How to Report a Wildlife Violation or Alert on the FWC Website

Updated

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) routes reports through its Wildlife Alert program, and the entry point on myfwc.com is the Law Enforcement/Report a Violation link in the "How Can We Help You?" section of the homepage. Use it for suspected poaching, illegal hunting or fishing, boating violations, injured or distressed wildlife, or other fish and wildlife law violations. For an emergency in progress, call 911 first — Wildlife Alert is a reporting channel, not an emergency dispatch service.

What Wildlife Alert Covers

Wildlife Alert is FWC's public reporting program for fish and wildlife law enforcement. Typical situations that fit:

  • Suspected poaching or hunting/fishing out of season, over the bag limit, or without a license
  • Illegal trapping, netting, or sale of wildlife
  • Boating under the influence or reckless boating that endangers wildlife or people
  • Injured, sick, orphaned, or distressed wildlife
  • Pollution or habitat destruction affecting fish and wildlife
  • People feeding, harassing, or illegally keeping wildlife

If the situation is an immediate threat to a person or an animal, treat it as an emergency and call 911 rather than filing through the website.

Finding the Report Entry Point

  1. Go to myfwc.com.
  2. Scroll to the "How Can We Help You?" section on the homepage.
  3. Select Law Enforcement/Report a Violation. This is the doorway to the Wildlife Alert reporting options.

The homepage also carries a Wildlife Alert heading in its navigation and a WMA Closures and Updates link, which is useful if your report relates to a wildlife management area that may be closed or restricted.

Information to Have Ready

A useful report is specific. Before you submit, gather:

Detail Why it matters
What happened Describes the violation or wildlife problem
When it happened Date and time narrow the investigation
Where it happened County, waterbody, WMA, road, or GPS coordinates
Who was involved Description of people, vehicles, boats, or vessel registration
Evidence Photos or video, if safe to capture
Your contact info Lets officers follow up; ask about anonymity if you prefer

Never put yourself at risk to collect details. Observe from a safe distance and report what you saw.

Non-Emergency Wildlife Questions

Not every wildlife issue is a violation. For questions about nuisance wildlife, injured animals that aren't a law enforcement matter, or general species information, start from the Wildlife section of the site rather than the violation report. The homepage's "How Can We Help You?" menu also links to Habitat & Species Conservation, Hunting, Saltwater Fishing, Freshwater Fishing, Licenses & Permits, Boating, Research, and Discover Wildlife, which can point you to the right program before you file a report.

Common Pitfalls

  • Reporting an emergency through the website. If someone is in danger or a crime is in progress, call 911.
  • Vague locations. "Somewhere on the lake" is hard to act on; give a landmark, ramp, or coordinates.
  • Waiting too long. Report as soon as it's safe — details fade and evidence disappears.
  • Assuming you must identify yourself. Ask about anonymous reporting if that's your concern.

For current reporting options, phone numbers, and any reward program details, open the Law Enforcement/Report a Violation page directly, since FWC updates these channels over time.