Origin → Destination
Bringing a carcass from Pennsylvania to Maryland
Origin · Pennsylvania
Destination · Maryland
CWDCrossing provides informational summaries of state CWD carcass-transport regulations. Rules change annually pre-hunting-season; verify with both the origin and destination state wildlife agencies before transport. Failure to comply may result in citations. Not affiliated with the CWD Alliance, the National Deer Association, or any state agency.
What you can bring into Maryland
- boneless meat / meat with no part of spinal column or head attached
- hindquarters and front shoulders with no spinal column or backbone attached
- cleaned hide with no head attached
- skull plate cleaned of all meat and brain tissue
- antlers with no meat or soft tissue attached
- upper canine teeth (buglers/whistlers/ivories)
- finished taxidermy mounts
- tanned hides
What's restricted in Maryland
- whole carcass with spinal column or head
- spinal column/backbone
- brain tissue
- head
- lymph glands
Handling + processing requirements
Carcasses from CWD areas must be processed before entering the state unless destined for a MD CWD Management Area or a CWD-authorized processor/taxidermist. 24-hour transit exception: travelers may pass through Maryland with whole carcasses from another state/province CWD management area if they remain less than 24 hours and no parts are disposed of or remain in-state.
What to do before you transport
- Confirm the current rule directly with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources before you transport anything.
- Keep proof of where you hunted — many states require a label with your name, license number, and the state of harvest.
- Pennsylvania has confirmed CWD detections; check whether Maryland applies a stricter rule to carcasses from CWD-affected states.
- If your route crosses additional states, check each one — a state you only drive through can still regulate possession in transit.
Pennsylvania and Maryland on the CWD map
- CWD confirmed in state
- Under heightened surveillance
- No known CWD detections
Zone status is informational, not a hazard rating. Detections expand over time — confirm current status with each state's wildlife agency.
Other destinations from Pennsylvania
Check a different pair
The state you took the deer or elk in.
The state sets the rule for what you can bring in.
CWDCrossing provides informational summaries of state CWD carcass-transport regulations. Rules change annually pre-hunting-season; verify with both the origin and destination state wildlife agencies before transport. Failure to comply may result in citations. Not affiliated with the CWD Alliance, the National Deer Association, or any state agency.