INHERENTLY DANGEROUS/REGULATED ANIMALS

BANS import of live cervids along with carcasses from CWD area except as authorized.

PERMIT required to import, transport, transfer, sell, purchase, or possess listed wild animals for wholesale or retail wild animal business, exhibitors, scientific or educational purposes, service capuchins and pond owners with grass carp.

BANS wild animals for other purposes
- GRANDFATHERED:
  - Pet wolf hybrids owned on 7/1/1994 with a permit by 7/1/1995 if sexually neutered, caging and care standards met, and not transferred until authorized (exempt from liability insurance)
  - Other wild animals owned on 7/1/1994 with a permit by 7/1/1995 under caging and care standards listed and not transferred unless authorized
BANS release of wild animals

BANS shooting, killing or wounding wild animals for enjoyment, gain, amusement, or sport except licensed veterinarian for farmed deer, slaughter and capturing or killing escaped farmed deer.

EXEMPT:

Deer-farming license
Triploid grass carp for private ponds obtained by dealers with bill-of-sale
Transport through state less than 24 hours
Carrier for import or transport if regulated by Interstate Commerce Commission, the Civil Aeronautics Board, or the Department of Public Safety
Progeny until later of physically dependent or age 2 months are covered under parent

LIST: See Detailed List

PERMIT:

Wild Animal License (wholesale or retail wild animal businesses or exhibitors)
- FREE for government exhibits or circuses with 10%+ of proceeds for charity
Wild Animal Permit (scientific or educational purposes or capuchin service animal)
Wild Animal Auction License (conduct auctions) - $5000

REQUIREMENTS:

Age 18+
Have USDA license or document exemption
Verification of proposed facility construction AND not in violation of local laws
Have any required business license
Keep facilities separate from residence (except capuchin) and meet care and handling requirements
Capuchin service monkeys must be 1) for individual with permanent disability or disease which interferes with daily living activities, 2) trained, 3) humanely treated and not public threat, 4) only wild animal possessed, 5) no history of wild animal violations, 6) from nonprofit reputable organization with 10-year documentation of furnishing assistance animals, 7) only kept in owner’s residence or in USDA approved carrier and not near food sales
Inherently dangerous animals require $40,000 per animal of liability insurance up to $500,000 except governmental agencies and university research centers
Only sell, transfer, deliver, or surrender to another permittee or exempt entity
Permanent public exhibitions must be open to public 30 hours/week for 6 months
Mobile public exhibitions must be open to public for reasonable time period and hours
Include records of all transactions within 24 hours in record book and keep for 12 months
Meet handling, care, caging and transport standards in 27-5-6
Auctions: $50,000 cash or surety bond, species and number to sell and housing plans, certificate of insurance (inherently dangerous), facilities for obtainment of insurance of buyers, inspection authorization, copies of public auction materials and meet other requirements of wild animals all 60 days prior to auction

(Georgia Code Ann. § 27-5)

OTHER WILDLIFE PERMITS

BANS import of cervids unless authorized.

PERMIT issued for wildlife for various purposes.

Commercial Alligator Farming License (possess & propagate American alligators & sell or process hides)
- Live alligator acquisitions, sales, barters and loans require additional permit

Game-Holding Permit (propagate game birds or animals or possess as pets)

Scientific Collecting Permit (possess, transport and take native wildlife for scientific purposes)

Wildlife Exhibition Permit (display native wildlife for educational purposes)
- FREE PERMIT for Educational institutions, government-owned zoos and transient circuses meeting sanitation, housing, feeding, and public safety standards, fish
  - EXEMPT: Falconers for raptors

Film Production Wildlife Permit (hold or possess native wild animals for film)

Liberation-of-Wildlife and Liberation-of-Domestic Fish Permits (liberate fish or wildlife except private ponds or quail for dog training)

Wildlife Storage Permit (store for restaurants, etc.)

