Utah Code         Utah Administrative Rules

UTAH laws

ZOOLOGICAL ANIMALS

REGISTRATION (COR), USFWS permit and Agriculture and Food Entry Permit (import) required for US endangered or threatened species and Migratory Bird Treaty Act species. 

REGISTRATION (COR) required to collect, import, transport, possess and propagate prohibited and controlled native and exotic species.  Has separate collection, importation and possession classifications. 

• PROHIBITED LIMITED TO:
  
  • Scientific and educational use by university, college, governmental agency, bona fide nonprofit institution, or wildlife researchers
    
  • if a variance is granted
    
  • commercial use by zoo, circus, amusement park, aviary, aquarium, or film company
    

• GRANDFATHERED: species owned before reclassifying from noncontrolled to controlled or prohibited if COR obtained within 6 months of listing
  

• EXEMPT:
  
  • transport through the state within 72 hours for falconry raptors if not used for commercial ventures with CVI from origin state
    
  • species not covered
    
  • domestic species
    
  • noncontrolled species (for the activities listed)
    
    • native for commercial use must be captive bred
      
  • reptiles or amphibians (covered under separate chapter)
    
  • birds committing depredation or constituting health hazard
    
    • LIMITED TO: black-billed magpie, American crow, bronzed cowbird, brown-headed cowbird, shiny cowbird
      
  • House sparrow, European starling, domestic pigeon damaging property or constituting health hazard
    
  • Export from state
    
  • brine shrimp and eggs for personal use in water up to 1 gallon with no more than 1 gallon collected per 7 days and not released in Great Salt Lake, Sevier River or tributary
    
  • marine aquatic species for human consumption held for up to 30 days (includes controlled and prohibited)
    
  • dead aquatic animals for human consumption with documentation
    
  • import for immediate processing
    

NOTE: Captive bred bobcats, lynx, and marten are prohibited for collection but controlled for importation and possession and may be propagated with a certificate of registration but not kept as pets.


PERMIT (Entry Permit) and CVI from Agriculture & Food required to import noncontrolled, controlled and prohibited.

• Live aquatic also needs documentation and additional health certificates required
  
  • EXCLUDES:
    
    • aquaculture facility and fee fishing (governed by Agriculture laws)
      
    • dead fish or crayfish caught in Lake Powell, Bear Lake, or Flaming Gorge reservoirs
      

REQUIREMENTS:

• commercial use of animals must be authorized in rules
  
  • EXCLUDES: dead coyote, jackrabbit, muskrat, raccoon, or parts; business with COR for nuisance wildlife control; sale or trade for educational use; brine shrimp for culturing ornamental aquatic animal if not sold or traded and no more than 200# collected/year
    
• Individuals may file a request to have a species reclassified
  
• Propagation is legal without COR for noncontrolled, legal with COR for controlled and BANNED for prohibited
  
  • EXCEPT:
    
    • falconry raptors with federal raptor propagation permit and propagation COR
      
    • bobcat, Canadian/Eurasian lynx, American marten if captive-bred
      
    • caribou, fallow deer, musk-ox, reindeer
      
    • variances
      

LIST:See Detailed List

(Utah Admin Code R657-3, R657-13-13)

GAME BIRDS

• Game birds - crane; Blue, Ruffed, Sage, Sharp-tailed, and Spruce grouse; Chukar, Red-legged, and Hungarian partridge; pheasant; Band-tailed Pigeon; Bobwhite, California, Gambel's, Harlequin, Mountain, and Scaled quail; waterfowl; Common Ground, Inca, Mourning, and White-winged dove; wild or pen-reared wild turkey of Eastern, Florida or Osceola, Gould's, Merriam's, Ocellated, Rio Grande; ptarmigan
  

BANS live take of upland and migratory game birds. 

REGISTRATION (Aviculture COR) required to possess, import, purchase, propagate, sell, barter, trade, or dispose of live game birds or eggs.

• ALSO NEED: Hatchery license for hatchery or offering chicks, poults, hatching eggs for sale
  
• EXEMPT:
  
  • Training dogs
    
  • Falconry if banded and not held more than 60 days
    
    • Entry Permit and CVI for import
      
  • Holding in temporary storage during transit through state
    

REQUIREMENTS:

• Import requires Entry permit and CVI and department COR
  
  • Nonresidents only need COR if in state more than 72 hours
    
• bill of sale for sales, barter, trade or disposal
  

(Utah Admin Code R657-4, R657-6-15, R657-9-18)

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

BANS sales of wild-caught reptiles and amphibians.

