⚠ Important Note
Tennessee issues wildlife rehabilitation permits on an "as needed" basis — meaning TWRA determines whether a new permit is actually necessary in your area before issuing one. This makes Tennessee one of the more selective states to get licensed in. Starting the process early and demonstrating clear local need strengthens your application.
Who Regulates Wildlife Rehabilitation in Tennessee?
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is the sole state authority for wildlife rehabilitation permits. There is no county-level permitting for rehabilitation — your permit comes directly from TWRA, and it covers the entire state. TWRA divides Tennessee into five regional offices (Regions I through V), and your application is processed through the regional office that covers your county.
In addition to your state permit, you will need a separate federal permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service if you intend to rehabilitate migratory birds — which includes virtually all songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors. The state permit alone does not cover these species. See the federal migratory bird permit guide for details on that application.
Tennessee's Eligibility Requirements
Tennessee has specific minimum qualifications that must be met before TWRA will even consider your application. You must meet at least one of the following:
- 200 hours of documented experience rehabilitating the species you wish to be permitted for, verified by a current licensed rehabilitator or veterinarian
- One year of full-time employment as a Veterinary Technician
- A Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, board certified in Tennessee
- A valid wildlife rehabilitation permit from another state covering the species you're applying for in Tennessee
For most people starting without a veterinary background, the 200-hour experience requirement is the primary path. The practical implication: before you can apply, you need to spend meaningful time working under a currently licensed Tennessee rehabilitator. There is no workaround — TWRA will ask for documentation of this experience as part of your application.
What Counts Toward the 200 Hours?
TWRA doesn't publish a rigid definition of qualifying activities, but based on how regional offices have processed applications, the following generally count: hands-on animal care (feeding, medication administration, cleaning enclosures), intake assessments, release preparation, and transport. Observational time alone — watching a licensed rehabilitator work without participating — is generally not sufficient. You should keep a contemporaneous log of hours with dates, activities, and the supervising rehabilitator's contact information. Ask your mentor to confirm hours in writing periodically, rather than trying to reconstruct them at application time.
Step-by-Step: How to Get Your Tennessee Wildlife Rehab Permit
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Find a Licensed Tennessee Rehabilitator to Work With
This is almost always the longest step. TWRA maintains a list of permitted rehabilitators, which you can request by contacting your regional office. The Tennessee Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (TNWRA) is also a good resource — their member directory includes rehabilitators open to mentoring new applicants. Be specific in your outreach: tell potential mentors what species you're interested in, your schedule availability, and that you're working toward the 200-hour requirement for a permit.
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Log Your 200 Hours (or Verify Your Equivalent Qualification)
Keep a detailed written log as you accumulate hours. Include: date, hours worked, specific activities performed, species handled, and supervising rehabilitator's name and permit number. At intervals — every 50 hours or so — have your supervisor sign off on the log. This documentation will be submitted with your application. If you're qualifying based on veterinary technician employment or a DVM, gather your supporting documentation early: employment records, license numbers, and state certification.
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Prepare Your Facility
Before applying, your facility must be inspection-ready. TWRA will conduct a facility inspection as part of the application process. At minimum, your facility must include appropriate outdoor enclosures for the species you intend to treat (TWRA follows NWRA minimum standards for cage sizing), a clean indoor holding area for juveniles and animals requiring close monitoring, and a setup that prevents escape and minimizes human imprinting. Download our free facility pre-inspection checklist to walk through every requirement before you call TWRA for your inspection.
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Secure a Veterinary Relationship
Your application must demonstrate that veterinary care is available to your facility as needed. You do not need a vet on staff — but you need a licensed Tennessee veterinarian who has agreed in writing to provide care to your rehab animals when required. This relationship is documented on the application. Many rehabilitators find a local vet willing to see wildlife patients at reduced or no cost, but this can take time to arrange. Start the conversation early.
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Obtain a Reference Letter
Your application requires at least one reference from a person knowledgeable in wildlife husbandry who can speak to your qualifications. This should ideally be your mentoring rehabilitator, a veterinarian you've worked with, or someone with recognized expertise in the field. A personal reference from a non-wildlife-related contact does not satisfy this requirement.
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Submit Application Form WR-0698
The Tennessee Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit application is TWRA form WR-0698. It requests: your personal information, the categories of wildlife you wish to rehabilitate, a description of your physical facilities, documentation of your veterinary relationship, your experience documentation, and your reference letter. Submit the completed form to the TWRA regional office that covers your county — not to TWRA headquarters. Contact your regional office before submitting to confirm whether you should mail, email, or deliver the application in person.
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Pass the Facility Inspection
After your application is reviewed, TWRA will schedule a facility inspection. A wildlife officer or TWRA representative will visit your facility to verify that it meets minimum standards for the species you've applied to rehabilitate. Common inspection failures in Tennessee include: enclosures that are too small for the species listed, lack of a predator-proof barrier, and missing documentation (veterinary agreement not yet signed, no written emergency contact protocol). Having everything documented and visible during the inspection significantly reduces the chance of delays.
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Receive Your Permit (and Understand the "As Needed" Decision)
Once your application and inspection are complete, TWRA determines whether a new permit is needed in your area. If TWRA concludes that current licensed rehabilitators in your region can adequately handle local wildlife, your application may be deferred even if you meet all qualifications. This is Tennessee's most distinctive and sometimes frustrating aspect. If you're in a rural county with few or no licensed rehabilitators, this works in your favor. If you're near a well-staffed rehabilitation center, it may delay your application. Communicating clearly in your application about specific unmet local needs — species that are hard to place, remote areas with long transport times — can help TWRA see the gap you would fill.
