closed at any time. The park regulation bans possessing or removing any 'natural resource' in a park without a park officer's authorization.

Manitoba

According to Manitoba Parks, anyone can gather small amounts of berries, mushrooms and nuts in provincial parks for personal use without a permit, if the species is not protected. Commercial harvest in provincial parks requires a permit. For provincial forests and other Crown land we found no mushroom-specific rule; check with the land manager.

New Brunswick

In New Brunswick provincial parks the General Regulation bans cutting, damaging or removing any plant, shrub, flower or tree, and removing natural objects; it does not mention fungi. In Class II protected natural areas, gathering mushrooms for non-commercial food purposes is a listed permitted activity. We found no mushroom-specific rule for general Crown land.

Newfoundland and Labrador

The Provincial Parks Regulations ban removing, harming or destroying any object, including plant life, inside a provincial park without a permit for management or scientific purposes. They do not mention fungi by name. We found no mushroom-specific rule for other Crown land; check with the land manager before you pick.

Northwest Territories

According to the NWT Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, you can pick morels for personal use without a permit on territorial or Commissioner's lands where public access is allowed, including territorial parks. Commercial picking needs a business licence, and a Commercial Use Permit in territorial parks. Harvesting is not allowed in national parks in the NWT.

Nova Scotia

According to Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources, small-scale foraging of plants and fungi by hand for personal use on Crown land does not require a permit, and resale is not permitted. These Crown land rules do not apply to provincial parks, where the Provincial Parks Regulations ban cutting, damaging or removing any plant, shrub, flower or tree without the minister's permission.

Nunavut

We found no Nunavut government rule on picking wild mushrooms. Under the Nunavut Agreement, people other than Inuit need the consent of the Inuit organization that owns the land to enter, cross or stay on Inuit Owned Lands, though casual travel across them is allowed. Contact Nunavut Parks or the land owner before you pick.

Ontario

Ontario Parks says foraging for any plant or fungus is prohibited in provincial parks, and the park regulation bans removing plants or natural objects without written authorization. We found no Ontario government page that sets a permit rule for personal picking on Crown land, though some conservation reserves allow non-commercial mushroom picking. Check with the land manager before you pick.

Prince Edward Island

The only mushroom-relevant rule we could verify is in the Provincial Parks Regulations, which ban removing any flower, shrub or plant from a provincial park without the minister's permission. They do not mention fungi, so ask the park. PEI's published sources don't spell out Crown land rules for mushrooms; check with the land manager before you pick.

Quebec

In Quebec's provincial parks the Parks Regulation names mushrooms among the things you may not remove, but it also allows non-commercial picking of 'edible plant products' outside preservation zones; it does not say whether mushrooms count. On public forest land the Quebec government regulates only maple production and Canada yew among non-timber products, and we found no mushroom-specific rule. Selling usually needs a retail food permit from MAPAQ.

Saskatchewan

According to the Saskatchewan government, no permit is needed to harvest mushrooms in the provincial forest, but you can't harvest in provincial or national parks. Permission is needed on private, leased or reserve land. The Parks Regulations also ban taking plants or natural vegetation from park land without the minister's written consent.

Yukon

According to the Yukon government, you do not need a permit to harvest morels for personal use, but you need a free permit to harvest morels for commercial sale. Commercial harvest is limited to designated areas based on the previous year's wildfires, and permission is needed on First Nations Settlement Land and private property. We found no Yukon page on picking in territorial parks; check with the land manager.