State
CWD rules in Indiana
CWD zone status
Agency
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Last verified
June 16, 2026
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.
Bringing a carcass into Indiana
Indiana is the regulating authority for what you can bring in. Indiana confirmed its first wild CWD detection: hunter-harvested white-tailed deer taken fall 2023 in LaGrange County, announced by Indiana DNR April 5, 2024 — zone status confirmed, not suspected. Import ban is general (all out-of-state).
Allowed for import
- deboned meat or commercially-processed meat (may contain bones)
- antlers, including antlers attached to skull caps cleaned of all brain and muscle tissue
- hides
- upper canine teeth (buglers/whistlers/ivories)
- finished taxidermy mounts
- carcasses/heads with head or spinal column attached IF delivered within 72 hours to a DNR-registered processor or DNR-licensed taxidermist
Restricted from import
- head, spinal column, or small intestine (for hunters processing their own deer/elk)
- whole carcasses retained by the hunter with brain/spinal tissue
Handling + processing
Carcasses/heads with spinal column or small intestine intact must be delivered to a DNR-registered deer processor or DNR-licensed taxidermist within 72 hours of entry into Indiana.
Taking a carcass out of Indiana
When you hunt in Indiana and bring the carcass to another state, that destination state sets the rule. Because Indiana has confirmed CWD detections, several destination states apply their stricter "from a CWD-affected state" rule to carcasses originating here — plan to bring back lower-risk parts only.
Indiana 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.
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.