This browser does not support the Video element.
Alive, cold-stunned green iguanas can now be removed from the wild without a permit.
What we know:
According to a new executive order from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, FWC, special regulations allow people to temporarily remove live, cold-stunned green iguanas from the wild without a permit. Under the executive order, 26-03, the iguanas can be brought to five FWC designated offices on Monday, Feb. 2.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also said people can dispose of iguanas, saying that bringing the iguanas to FWC offices is not required.
"People don't have to turn them over to FWC. They can dispose of them," DeSantis said, saying he expects to see a major reduction in the iguana population in Florida.
The order expires on Feb. 2 at 4 p.m., unless extended by the FWC. Outside of this order, people can't be in possession of a wild iguana without a permit.
What does the FWC's Executive Order 26-03 allow?
Under executive order, 26-03, members of the public can remove green iguanas from their property without a permit.
During the cold weather on Feb. 2, people can collect and transport live, stunned iguanas without a hunting license or management area permit, the FWC said.
Landowners living in south and southwest regions of Florida are included under the temporary collection order.
Counties in these regions include: Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Martin, MiamiDade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties} and Southwest Regions (Charlotte, De Soto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota.
Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Collecting and transporting live iguanas
To collect a live, stunned iguana for removal, the FWC urges the public to wear protective gloves, pants and long-sleeved shirts to protect from potential scratches.
Iguanas must be contained in a secure, escape-proof, cloth sack or bag. Only cloth sacks or bags may be used for primary containment to ensure breathability, and they must be securely closed shut, the FWC said.
While transporting the iguana to an FWC officr, the secured collection bags should be placed into a second secure and locked transport container and be labeled as "Prohibited Reptiles."
Iguanas can be dropped off within 24 hours of capture and no later than 4 p.m., Monday, Feb. 2. Only wild, caught green iguanas are accepted.
Where can stunned iguanas be dropped off?
The FWC provided five locations for property owners to drop off cold-stunned iguanas. These locations are:
- South Florida Regional Lab, 2796 Overseas Highway 119, Marathon, FL 33050
- FWC Office, 10052 NW 53rd Street, Sunrise, FL 33351
- Tequesta Field Lab, 19100 SE Federal Highway (US 1 ), Tequesta, FL 33469
- FWC Law Enforcement Office, 2423 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33901
- FWC Southwest Regional Office, 3900 Drane Field Road, Lakeland, FL 33811
What ‘stuns’ green iguanas?
Iguanas become stunned in near or below-freezing temperatures. These cold temperatures cause iguanas to go into a "torpor" state, causing them to temporarily lose muscle control and appear "frozen."
The FWC warns that people who encounter a stunned iguana should never bring it into their home to warm up.
"Iguanas can recover from cold-stunning more quickly than you might expect and, once recovered, can act defensively, with long tails that whip and sharp teeth and claws," the FWC said.
What makes green iguanas invasive species?
Iguanas are one of several invasive species in Florida. They negatively impact Florida's native wildlife, the Florida Museum of Natural History said.
Green iguanas eat almost any kind of foliage, flowers, or fruit and dig burrows that can disrupt sidewalks and seawalls, the museum said.
"They're not good for the overall environment, particularly the bird eggs," DeSantis said on Feb. 2 at the Forum Club of Southwest Florida.
DeSantis also identified pythons as a concern to Florida's environment. In October 2025, DeSantis spoke on the historic success of removing nearly 300 invasive pythons in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge.
What's next:
Green iguanas are not a protected species in Florida. Landowners can humanely kill green iguanas year-round on their property or with landowner permission, the FWC said.
Those needing iguana removal assistance can contact a professional wildlife control operator.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.