REGISTRATION as propagator required to propagate reptiles and amphibians.

Wildlife document (Certificate of Registration or Collection Permit) required for scientific, educational, commercial and personal activities involving reptiles and amphibians. 

• Scientific Use COR (prohibited or controlled)
  
  • ALLOWS: possession of zero limit species WITHOUT variance
    

• Educational Use COR (prohibited or controlled)
  
  • Zero limit species require variance
    

• Commercial Use COR (prohibited with variance or controlled)
  
  • INCLUDES: zoo, circus, amusement park, aviary, or film company (import/possess)
    
  • Zero limit species require variance except entities above
    
  • BANS sale or trade of turtles with less than 4” carapace
    

• Reptile Collection COR (collect native venomous reptiles)
  
  • FOR: those that can cause substantial physical harm requiring medical treatment
    
  • NEED (as applicable): species/number, source, description of knowledge/experience/skills, address housed, description of facilities/equipment, Agriculture import documents, verification of available of medical provider in area, propagation registration
    

• Herpetology Collection Permit (catch from wild and keep for personal possession) 
  

GRANDFATHERED: Those owned before a possession limit is lowered

EXEMPTIONS (wildlife document):

• Collect those with unlimited daily limit
  
• collect noncontrolled from wild
  
• possess, import, export, or transfer ownership of previously wild-caught controlled or noncontrolled species
  
  • EXCLUDES: native venomous species requiring COR
    
  • NEED: documentation of acquisition, completion of education course, and not over possession limit for receiver and certification of legal possession and no compensation for current owner
    
• Dead ones for allowed actions
  
  • NEED: lawful acquisition, proof of legal possession, mandatory reporting, federal permit as needed
    
• Pursuit and temporary possession as allowed in Section 8(2)
  
• Propagation
  
  • EXCLUDES: native venomous requiring COR, breeding wild-caught and selling which qualifies as commercial use, prohibitions by other law
    
• Transport through state up to 72 hours with proof of legal possession, in compliance with Agriculture laws (BANS sale, transfer, exhibition, display or commercial use in state)
  

LIMITS: (need variance to exceed)

• Noncontrolled –
  
  • Unlimited
    
    • exempt from wildlife document
      
  • Expanded (25/day and possess 100)
    
    • need collection permit
      

• Controlled – need wildlife document
  
  • Standard (3/day and possess 9)
    
  • Limited (daily or yearly – 2 and possess 4)
    

• Prohibited – Zero
  
  • Collect only if variance granted except scientific
    

• Unlisted – considered standard and controlled
  

LIMIT EXCEPTIONS:

• Possession (include imported and captive-born)
  
  • Captive-bred ones with verification of lawful possession
    
    • EXCLUDES: prohibited and native venomous requiring COR
      
  • Captive-bred ones by registered propagator that completes mandatory reporting
    
    • EXCLUDES: prohibited and venomous requiring COR
      
  • Imported ones
    
    • EXCLUDES: prohibited and native venomous requiring COR
      
  • Commercial, scientific or educational use COR with different limits
    

• Daily (wild-caught)
  
  • Temporary possession to complete measurements and reporting
    
    • IF: immediate release after temporary possession, not transported from capture site, released near site, reporting submitted, not prohibited by federal law, completed training courses, and is NOT native venomous requiring COR
      
  • Salvaged ones
    

LEGAL METHODS: (must be in boundary listed in guide)

• dip nets less than 24” diameter
  
• snake sticks, including hooks, tongs, or grabbers
  
• lizard nooses
  
• firearm with Hunter Safety requirements
  
• hand
  

LIST: See Detailed List

REQUIREMENTS:

• written authorization required for release
  
• department may seize, euthanize or dispose of escaped ones along with keeping them until costs are paid
  
• BANS disturbing reptile den or catching or killing reptile within 100 yards without proper documentation, trespassing, transfer of wild-caught without reporting, transfer wild-caught Apr 1 to Dec 31 without approval, collection under someone’s else permit or in closed area
  
• Must comply with Agriculture laws for import and propagation
  
• Must pass with 75% or higher on reptile and amphibian education course for expanded limit species, collection permit, COR, or engaging in activities requiring permit or COR
  
• Mandatory reporting within 72 hours of possession for: wild-caught standard or limited limits, salvaging standard, limited or zero, transfer wild-caught native to another, registered propagator with offspring over limit
  

(Utah Admin Code R657-53)

NATIVE FURBEARERS

Furbearers (native canines, felines, mustelids, rodents, and procyonids except cougars and coyotes), may be propagated, reared, kept, and sold from a private wildlife farm.