What Species Can You Rehabilitate in Tennessee?
Tennessee's wildlife classification system divides animals into Classes I, II, and IV. Wildlife rehabilitation permits generally cover Class II species (non-dangerous native wildlife including most songbirds, small mammals, and reptiles) and Class IV species except white-tailed deer, American black bear, and wild turkey. Class IV exceptions are important: deer and bear are Class IV and require special TWRA authorization beyond the standard rehabilitation permit even for licensed rehabilitators. If your goal is deer or bear rehabilitation, discuss this explicitly with TWRA during your application process, as separate authorization is required on a case-by-case basis.
For raptors, your state permit covers possession, but you must also obtain the federal Migratory Bird Rehabilitation permit from USFWS. Tennessee rehabilitators handling raptors operate under both a TWRA permit and a federal Special Purpose — Salvage or Rehabilitation permit.
Permit Renewal and Ongoing Requirements
Tennessee wildlife rehabilitation permits are not issued as multi-year licenses — they require annual renewal. Renewal involves demonstrating continued compliance with facility standards and submitting required reporting to TWRA. Rehabilitators are typically required to submit an annual report documenting species received, treatments administered, and release or disposition outcomes. Failure to submit this report on time is one of the most common reasons permits are placed on hold in Tennessee.
| Requirement | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 years old | No exceptions |
| Experience (primary path) | 200 documented hours | Under licensed TN rehabilitator |
| Alternative qualification | 1 yr FT Vet Tech employment, DVM, or out-of-state permit | Documentation required |
| Facility inspection | Required before permit issued | TWRA officer conducts |
| Veterinary relationship | Written agreement required | Licensed TN veterinarian |
| Reference letter | 1 required, wildlife expertise | Ideally your mentor |
| Application form | WR-0698 | Submit to regional TWRA office |
| Renewal | Annual | Annual report required |
| Birds (migratory) | Separate federal permit required | USFWS application after state permit |
| Deer & bear | Additional TWRA authorization required | Case-by-case basis |
Realistic Timeline for Tennessee Applicants
If you're starting from zero — no prior rehab experience, no veterinary background — you should plan for a timeline of 8 to 18 months before your permit is in hand. The largest variable is how quickly you find a mentor and whether you can accumulate 200 hours on a realistic schedule. Someone who can volunteer 10–15 hours per week with a licensed rehabilitator could reach 200 hours in roughly four to five months. Someone volunteering on weekends may take a year or more. Once your application is submitted, TWRA's processing time varies by region and time of year, but applicants typically hear back within 4–8 weeks of submission. Spring applications often take longer to process because TWRA staff is managing peak wildlife season.
If you already have equivalent experience or a veterinary credential, your timeline compresses significantly — potentially to 8–12 weeks from application to permit issuance, depending on facility inspection scheduling in your region.
TWRA Regional Offices
Submit your application and direct questions to the TWRA regional office covering your county. Tennessee's five regions cover the state geographically: Region I (Jackson/West Tennessee), Region II (Nashville/Middle Tennessee), Region III (Cookeville/Upper Cumberland), Region IV (Morristown/East Tennessee), and Region V (Chattanooga/Southeast Tennessee). Contact information for each regional office is available at tn.gov/twra.
💡 Practical Tip
Call your regional TWRA office before submitting your application to confirm current processing times and ask whether there is a demonstrated local need for additional rehabilitators in your area. This conversation costs nothing and can tell you a great deal about whether your application is likely to be approved promptly or deferred.
Frequently Asked Questions — Tennessee
No. Tennessee requires that you meet at least one of four eligibility criteria before applying, the most accessible of which is 200 documented hours of rehabilitation experience under a licensed Tennessee rehabilitator. You cannot apply cold — you need to work under a licensed mentor first. This is the most significant barrier for first-time applicants in Tennessee.
Your application can be deferred even if you're fully qualified. If this happens, TWRA will typically explain the basis for the deferral. You can strengthen a resubmission by documenting specific gaps in local coverage — species that are underserved, transport distances to the nearest licensed facility, or a specific population of animals that frequently needs help in your area. Some applicants also find it helpful to contact local wildlife officers who can attest to local need.
No. White-tailed deer are Class IV species that require separate, specific TWRA authorization beyond the standard rehabilitation permit. Deer rehabilitation in Tennessee is tightly controlled due to chronic wasting disease (CWD) concerns. Most individual rehabilitators do not hold deer authorization — it is primarily issued to larger, established facilities with appropriate containment. If you find an injured deer, contact TWRA directly or the nearest licensed large-animal rehabilitation facility.
After receiving your TWRA state permit, you apply to the USFWS Southeast Regional Office for a Migratory Bird Special Purpose Rehabilitation permit. Tennessee falls under USFWS Region 4. The federal application requires a copy of your current state permit, documentation of your training and experience, and a description of your facilities. See the federal permit application guide for the complete process. Processing at the federal level typically takes 6–12 weeks.
TWRA does not charge an application fee for wildlife rehabilitation permits. The permit itself is also issued at no cost. Your costs will be in facility preparation, training courses (if any), and your own time spent accumulating the 200 experience hours.