---
title: "California Legalizes Eating Roadkill, But Only Through an App"
description: "California just legalized eating roadkill, but only if people sign into an app to log the crash and get meat salvage permit."
date: "2019-10-22"
modified: "2019-10-22"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/california-legalize-eating-roadkill-through-app"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "california"
  - "food"
  - "roadkill"
  - "the digest"
---

# California Legalizes Eating Roadkill, But Only Through an App

![California just legalized eating roadkill, but only if people sign into an app to log the crash and get meat salvage permit.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/california-legalized-eating-roadkill-through-app.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Five Second Rule

California Governor Gavin Newsom just signed a new bill into law letting drivers who run over animals with their vehicles keep the meat — as long as they use a new app to log the crash.

The Wildlife Traffic Safety Act will allow Californians to legally salvage and eat roadkill, which *[New Food Economy ](<https://newfoodeconomy.org/california-legalizes-eating-roadkill/>)*[reports](<https://newfoodeconomy.org/california-legalizes-eating-roadkill/>) could be the first step toward recovering the thousands of pounds worth of [edible animals](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/expert-zombie-deer-disease-spread-humans>) left on the side of the road every year. Legalizing roadkill salvage is a growing trend across the U.S., with advocates saying it can cut down on food waste — though it's distinctly Californian to develop an app for the process.

## Finders Keepers

The law will go into effect for some test areas in 2020, though California's fish and game commission doesn't anticipate launching the app until 2022, according to *New Food Economy*.

Once it's up and running, drivers who strike an animal will be able to use the app to either claim the carcass if it's dead — the app will immediately grant them a salvage permit — or call authorities for help if the animal survived. Prior to this law, only government officials were allowed to collect roadkill.

## Roll The Dice

Most U.S. states have some sort of regulation over who can salvage roadkill and when, *New Food Economy* reports.

While supporters of the idea see salvaging as a way to reduce waste and consume [fewer antibiotic-stuffed animals](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/synthetic-microbe-next-antibiotic>), there's always the risk that the deer that wandered into the street was carrying some sort of disease.

**READ MORE:** [Hit the road: California legalizes eating roadkill](<https://newfoodeconomy.org/california-legalizes-eating-roadkill/>) \[*New Food Economy*\]

**More on meat:** *[Expert: "Zombie Deer Disease" May Have Already Spready to Humans](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/expert-zombie-deer-disease-spread-humans>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)