California Code         California Code of Regulations

LIVE RESTRICTED ANIMALS

Live restricted wild animals are regulated by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Wild animals are limited to birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, gastropods (slugs/snails), bony fish (Osteichtyes), and lampreys (Monorhina).   They are categorized as Welfare Animals (protect wild populations) or Detrimental Animals (threat to native wildlife, agriculture, or public health or safety).

PERMIT required to import, export, transport, maintain, sell, dispose of, use, possess and release live restricted animals. 

BANS restricted as pets.

• GRANDFATHER: Welfare species owned on effective date
  

BANS import of elk.

• EXEMPT: Department and USDA zoos
  

BANS using bullhook, ankus, baseball bat, axe handle, pitchfork, or other device designed to inflict pain on elephants.


LIST:   See more detailed Chapter 671 List

EXEMPTIONS:

• Holder of another department issued permit except for game mammals or import of live aquatic animals
  
  • EXCLUDES: import of mollusks, crustaceans, ornamental marine or freshwater animals not for human consumption or bait maintained in closed systems for personal, pet industry, or hobby purposes, registered aquaculturists
    
  • INCLUDES: Species above placed in state waters
    
• AZA zoo for welfare species (W) only
  
• non-AZA zoo granted a waiver 
  
• university, college, governmental research agency, or other bona fide scientific institution, engaging in scientific or public health research for welfare species only
  
  • Excludes transgenic aquatic species
    

PERMITS: (Click for additional information)

• Animal Care (possess animals owned before January 1992)
  

• Aquaculture (import, transport, possess, sell by aquaculturist)
  

• AZA (Must exhibit and breed)
  

• Breeding
  

• Broker/Dealer (Resident/nonresident - buy, sell or transport)
  
  • Only allows in transport caging up to 48 hours (allows 48 hours more with USDA vet approval)
    
  • Nonresidents may only transport between broker/dealers and export
    

• Exhibiting (Resident/nonresident commercial or educational at least half time)
  

• Native Species Exhibiting (resident - Non-releasable native birds or mammals for education)
  
  • Must be from Department or rehabilitator with a vet statement of non-releasable status
    

• Nuisance Bird Abatement (resident/nonresident - use raptors to abate nuisance birds)
  
  • Only allows harassing - BANS abating protected birds - requires health certificate for import and need activity location within 5 days with names, addresses, dates and locations
    

• Research (University, college, government agency, scientific institution)
  

• Shelter Permits (Resident sanctuaries - Must demonstrate need)
  
  • Allows exhibiting for fundraising and import if no one else available to take it
    

• Single Event Breeding for Exhibitor (Resident –exhibitor permit for one-time single breeding - May be renewed if confirmed not successful)
  

• Fish (Resident - Retail, wholesale or import business)
  

(California Code Fish & Game Code Div. 3, Ch. 2; California Code of Regulations Section 671)

RESTRICTED - CIRCUS CRUELTY PREVENTION ACT

BANS sponsoring, conducting or operating a circus in the state that uses animals other than domestic dogs, cats or horses.   

BANS exhibiting or using animals other than domestic dogs, cats or horses in a circus.

EXEMPTS: rodeos

PENALTY: Civil penalty up to $25,000 per day – action may be brought by Attorney General, department, Department of Food and Agriculture, district attorney, city attorney, or city prosecutor

FULLY PROTECTED NATIVE SPECIES

BANS desert tortoises.

• EXEMPT: scientific or educational institutions and public zoos
  
• GRANDFATHERED: those before May 7, 1973 under a Tortoise Permit
  

BANS take and possession of other Fully Protected Native Species.

