Mushroom foraging laws in Vermont
Compiled from official sources; not legal advice. Rules change. Confirm with the land manager or the agency before you pick.
Summary
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.
Public land
The Forests, Parks and Recreation rule says wild berries, fruits, seeds, nuts, or mushrooms may be collected only for personal use at the risk of the collector, and applies to all Department lands except where noted. Fish and Wildlife rules for Wildlife Management Areas, Riparian Lands, Conservation Camps and Fish Culture Stations separately authorize non-commercial picking of berries, nuts, fungi and other wild edibles except ginseng. Federal lands follow their own rules.
Permits
No permit is described for personal-use picking on Forests, Parks and Recreation lands. Commercial harvesting for profit needs a special written permit from the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation or a designee.
Limits
Personal use only (Forests, Parks and Recreation lands) or non-commercial picking (Fish and Wildlife lands). No numeric limit found.
Selling
The Vermont Department of Health says that to sell foraged mushrooms in Vermont you must be trained to safely identify and harvest local species (for example a Mushroom Mountain certification), and keep sales receipts with your contact information, common and Latin names, harvest date, weight and approximate location. Commercial foragers are treated as produce farms by the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets; those selling more than $25,000 a year should contact its Produce Safety Program. Keep sales records at least 90 days.
Morel sales
Morel (Morchella americana or Morchella angusticeps) is on the Health Department's list of species commonly identified for foraging and selling.
Sources
- Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation - Rule on use of Department lands (Cornell LII)
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife - Rule on public use of WMAs and other lands (Cornell LII)
- Vermont Department of Health - Foraging Mushrooms for Retail Sale (May 2025)
Last verified: November 11, 2026