Mushroom foraging laws in Massachusetts
Compiled from official sources; not legal advice. Rules change. Confirm with the land manager or the agency before you pick.
Summary
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.
Public land
DCR's rules (302 CMR 12.04) say no person may damage, disturb or remove any DCR property or resource, including natural resources, except through permitted hunting, fishing or trapping or with other written authorization from the Department. They also say no tree or other vegetation may be planted or removed from DCR property unless the Division Director authorizes it. Mushrooms and fungi are not mentioned, so ask DCR before picking. Town, federal and private land follow their own rules.
Permits
Written DCR authorization is required for the removals described in 302 CMR 12.04(21), and Division Director authorization for removing vegetation under 12.04(24). No mushroom-specific permit is described.
Sources
- 302 CMR 12.04 - Rules of Conduct on DCR Properties, Generally (Cornell LII)
- 302 CMR 12.01 - General Provisions (Cornell LII)
Last verified: November 11, 2026
Public land in Massachusetts · Species recorded in Massachusetts