Commercial Quail Breeder Permit (propagate quail for commercial purposes)
- Must be pen raised and keep sale records

Falconry Permit (trap, possess and transport raptors for falconry)

Wildlife Importation Permit (import wildlife other than fish and pen raised duck, turkey, quail)

Field and Retriever Trial (train dogs with wildlife)

Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit (releasable animals except fish)

Commercial Fox Hunting Preserve Permit

Commercial Fox Breeders Permit (propagate fox for commercial purposes)

Commercial Trapping License needed to trap and sell live ones (sales limited to fox permits above)
- Purchase records required

Retail and Whole Fish Dealers Permit

Wildlife Control Permit (trap, transport and release, or kill wildlife for control)

Commercial or Private Shooting Preserve License

Commercial Turtle Farming Permit (possess over 10 native freshwater turtles or for commercial enterprise)
- EXEMPT: food sales establishment license, nuisance wildlife control permit for 72 hours if euthanized, released or sold to turtle farmer, wildlife exhibition or wildlife rehabilitation or scientific collecting permit (except commercial enterprise)

REQUIREMENTS:
Scientific:

Collection report for renewals
Students need project proposal signed by professor
Master Permit allows help of assistants and students
Humane collecting and care
Notify District Office 3 days before collection
Must either return to wild or transfer to public, scientific, or educational institution within 60 days of expiration of permit
EXEMPT: State parks, municipal parks, public museums, public zoological parks, and public scientific or educational institutions for lawfully acquired ones

Rehabilitation:

Sufficient knowledge of species, training or experience, score 80% on exam except vet
Must euthanize nonreleasable animals unless otherwise authorized
LIMITS raptors to vets, falconers or those with 2 years’ experience
LIMITS bats, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and skunks to veterinarians or those with 2 years’ experience and 20 animals that score 85% on rabies exam and receive rabies pre-exposure vaccination
Allow inspections
Raptors may be tethered to perches or kept in area with perch for each species and bars over windows
Meet the caging, care and handling standards in 27-5-6
Maintain records

Exhibition:

Age 18+
Meet the caging, care and handling standards in 27-5-6
USDA license or exemption documentation (mammals only) and USFWS for migratory birds
Fixed: Open to public 30 hours/week for 6 months with sign of hours AND sign with common and scientific name for cages
Mobile: programs 12 hours/year AND sufficient public distance except nonvenomous herptiles
Bats, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and skunks: need facilities that prevent public access, be isolated 180 days before exhibition and rabies pre-exposure vaccination for handlers
- BANS in mobile programs

Falconry:

Meet federal standards including propagation; BANS golden eagles except under federal eagle permit; may transport, export and import for trials and hunting in other states and import acquired raptors without import permit

Film:

Age 21+
Resume with 5 years film/entertainment industry experience
USDA license or exemption documentation (mammals only) and USFWS for migratory birds or endangered or threatened species
NO conviction of wildlife or animal welfare violation in last 5 years
Meet the caging, care and handling standards in 27-5-6
Liability insurance of $40,000/animal up to $500,000
BANS import of cervids or rabies vector species, take or release of wildlife, photographs with public or public contact
Rabies pre-exposure vaccination for handlers of rabies vector species
Annual health certificate AND a microchip
Allow inspections
Annual report of activities and inventory list (renewals)
Human and animal injury reports (renewals)
Notify Special Permit Unit 24 hours before transport to site AND immediately notify of any escapes

Turtles:

BANS take of eggs AND sale of turtles with carapace less than 4”
Import requires wildlife importation permit, bill of lading and daily records (if take more than 10 in another state)
Allow inspections
NO convictions for violations of fish and game statutes in past 5 years
Limits: Allows up to 200 wild-caught turtles annually including 100 by nuisance wildlife control operator
Meet facility requirements
Maintain records of transactions and submit annual report

(Georgia Code Ann. 27-2; GA Rules & Regs. 391-4-9, 391-4-11, 391-4-16)

NONGAME BIRDS, FISH, MAMMALS

BANS trapping, fishing, possession and transport of nongame wildlife.