BANS take of live protected wildlife, coyotes and raccoons from traps and possessing them. 

(Utah Code 23-13-4; Utah Admin Code 657-11-9)

 

NONGAME MAMMALS

BANS purchase and sale of nongame mammals (bats; mice, rats, or voles (Heteromyidae, Cricetidae, or Zapodidae); opossum; pikas; porcupine; shrews; squirrels, prairie dogs and marmots).

Live capture of nongame mammals regulated under zoological animals law and NOT the taking nongame mammals law. 

(Utah Admin Code R657-19)

RELEASE AND TRANSPLANT OF WILDLIFE

REGISTRATION (COR) required to release or transplant terrestrial and aquatic wildlife.

• Transplant of big game, turkeys, wolves, threatened or endangered species, or sensitive species must comply with 23-14-21
  

(Utah Code 23-13-14)

PROTECTED WILDLIFE

• Protected wildlife – crustaceans, mollusks, vertebrates living in nature - EXCLUDES coyote, field mouse, gopher, ground squirrel, jack rabbit, muskrat, and raccoon
  

REGISTRATION (COR), license or tag required to take, sell, trade, barter, collect, import, possess, transport, propagate, store, donate, transfer, or export protected wildlife.

• Private Wildlife Farm (propagate, rear, keep and sell captive born furbearers and birds)
  
  • Need written authorization
    
  • Escaped animals are property of state
    

• Wildlife Conservation Permit
  
• Wildlife Exposition Permit (12-23-20)
  

(Utah Code 23-13-1 to 23-13-5, 23-13-8, 23-13-11, 23-13-13, 23-13-14, 23-19-1, 23-20-3)               

 

PROTECTED AQUATIC WILDLIFE

• Protected aquatic wildlife – fish, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians - EXCLUDES aquatic insects
  

BANS taking live fish and crayfish away from water where caught.

BANS possession, transport, take and selling of protected aquatic wildlife unless authorized.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • tropical and goldfish for commercial or exhibition purposes (possession/transport)
    
  • private fish pond (possession/transport)
    
  • aquaculture and fee fishing facilities
    
    • ALLOWS: acquire/import/possess/stock/propagate/harvest/transfer/sell
      

• Private Fish Pond EXEMPT from COR to receive aquatics from aquaculture facility if pond is screened, fish are authorized, obtain health approval number, fish NOT released or transported live away from pond, and aquaculture facility given written statement of pond being compliant
  

(Utah Code 23-13-4, 23-15-9 to 23-15-13; Utah Admin. Code R657-13-17)     

AQUACULTURE (Agriculture)

REGISTRATION (Aquaculture COR) required for various activities.

• CORS ISSUED:
  
  • aquaculture facility
    
  • free fishing facility
    
    • BANS live sales and transfers
      
  • aquatic animal processing plant;
    
  • aquatic broker
    
  • public aquaculture facilities;
    
  • private fish ponds not exempt
    
  • institutional aquaculture facilities (public agency, institution of higher learning, school, or educational program)
    
  • short term fishing events
    
  • private stocking
    
  • displays
    

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Marine aquatic animals for human consumption
    
    • Must be from documented legal source, held only 30 days and not released
      
  • Ornamental fish including tropical fish, goldfish, koi
    
    • EXCLUDES: prohibited and controlled
      
  • aquatic animal in an aquaponics facility with health approval number
    
    • LIMITED TO: bluegill; hybrid bluegill, redear sunfish, green sunfish, striped bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass or wiper, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, yellow perch, fathead minnow, black crappie, white crappie, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brown trout, brook trout, tiger trout, walleye, golden shiner, aquatic animal species with noncontrolled import/possession
      
