WILDLIFE AND HYBRIDS (EXCEPT FISH)

BANS possession of live wild-caught migratory game birds and trapped furbearing animals (unless otherwise allowed).

BANS import and possession of feral swine, wild boar, wild hog, wild swine, feral pig, feral hog, old world swine, razorback, Eurasian wild boar, or Russian wild boar and hybrids. 

PERMIT required to import and possess other wild birds and animals and hybrids (BANS pets).

• PERMITS:
  
  • Commercial Dealer (raise, import, possess for commercial activities)
    
  • Wildlife Importation and Possession (bona fide scientific or educational purposes)
    
    • May be issued for other approved purpose
      
    • Required to import animals for hunting
      
  • Scientific and Educational Collection (collect for public scientific research, educational, art or photography, cultural)
    
  • Wildlife Commercial Collection (collect and sell native wildlife)
    
  • Temporary Exhibition of Wildlife
    
  • Propagation/Breeding
    

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Domestic pet (domestic cat or dog, domestic ferret, psittacine bird, domesticated animal)
    
  • Pets listed by Agriculture
    
  • Wolf dogs
    
  • Domestic Species List
    
  • Unrestricted Wild Animals List
    
  • Dead animals for personal use
    
  • Pests regulated by Agriculture
    

• INCLUDES:
  
  • Exceptions to the Unrestricted Wild Animal List
    

(10 V.S.A. § 4152, 4611, 4709, 5207; 10 V.S.A. App. § 18, 19; CVR 12-010-021, 12-010-022(p)) 
 

FISH PERMITS

BANS buying or selling salmon, trout, lake trout, walleye, northern pike, muskellunge, black bass or other fish added AND BANS sales by anglers.

• EXEMPT: those reared in propagation farms
  

PERMITS issued for fish:

• Fish Stocking Permit (stock water of State with fish or eggs)
  
  • EXCLUDES:
    
    • Private pond with no inlets or outlets to waters of State
      
    • Private pond connected to state waters with brook, brown or rainbow trout up to 4000/year per pond
      
• Fish Transportation Permit
  
• Fish Buyer Permit (buy fish for resale)
  
• Commercial Bait Dealers Permit (buy baitfish for resale or sell)
  
  • LIMITED TO: Blacknose dace, Bluntnose minnow, Common shiner, Creek chub, Eastern silvery minnow, Emerald shiner, Fallfish, Fathead minnow, Golden shiner, Longnose dace, Longnose sucker, Mimic shiner, Northern redbelly dace, Spottail shiner, White sucker, rainbow smelt (take open-water/ice fishing)
    
  • Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Yellow perch (must use in same water – BANS live transport)
    
• Fish Importation Permit
  
  • Endangered/threatened limited to scientific purposes or re-establishment of populations
    
• Possession Permit (bona fide scientific or educational purposes)
  
• Scientific and Educational Collection Permit (public scientific research, educational, art or photography, cultural)
  
• Temporary Exhibition of Fish Permit
  
  • ALSO NEED: Fish Importation Permit for import
    
• Private Fish Propagator Permit (rear for sale or distribution)
  
  • EXEMPT: closed rearing aquariums if exemption granted on application
    
  • EXCLUDES: endangered species or injurious fish
    

(10 V.S.A. § 4081, 4152, 4605, 5207 to 5209; 10 V.S.A. App. §121, 122; CVR 12-010-051, 12-010-074, 12-010-086 to 12-010-088) 
 

 

PROHIBITED, RESTRICTED, UNRESTRICTED FISH

Fish are classified as:

• Prohibited Fish Species (Prohibited Fish Species Permit)
  
  • ALSO INCLUDES: unlisted species and transgenic fish not listed
    
  • Generally for research, education, public purposes
    

• Restricted Fish Species (special requirements)
  

• Unrestricted Fish Species (common pets)
  
  • ALSO INCLUDES: species entirely within 30° north latitude and 30° south latitude
    

LIST: See Detailed List

(10 V.S.A. § 4081(b), 4611; 10 V.S.A. App. §122; CVR 12-010-077) 

WILD BIRDS

BANS take, possession, purchase and sale of wild birds.

• EXEMPT:
  
  • Birds with open season
    
  • Pigeons
    
  • As authorized
    

(10 V.S.A. § 4902)

ENDANGERED/THREATENED SPECIES

BANS take, possession and transport of state and federal endangered and threatened species. 