• PERMIT (Memorandum of understanding) issued to take fully protected native species for scientific purposes
  

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Protected species for conservation research
    
  • Lawfully imported protected species with written authorization
    
  • Take of Santa Cruz long-toed salamander along State Route 156 corridor through Moro Cojo Slough in the County of Monterey for construction
    
  • Take of protected reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals under Quantification Settlement Agreement
    
  • Take of limestone salamander due to Ferguson Slide Permanent Restoration Project on State Route 140 from 8 miles east of Briceburg to 7.6 miles west of El Portal in Mariposa County
    
  • Take of blunt-nosed leopard lizard due to Allensworth Community Services District’s drilling and construction of a new water well
    
  • Take of any protected reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals in a natural community conservation plan
    

LIST:
Fish (8/8/19):            

• Colorado pikeminnow
  
• Mohave chub
  
• Lost River sucker
  
• Modoc sucker
  
• shortnose sucker
  
• humpback sucker
  
• Owens pupfish
  
• unarmored threespine stickleback
  
• rough sculpin
  
• bonytail
  
• Owens tui chub
  
• Cottonball Marsh pupfish
  
• desert pupfish
  

Amphibians (Effective 1/1/21):

• Santa Cruz long-toed salamander
  
• limestone salamander
  
• black toad
  

Reptiles (Effective 1/1/21):

• blunt-nosed leopard lizard
  
• San Francisco garter snake
  

Birds (Effective 1/1/16):  

• American peregrine falcon
  
• brown pelican
  
• California black rail
  
• California clapper rail
  
• California condor
  
• California least tern
  
• golden eagle
  
• greater sandhill crane
  
• light-footed clapper rail
  
• southern bald eagle
  
• trumpeter swan
  
• white-tailed kite
  
• Yuma clapper rail
  

Mammals (Effective 1/1/16):

• Morro Bay kangaroo rat
  
• bighorn sheep except Nelson in Section 4902
  
• northern elephant seal
  
• Guadalupe fur seal
  
• ring-tailed cat
  
• Pacific right whale
  
• salt-marsh harvest mouse
  
• southern sea otter
  
• wolverine
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Written requests submitted with name and address, species and number to collect, scientific background and research experience of principal investigator and assistants, description of proposed study, and duration of study including locality and periods of sampling or capture
  
• Meet State-Federal Cooperative Agreements for rare, endangered and threatened species
  

(California Code Fish and Game Code 2081.5, 2081.7, 2081.9, 2081.12, 2835, 3511, 4700, 5000 – 5002, 5050, 5061, 5515, 6896; California Code of Regulations 5.93, 670.7 & 674)

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

TAKE

BANS take of fully protected and endangered and threatened species (see those sections).

• LICENSE (Sportfishing License) required to take other native herptiles
  

WILD-TAKE:

• Amphibians:
  
  • NO LIMIT:
    
    • Southern leopard frog
      
    • Rio Grande leopard frog
      
    • American bullfrog
      
  • YEAR-ROUND DAILY TAKE/POSSESS 4/SPECIES:
    
    • Unlisted amphibians in Code Section 5.05
      

• Reptiles:
  
  • NO LIMIT:
    
    • Painted turtle
      
    • Pond slider
      
    • Spiny softshell turtle
      
  • DAILY TAKE/POSSESS 1:
    
    • California mountain kingsnake not in banned counties below
      
      • EXCLUDES: San Diego and San Bernardino Mountain kingsnakes
        
  • LIMIT 25 TOTAL:
    
    • Western fence lizards
      
    • Common sagebrush lizard
      
    • Common side-blotched lizard
      
    • Western skink
      
    • Desert night lizard
      
      • EXCLUDES: Sierra night lizard
        
  • DAILY TAKE/POSSESS 4 EACH:
    
    • Gophersnake
      
    • California kingsnake
      
  • YEAR-ROUND TAKE/POSSESS 2 EACH:
    
    • Unlisted reptiles in Code Section 5.60 not banned
      
  • BANNED:
    
    • Southern California slender salamanders (Santa Rosa Mountains in Riverside County)
      
    • Black salamanders (San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties)
      
    • Red diamond rattlesnake
      
    • Geckos (parts of San Diego County)
      
    • Night lizards (parts of Kern County)
      
    • Rubber boas (Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties)
      