  • Private fish pond
    
    • Must meet screening requirements or be sufficient size, be authorized species, delivered by aquaculture facility or pond owner with documentation, health approval number, provide aquaculture facility written statement of compliance
      
  • Short-term fishing event under terms listed
    
  • Transport through state less than 72 hours if in original container, water not discharged and no sale or transfer
    
  • Hobby aquaphonics for public agency, institution of higher learning, school, or educational program
    
    • BANS sale, stocking or transporting in state waters
      

PERMIT (Entry Permit) and health authorization required to import aquatic animals including entity requiring COR above along with private ponds.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Marine aquatic animals for human consumption
    
    • Must be from documented legal source, held only 30 days and not released
      
  • Transport through state up to 72 hours if not sold or released
    

 
REQUIREMENTS:

General:

• special documentation required to import controlled species
  
• Acquisition, import, possession, transport, stocking, propagation, harvest, transfer, sale and release of aquatic animals (fish, mollusk, crustacean, or amphibian) for aquaculture only allowed if authorized by rule
  
• Live aquatic animals must be from health approved source
  
• Grass carp must be certified triploid for import
  
• Purchase and sales must be from aquaculture COR or imported (EXCLUDES ornamental)
  

Aquaculture:

• ACQUIRE FROM: other licensed aquaculture facilities, public aquaculture facilities, import
  
• TRANSPORT TO: license holder or authorized person
  
• SELL TO: license holder or someone exempt from COR
  

Fee Fishing:

• ACQUIRE FROM: other licensed aquaculture facilities, public aquaculture facilities, import
  
• BANS sales and transfer of live ones
  

(Utah Code 4-37; Utah Admin. Code R58-17, R657-59)         
 

SPECIAL PERMITS

• Rehabilitation COR (rehabilitate protected species)
  
• Falconry COR (includes nonresident falconry meets)
  
• Nonresident Falconry Meet License (5 days)
  
• Wildlife Expo Permits (qualified 501(c)(3) conservation organizations to gain revenue for wildlife conservation activities and attract regional/national wildlife conventions 2012-2016)
  
• Dog Field Trial COR
  
• Fur Dealer COR (buy, sell, trade, deal in skins and pelts)
  
• Fur Dealer Agent COR (employee)
  
• Predator Control COR (participate in General Predator Control Program)
  

(Utah Code 23-17-7, 23-17-8, 23-18-5, 23-19-31 to 23-19-34.7; Utah Admin Code R58-17, R657-20, R657-40, R657-46, R657-55, R657-64-4)

INVASIVE SPECIES

BANS possession, import, export, shipment, transport, and release of Dreissena mussels except with written approval.

(Utah Code 23-27; Utah Admin. Code R657-60)

 

COYOTES AND RACCOONS (Agriculture)

BANS import, distribution, relocation and possession of live coyotes and raccoons.

• PERMIT issued for research, rehabilitation, education, zoos, circuses or other purposes
  

(Utah Admin Code Tit. R58-14)

 

DOMESTICATED ELK (Agriculture)

• Domestic Elk – elk born and spent entire life in captivity
  

PERMIT (Domesticated Elk Facility License) required to raise domesticated elk for commercial purposes.

BANS import of elk from east of 100 degree meridian. 

PERMIT (Entry Permit), health certificate, proof of genetic purity and TB and Brucellosis testing required to import domesticated elk. 

(Utah Code 4-39; Utah Admin. Code R58-18)

 

IMPORT (Agriculture)

BANS import of animals prohibited for import unless authorized.

Certificate of Veterinary Inspection required to import:

• exotic mammals, birds and reptiles
  
• psittacine or passerine birds or raptors
  

PERMIT (Entry Permit) and Certificate of Veterinary Inspection required to import:

• aquatic exotic animals (fish, mollusk, crustaceans, amphibians)
  
• zoological animals for zoos or USDA exhibitions
  
• game and furbearing animals
  
• camelids
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• mink must be from ranch with no mink viral enteritis in last 3 years
  
• zoo animals must comply with USDA
  
• native and exotic wildlife must comply with domestic animal requirements
  
• camelids 6 months+ need negative TB 60 days and brucellosis 90 days prior or from certified Brucellosis free herd and accredited Tuberculosis free herd
  

(Utah Code 4-31-111; Utah Admin Code R58-1-11 to R58-1-18)