• PERMIT (Endangered and Threatened Species Taking Permit) for:
  
  • scientific purposes
    
  • enhance propagation or survival
    
  • prevent or mitigate economic hardship
    
  • zoological exhibition
    
  • educational purposes
    
  • noncommercial cultural or ceremonial purposes for dead bird salvage and feathers if legally acquired or transferred or found dead
    
  • special purpose consistent with ESA
    
  • Incidental taking under certain circumstances
    
• EXEMPT:
  
  • Pesticides, legal activities unless advised of them or needing permit, aerial spraying of listed bees
    

LIST: (official list in 10 V.S.A. App. §10)

Endangered:

• Amphipods:
  
  • Taconic cave amphipod
    

• Insects:
  
  • Rusty-patched Bumble Bee
    
  • Ashton Cuckoo Bumble Bee
    
  • American bumble bee (NEW 2/10/22)
    

• Mollusks:
  
  • Dwarf wedge mussel
    
  • Brook floater (Upgraded from threatened 2/22/22)
    
  • Cylindrical papershell
    
  • Pocketbook
    
  • Fluted-shell
    
  • Fragile papershell
    
  • Black sand shell
    
  • Pink heelsplitter
    

• Fish:
  
  • Lake sturgeon 
    
  • Stonecat
    
  • Channel darter
    
  • Northern brook lamprey
    

• Amphibians:
  
  • Fowler's toad
    
  • Boreal chorus frog
    

• Reptiles:
  
  • Spotted turtle
    
  • Common five-lined skink
    
  • Timber rattlesnake
    

• Birds:
  
  • Bald eagle
    
  • Common nighthawk
    
  • Rusty blackbird
    
  • Loggerhead shrike 
    
  • Black tern (T in VSA)
    
  • Common tern
    
  • Henslow's sparrow
    
  • Spruce grouse
    
  • Upland sandpiper (T in VSA)   
    
  • Sedge wren     
    

• Mammals:
  
  • Canada lynx 
    
  • Eastern mountain lion
    
  • American marten
    
  • Little brown bat
    
  • Northern long-eared bat
    
  • Indiana bat
    
  • Tri-colored bat
    

Threatened:

• Insects:
  
  • Yellow-banded Bumble Bee
    
  • Hairy-necked tiger beetle
    
  • Cobblestone tiger beetle    
    
  • Puritan tiger beetle
    

• Mollusks:
  
  • Eastern pearlshell
    
  • Brook floater <MOVED to endangered>
    
  • Giant floater
    

• Fish:
  
  • Eastern sand darter
    
  • American brook lamprey
    

• Amphibians: NONE
  

• Reptiles:
  
  • North American racer
    
  • Eastern ratsnake
    
  • Spiny softshell  
    

• Birds:
  
  • Eastern whip-poor-will
    
  • Eastern meadowlark (NEW 2/10/22)
    
  • Grasshopper sparrow
    

• Mammals:
  
  • Eastern small-footed bat
    

(10 V.S.A. § 5401 et. al.; 10 V.S.A. App. §10; CVR 12-010-012)

 

SPECIAL PERMITS

• Falconry License (sell, transport, possess, train raptors)
  

• Rehabilitation License (rehabilitate any animal not domestic including dog hybrids)
  

• Fur Buyer’s License (buy and sell fur and skin of furbearers and skin of deer)
  

• Hunting Dog Field Trial
  

• Retrieving Dog Field Trial
  

(10 V.S.A. § 4268 to 4274, 4278; 10A V.S.A. App. § 9, 11; CVR 12-010-042, 12-010-053)

WOLF HYBRIDS

Wolf hybrids are treated as dogs, and those at least 6 months must be registered within 30 days after acquisition or it turns 6 months AND annually by April 1 and must have rabies vaccinations at 3 months. 

PERMIT (Kennel Permit) required for 2 or more wolf hybrids at least 4 months old for breeding other than for personal use or sale. 

PERMIT (Pet Dealer Permit) required to sell or exchange 3 or more litters a year. 

Health Certificate required to import wolf hybrids.

• EXCLUDES: pet shops, animal shelters, rescues
  

(20 V.S.A. Ch. 193, § 3915; CVR 12-010-054; CVR 20-010-011, 20 022 018; CVR 13-140-007)

PRIMATES/RODENTS/RABBITS CARE

Primates, rabbits and rodents have special requirements relating to transport, facilities and care.

(CVR 20-022-001)

 

CAPTIVE CERVIDS (Agriculture)

Captive cervids have special rules regarding fencing, transportation, inventory, registration and testing.

(6 V.S.A § 1153; CVR 20-022-023)

 

COMMERCIAL FISH FARMS (Agriculture)

Department can require testing of fish at commercial fish farms. 

(6 V.S.A. § 1154)

 

IMPORT

• Domestic animal - cattle, sheep, goats, equines, fallow deer, red deer, reindeer, American bison, swine, poultry, pheasant, Chukar partridge, Coturnix quail, psittacine birds, ferrets, camelids and ratites, trout from commercial trout farm
  

BANS importing animals illegal in state of origin.

PERMIT (Import Permit) and certificate of veterinary inspection required to import any domestic animals other than dogs, cats, horses or livestock.

• INCLUDES: domestic furbearing animals (captive ones for fur or breeding)
  
• Must meet specie-specific requirements
  

Live wild animals require authorization for transport. 

(6 V.S.A. Ch. 173; 10 V.S.A. § 4709; CVR 20 022 019)

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