    • Ring-necked snakes (San Bernardino and Inyo counties)
      
    • Coachwhips (Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Stanislaus, and Tulare counties)
      
    • Striped racers (Alameda and Contra Costa counties)
      
    • Patch-nosed snakes (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties)
      
    • Glossy snakes (Alameda, Fresno, Imperial (west of Hwy 111), Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside southwest of Hwy 111 and I-10, San Benito, San Bernardino West of I-215 and Hwy 138, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Tulare counties)
      
    • California mountain kingsnakes (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties)
      
    • Common gartersnakes (San Mateo, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Ventura counties)
      

(14 California Code of Regulations 5.05 & 5.60)

RATTLESNAKE COMMERCIAL AND BIOMEDICAL USE

PERMIT (Commercial Native Rattlesnake Permit) required to possess, propagate, exchange, or transport native rattlesnakes for commercialized venom extraction; sell, import, or export native rattlesnake venom or products for commercial purposes; or purchase native rattlesnakes from a biological supply house to develop or sell biomedical and therapeutic products.

LIST:

• Western diamond-backed rattlesnake
  
• Mohave rattlesnake
  
• Western rattlesnake
  
• Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
  
• Sidewinder
  
• Panamint rattlesnake
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Permit for each facility
  
• Resume with dates and description of applicant or employee’s in creating products including 1000 hours of husbandry experience of snakes and 200 hours of handling experience with venomous snakes within last 5 years (if working with live snakes)
  
• Letter of reference from expert within last 5 years
• Statement of purpose including proposed quantities per species
  
• Emergency Action Plan (if working with live snakes)
• 18+ including staff working with snakes
• Experienced person present at all times while being handled or venom processed
• Does NOT sell but may transfer to permittee
• Does NOT release into wild those in captivity
• Allows inspections 
• Meets humane care and treatment requirements  
• Responsible for costs of escaped snakes   
• Immediately report serious human injury or death to regional office
• Immediately report escapes to regional office and law enforcement in county 
• Keep records for 3 years with scientific name and number of those purchased, propagated, transferred, exchanged, died and possessed, people acquired from or given to and the dates
• Annual report 
• Shipments: Copy of permit, label with “Live Rattlesnakes - Handle With Care”
  

(14 California Code of Regulations 42)

PROPAGATION

PERMIT (Native Reptile Propagation Permit) required to sell, possess, transport, import, export or propagate native reptiles for commercial purposes OR propagate native reptiles for noncommercial purposes.

• EXEMPTIONS:
  
  • Pet shops using native reptiles for commercial purposes that keep bill of sales and no violations for reptiles in last 3 years
    
  • Sale and propagation of captive-bred albino reptiles and amphibians
    

REQUIREMENTS:

• Noncommercial: Allows 3 species and 30 total with only up to 4 per species from wild within the limits in 5.60
  
• Commercial: limited to California kingsnake, Great Basin gophersnake, Pacific gophersnake, San Diego gophersnake, Sonoran gophersnake, and Northern three-lined boa AND requires bill of sale
  
• Wild-caught must follow limits in 5.60, unlimited captive-bred ones allowed
  
• Meets humane care and treatment requirements  
  
• Keep records for 3 years with scientific name and number of those purchased, sold, possessed and taken, people acquired from or sold to, dates of transactions, prices, dates and numbers of eggs laid and dates and numbers of births
  
• Annual report
  
• Allow inspections 
  

(14 California Code of Regulations 43)

 NATIVE Wild Rodents

BANS capturing and transporting for sale and sale of native rodents.

• EXCEPTION: muskrats and beavers
  

(California Code Fish and Game Code Div. 3, Ch. 6)

ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES

BANS import, export, take, possession, purchase, and sale of endangered and threatened species.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Invertebrates other than mollusks, crustacean, and other aquatic invertebrates
    
  • Those with written authorization
    

LIST (3/19/20):    See Fish and Game Code Section 670.5

(California Code Fish & Game Code Div. 3, Ch. 1.5; 14 California Code of Regulations § 670.1 et. al, 679, 783.0 et al.)

