State

CWD rules in Washington

Washington restricts which deer and elk carcass parts you can bring in from out of state. You may generally import only lower-risk parts; high-risk parts are prohibited.

CWD zone status

CWD confirmed

Agency

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)

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 Washington

Washington is the regulating authority for what you can bring in. First CWD detection in Washington in 2024 (Spokane/Eastern WA area), prompting emergency rules. Import ban applies broadly (not limited to CWD-positive states), so 'restricted'.

Allowed for import

Meat de-boned in the state/province of harvest
Any part of the skull and antlers with all soft tissue removed
Antlers (velvet removed)
Hides or capes without heads attached
Finished taxidermy mounts
Tissue imported by researchers with preapproved permit

Restricted from import

Whole carcasses
Any soft tissue remaining on skull or antlers (non-tooth/bone/antler tissue)
Velvet on antlers
Brain
Spinal cord/column

Handling + processing

Velvet is soft tissue and must be removed from antlers before transport. Rules apply to out-of-state imports and to carcass movement out of the Region 1 100-series GMUs within Washington.

WDFW — Rule changes to reduce the spread of CWDverified June 16, 2026

Taking a carcass out of Washington

When you hunt in Washington and bring the carcass to another state, that destination state sets the rule. Because Washington 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.

WA → Alabama WA → Alaska WA → Arizona WA → Arkansas WA → California WA → Colorado

Washington on the CWD map

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

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.

Verified against the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on June 16, 2026Expert review in progress(state-DNR contact / wildlife biologist / hunting-org compliance officer)

How we verify Primary-source manifest CWD-zone map