Mushroom foraging laws in Kentucky
Compiled from official sources; not legal advice. Rules change. Confirm with the land manager or the agency before you pick.
Summary
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.
Public land
Kentucky State Parks says the Department of Parks prohibits all collecting of plants, animals and geological materials unless written approval is obtained from the Commissioner of Parks. The WMA rule (301 KAR 3:010 Section 4(12)) says that, except as the department authorizes, a person shall not collect or remove plants. Neither source names mushrooms. University of Kentucky Extension (supplement) says mushrooms may be gathered for personal consumption on WMAs, that collection is prohibited at state parks and historic sites, and that state forests need a free use permit.
Permits
State parks: written approval from the Commissioner of Parks. WMAs: the department must authorize collecting or removing plants. Extension says state forests require a Free Use Permit from the local forest manager.
Selling
Kentucky's food code (902 KAR 45:005) applies the 2013 FDA Food Code to food establishments. The Legislature's 2016 analysis of Michigan's code describes the 2013 Food Code as saying wild-picked mushrooms cannot be offered for sale by a food establishment unless it has been approved to do so. We found no Kentucky-specific wild mushroom program, so check with your local health department or the Department for Public Health before selling.
Sources
- Kentucky State Parks - Regulations
- Kentucky Administrative Regulations - 301 KAR 3:010 Public use of Wildlife Management Areas
- Kentucky Administrative Regulations - 902 KAR 45:005 Kentucky food code
- University of Kentucky Extension FOR-171 - Best Practices for Mushroom Foraging in Kentucky (supplement)
- Michigan Legislature - House Fiscal Agency analysis of HB 5532 (describes FDA Food Code 2013 wording)
Last verified: November 11, 2026