Domesticated big game animals

Must mark domesticated big game mammals and nonnative hoofed big game mammals in captivity with 25 cent seal, ear tag or other method within 30 days.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Public zoological gardens
    
  • Game breeders on Santa Barbara Channel area islands
    
  • When it causes substantial risk to human safety or animal health and safety
    

BIG GAME LIST (8/21/20):

• deer
  
• elk
• pronghorn antelope
• wild pig including feral, Europeans wild pigs and hybrids
  
• Black bear
  
• Nelson bighorn sheep

(14 California Code of Regulations § 251.6)

MOUNTAIN LIONS

BANS possession of mountain lions.

• PERMIT (Mountain Lion Possession Permit) issued to nonprofit museum or government-owned facility open to public or educational institution
  
• GRANDFATHERS: Mountain lions possessed before 6/6/1990 for which a permit was obtained
  

(14 California Code of Regulations § 251.4)

GAME AND NONGAME BIRDS AND MAMMALS AND FURBEARERS

LEGAL to keep any nongame bird or mammal legally taken.

BANS live take of game birds and mammals, furbearers and nongame under a hunting or trapping license.

BANS nutria.

(14 California Code of Regulations § 473, § 251.5)

OTHER FISH AND WILDLIFE PERMITS

BANS big game animals except under permit.

BANS possession of game and nongame mammals and birds, furbearer, reptile or amphibian unless otherwise authorized.

• EXEMPT: Temporary confinement of injured, diseased or orphaned animals that notify nearest regional office within 48 hours
  

PERMIT required for various activities involving wildlife. 

• Scientific Collecting Permit (take and possess wildlife for scientific, educational, and/or propagation to sustain species purposes except other commercial activity or consumption)
  
• Field Collecting Permit (biological supply houses taking reptiles/amphibians and bullfrogs for sale to scientific or educational institutions)
  
• Protected Species for Exhibition (Wildlife acquired by the Fish and Game Commission given to public zoos and scientific or education institutions for exhibition)
  
• Rehabilitation Permit (restore wildlife to condition of good health for release)
  
• Falconry Permit
  
• Domesticated Game Breeder License
  
• Fallow Deer Farming Permits
  

REHABILITATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Meet minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation
  
• 2 letters from nearby facilities stating need for new one
  
• 400 hours of experience within 2 years working at CA facility or equivalent
  
• Veterinarian letter sponsoring them
  
• Pictures or diagrams of caging 
  
• Statement of intent and plans for record-keeping, animal intake, euthanasia, carcass disposal, handling public phone calls, volunteer training, animal diets, and disinfectant and disease control
  
• Allows inspection
  
• Wildlife must be separate from domestic animals, not be publicly displayed and minimally handled 
  
• Animals may only be released as approved by Department and may only be sent to zoological garden, museum, college, university or other educational/research institution or wildlife exhibitor if unable to release
  
• Notify region office within 24 hours of animal dies of suspected disease
  
• Written record for each animal
  
• 1 annual 2-hour Department-approved rehabilitation training session for all facility personnel, professional and volunteer
  
• special authorization needed for big game, fully protected species and endangered and threatened species except invertebrates   
  

(14 California Code of Regulations 650, 651, 654, 658, 670, 679)

SALE OF LIVE AQUACULTURE BY PET STORES AND AQUARIUMS

PERMIT (Aquarium Dealer Permit) issued for pet stores and aquariums.