BANS hunt, trap, take, possess, sell, purchase, ship, or transport of nongame birds.

BANS take of nongame fish except as otherwise allowed.

EXEMPT: Take and possession of the following if not protected:

Rats
Mice
Coyotes
Armadillos
Groundhogs
Beaver
Fresh-water turtles
Poisonous snakes
Frogs
Spring lizards
Fiddler crabs
Fresh-water crayfish
Fresh-water mussels
Nutria
English house sparrow
European starling
Feral pigeons
Domestic fowl

(Georgia Code Ann. § 27-1-28; Georgia Code Ann. § 27-3-22; Georgia Rule 391-4-3-.02)

PROTECTED SPECIES

BANS harassment, capture, kill, sale, purchase and possession of protected species (US and state endangered and rare unusual species)

EXEMPT:
- Possession by scientific collecting, wildlife exhibition or another approved permit
- Take of crayfish as bait if not from burrows or exported
- Trapping & possession of peregrine falcons for falconry (limit 5 permits)

LIST: See detailed list

(Georgia Code Ann. § 27-3 Art. 5; GA Rules & Regs. 391-4-10)

EXOTIC AND PET BIRDS

BANS import of birds detrimental to agriculture (Java rice bird and monk parakeet) unless proven they will be secure.

BANS import of foreign psittacine birds except in conformity with USDA.

PERMIT (Bird Dealer’s Permit) required to deal, purchase, breed and sell exotic or pet birds AND for bird shows and sales.

$200 for bird show sales
$100 for $100-5000 pet sales
$200 for up to $10,000 sales
$300 for up to $15,000 sales
$400 for >$15,000 sales
$400 for nonresident

REQUIREMENTS:

Records of each bird, name/address/phone/ID of supplier and buyer and sick, diseased or deceased birds
Must report certain diseases
Shipments: prior permit number, CVI within 30 days (sales or exchanges), meet interstate shipment requirements (exhibit)

(Georgia Code Ann. 4-10; GA Rules & Regs. 40-13-12)

IMPORT (Agriculture)

DNR regulates import of wild animals.

BANS import of farmed deer without approval AND Java rice bird and monk parakeet.

PERMIT (Entry Permit) for import of antelope, mini swine, and cervids.

PERMIT (Swine and Birds Travel Permit) needed to import swine, ratites and pet birds.

REQUIREMENTS:
Mini Swine:

Need CVI and ear tag or tattoo
Those 4 months+ need 1) negative brucellosis test in last 30 days OR be from certified free herd or castrated male, 2) negative pseudorabies in last 30 days and be from herd free of symptoms in last 12 months OR from qualified free herd, and 3) be quarantined for 30 days with negative tests between 30-60 days of import

Cervids:

Need CVI and metal ear tag and meet brucellosis and TB requirements

Ratites:

Need CVI and visual ID or microchip AND negative for Avian Influenza and pullorum-typhoid within 30 days prior

Exotic Animals/ Non-traditional Livestock:

CVI and permanent ID
Llamas and alpacas need metal ear tag, tattoo, notarized photo or microchip
Elephants and monkeys need tattoo or microchip AND negative TB test in prior 12 months
Antelopes need metal ear tag, permit AND if 6 months negative brucellosis test in last 30 days and negative TB test in last 30 days

Wild Animals:

Regulated by DNR but allows inspections and disease testing

Pets:

Ferrets need rabies vaccine (12 weeks+) and be sexually altered (7 months+)
CVI in last 30 days for all pets for sale or trade (except fish and rodents)
Birds need permit number

Exhibit/ Petting Zoo:

Must follow breeding animal requirements
May be quarantined or returned if found to be diseased

(Georgia Rules & Regs. 40-13-2, 40-13-06)