• LIMITED TO:
  
  • Tropical ornamental marine or freshwater plants and animals not for consumption or bait
    
  • Goldfish
    
  • Koi
    
  • Albino channel catfish
    
  • White sturgeon under 8” (under Aquarium Dealer’s Permit only)
    
  • Giant freshwater prawn
    
  • Brine shrimp
    
  • Detritus worms (family Tubificidae)
    
  • Native crustaceans (order Amphipoda)
    
  • Mosquitofish except Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial counties
    
  • Abalone (under Aquarium Dealer’s Permit only)
    

BANS selling all other aquaculture by pet stores and aquariums.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Maintain logs of any sturgeon or abalone
  
• Mark abalone sold
  

(14 California Code of Regulations § 227)

AQUACULTURE

REGISTRATION annually required for aquaculture facilities (propagate, cultivate, maintain and harvest aquatic plants and animals in marine, brackish or fresh water).

• EXEMPT:
  
  • koi and goldfish in closed systems for personal, pet or hobby purposes           
    
  • harvest and sale of brine shrimp
    
  • sale or cultivation of tropical ornamental marine or fresh water plants or animals for personal, pet industry or hobby purposes except human consumption or bait
    

BANS import of restricted aquatic animals unless authorized.

• PERMIT required to import other live aquatic plants and animals
  
  • Standard Importation Permit (FG 789)
    
  • Long-term Permit to Import Animals into California (FG 786)
    
    • Issued for oyster, ghost shrimps, mud shrimps, longjaw mudsuckers, red swamp crayfish, Marine Annelid worms, Sacramento blackfish, and species that are not risk to native wildlife
      

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Mollusks and crustaceans on way to seafood market
    
  • Live ornamental tropical marine or freshwater plants or animals in closed systems for personal, pet industry or hobby purposes except human consumption or bait
    
  • Brine shrimp
    

BANS live sales at aquaculture facilities.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Scientific or educational establishments
    
  • Aquarium Dealer Permittees
    
  • Live Freshwater Bait Fish Licensees
    
  • Other legal purchaser
    
  • Sales to other aquaculture facilities, retail sales stores and wholesale distribution or for stocking
    
  • Striped bass, hybrid striped bass, abalone, steelhead trout and sturgeon per conditions listed
    
  • produced shellfish purchased at retail
    
  • Freshwater bait fishes legal as live bait by a dealer in same district as facility
    

BANS taking for aquaculture:

• striped bass or white sturgeon unless authorized
  
• golden trout, steelhead trout, chinook or coho salmon, and endangered, threatened or fully protected species
  

PERMIT (FG 794) issued to collect other aquatic plants, invertebrates, fishes and bullfrogs from the wild for aquaculture broodstock.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • live freshwater fish for sale as bait
    
  • commercial fishermen
    

• REQUIREMENTS:
  
  • 1) name, mailing and business addresses and phone, aquaculture registration number, 2) collector’s and assistant’s name, phone, driver’s license or DMV, 3) species and number or total weight to collect, collection locations, methods, and dates
    
  • BANS recreational take at same time
    
  • written report and log books
    
  • BANS sale, barter and trade without permission 
    
  • Allow inspections
    
  • Dispose of as determined by Department 
    

REQUIREMENTS:

• Be entirely on permit holder’s leased or owned land AND not on natural water or lake without written permission
  
• Import: change in shipment date made 5 days before and allow inspections;
  
• Health certificate needed to import Salmonids and eggs with testing for IPN, BKD, IHN, Egtved
  
• Special requirements for leasing state water bottoms
  
• Sales and transport: 1) must be legally reared or imported by aquaculturist, 2) sales invoice or waybill
  
• Produced abalone need labeling of being cultured and wild ones need tagging
  
• Meet stocking procedures in 238.5 and 238.6
  
• Meet Section 240 for Sturgeon, Striped Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass (Striped Bass Crossed with White Bass), Abalone and Steelhead Trout
  

(14 California Code of Regulations Subdivision 1, Chapter 9)

AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES

BANS possess, import, ship, or transport of dreissenid mussels (family Dreissenidae).

• EXEMPT: Dead ones under Dreissenid Mussel Permit
  

(California Code Fish & Game Code Div. 3, Ch. 3.5; 14 California Code of Regulations 672)

AVIAN ZOONOSIS

Allows the Veterinary Public Health Section of the Department of Public Health to regulate pet birds if psittacosis or other diseases transmissible to man from pet birds become a public health hazard to extent that control measures are necessary.  Includes shell parakeets and budgerigars. 

(Health and Safety Code 121745 - 121765)

 

POSSESSION AND SALE OF UNWEANED BIRDS

BANS sale of unweaned birds by pet shops and vendors at swap meets or bird marts. 

REQUIREMENTS:

• Possession of unweaned birds by pet shops requires having employee that completed Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council’s avian certification program (1 employee/location if up to 5 employees, and 2 employees if more than 5)
  
• Sales by pet shops requires documentation of weight of hand-fed birds under 1 year and noting weight on sales receipt   
  
  • EXEMPT: publicly operated animal shelters and humane societies
    

(Health and Safety Code 122320 – 122324)

 

IMPORT OF WILD ANIMALS (VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH SECTION)

The Veterinary Public Health Section regulates import of wild mammals and birds. 

PERMIT required to import listed wild mammals.  Must be authorized under Game and Fish laws.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Birds exempt from permit
    
  • Unlisted Felidae, Canidae, Procyinidae, Mustelidae
    

LIST:
Primates:

• Family Lorisidae
  
  • Slender loris (Loris)
    
  • Slow loris (Nycticebus)
    
  • Golden potto (Arctocebus)
    
  • Potto (Perdicticus)
    
  • Galago (Galago)
    
  • Needle-clawed Galago (Euoticus)
    

• Family Callithricidae
  
  • Short-tusked Marmoset (Callithrix)
    
  • Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella)
    
  • Long-tusked Marmoset (Saguinus)
    
  • Lion-headed Marmoset (Leontideus)
    

• Family Cebidae
  
  • Douroucoulis (Aotus)
    
  • Titi Monkey (Callicebus)
    
  • Ukari (Cacajao)
    
  • Saki (Pithecia)
    
  • Red-backed Saki (Chiropotes)
    
  • Howler Monkey (Alouatta)
    
  • Capuchin (Cebus)
    
  • Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri)
    
  • Spider Monkey (Ateles)
    
  • Woolly Spider Monkey (Brachyteles)
    
  • Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix)
    
  • Goeldi's Marmoset (Callimico)
    

• Family Cercopithecidae
  
  • Macaque (Macaca)
    
  • Celebes Macaque (Cynomacaca)
    
  • Celebes Crested Macaque (Cynopithcus)
    
  • Mangabey (Cercocebus)
    
  • Baboon (Chaeropithecus)
    
  • Hamadryas Baboon (Comopithecus)
    
  • Mandrill (Mandrillus)
    
  • Gelada Baboon (Theropithecus)
    
  • Guenon (Cercopithecus)
    
  • Talapoin Monkey (Miopithecus)
    
  • Allen's Monkey (Allenopithecus)
    
  • Patas Monkey (Erythrocebus)
    
  • Langur (Presbytis)
    
  • Douc Langur (Pygathrix)
    
  • Snub-nosed Langur (Rhinopithecus)
    
  • Mentawi Islands Snub-nosed Langur (Simias)
    
  • Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis)
    
  • Colobus Monkey (Colobus)
    

• Family Pongidae
  
  • Gibbon
    
  • Siamang
    
  • Orangutan
    
  • Chimpanzee
    
  • Gorilla
    

Carnivores:

• Family Felidae
  
  • New World genus Felis and Panthera:
    
    • Ocelot
      
    • Margay
      
    • Little Spotted Cat
      
    • Pampas Cat
      
    • Geoffroy's Cat
      
    • Kodkod
      
    • Gato Andina
      
    • Jaguarundi
      
    • Jaguar
      

• Family Canidae
  
  • Arctic Fox (Aopex)
    
  • Red or Kit Fox (Vulpes)
    
  • Gray Fox (Urocyon)
    
  • Canis species other than domestic dog
    

• Family Procyinidae
  
  • Ring-Tailed Cat (Bassariscus)
    
  • Raccoon (Procyon)
    

• Family Musteldae
  
  • Striped Skunk (Mephitis)
    
  • Spotted Skunk (Spilogale)
    

Bats:

• Order Chiroptera – all
  

PURPOSES:

• Short-Term Exhibition Permit – No Public Contact (Nonresident exhibition nonhuman primates) - $10/animal
  
  • Need documentation of 1) health history of animal or parents if less than 6 months for the 180 days before import, 2) captive-born, 3) how it will be maintained to prevent public contact
    
  • Need veterinary health certificate within 30 days before import by USDA vet
    

• Short-Term Exhibition Permit – Public Contact (Nonresident exhibition nonhuman primates) - $10/animal
  
  • Need documentation of 1) health history of animal or parents if less than 6 months for the 180 days before import, 2) captive-born, 3) how it will be maintained to prevent public contact when not exhibited, 4) negative TB test within 30 days before import
    
  • Need veterinary health certificate within 30 days before import by USDA vet
    

• Short-Term Exhibition Permit – Carnivores (nonresident exhibition of carnivores) - $10/animal
  
  • Need documentation of 1) health history of animal or parents if less than 6 months for the 180 days before import, 2) captive-born, 3) how it will be maintained to prevent other animal and public contact
    
  • Need veterinary health certificate within 30 days before import by USDA vet
    

• Zoological Exhibition Permit (import listed animals by AZA zoo) - $10/animal
  
  • Need documentation of 1) captive-born and being possessed by consignee for 180 days, 2) import from AAZPA zoo, 3) health history of animal or parents if less than 6 months for the 180 days before import, negative TB test on primates within 30 days of import
    
  • Need veterinary health certificate within 30 days before import by USDA vet
    
  • Nonhuman primates need isolated for 30 days after import and tested for enteric pathogens, have negative TB test, veterinary health certificate and issued department release
    
  • Carnivores and bats must be isolated 90 days after import, issued veterinary health certificate and be issued department release
    

• Animal Breeding (import for recognized breeding colony for experimental breeding) - FREE
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• Need number and common and scientific name of each species, carrier and probable point of approval per shipment, purpose for import, consignee and consignor name and address, quarantine location, name and address of veterinarian conducting tests
  
• Personal pets need date of acquisition and supplier name and address
  
• Must send permit copy to local health officer in county where quarantine will take place and 2 copies per shipment
  
• Requires confinement for inspection and notification of department of approval
  
• Shipment will be DENIED if species not all listed on permit or extra animals not listed
  
• Diseased animals found during inspection that may endangered public health and safety will require destruction unless quarantine is possible
  
• Release from quarantine requires written release from department
  
• Species refused released must be destroyed, detained or returned
  
• Requires Department approval to sell, trade or give away imported animals
  

(Health and Public Safety Code 121775 – 121870; California Code of Regulations Title 17 30070-30086)

IMPORT (AGRICULTURE AND FOOD)

Import of pet poultry (i.e. ducks) and livestock animals (i.e. potbelly pigs) must meet the requirements for similar animals.  

Psittacines and pet birds are exempt from Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and entry permit. 

Bison are regulated under cattle and zebras under horses. 

(3 California Code of Regulations Div. 2, Ch. 2)

IMPORT/TRANSPORT OF GAME AND NONGAME BIRDS

Inspections required for import of live domestically reared resident game birds.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Need written notice to department 10 days before shipment
  
• Disease free certification from veterinarian or certificate of veterinary inspection
  

BANS transport of live protected nongame bird or game bird with no open season.

(14 California Code of Regulations § 673)

FISH AND GAME IMPORT (rest)

BANS import, transport and possession of live muskrats except under restricted species law.

Prior written approval required for import of aquatic animals.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Mollusks
    
  • Crustaceans
    
  • Ornamental marine or freshwater animals in closed systems for personal use
    
  • Aquaculturists
    

(California Code Fish & Game Code Div. 3, Ch. 3; California Code of Regulations 673)

CALIFORNIA Laws