WASHINGTON laws

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS

BANS ownership, possession, keeping, harbor, import, custody of and breeding potentially dangerous wild animals.

GRANDFATHERED: animals on 7/22/07 with documentation
EXEMPT:
- Those allowed to have deleterious exotic wildlife
- AZA facilities or those under SSP
- nonprofit animal protection organizations
- animal control authority, law enforcement, county sheriffs
- veterinarians and clinics
- wildlife rehabilitators
- wildlife sanctuaries that do NOT conduct activity not inherent to nature, commercial activity, unescorted public visitations or public contact, or breed
- USDA Class R research facilities
- USDA Class C circuses temporarily in state
- persons temporarily transporting and displaying them for less than 21 days
- domesticated animals or native wildlife
- fair displays
- game farms

LIST:

Felines - lion, tiger, captive-bred cougar, jaguar, cheetah, leopard, snow leopard, and clouded leopard
Wolves except wolf hybrids
Bears
Hyenas and aardwolves
Rhinoceroses
Nonhuman primates
Elephants
Reptiles:
- Family atractaspidae, elapidae, hydrophiidae, Viperidae
- Boomslang
- Water monitors and crocodile monitors
- Crocodilians

(RCW 16.30)

DELETERIOUS EXOTIC WILDLIFE

BANS import, holding, possession, propagation, offer for sale, sale, transfer, and release of deleterious exotic wildlife.

GRANDFATHERED:
- Species classified and owned before 1/18/91
- Sassabies (Damaliscus), hartebeest, wildebeests (Connochaetes), markhor, Marcopolo sheep, fallow deer, Axis deer, Sika deer, and Rusa deer or Sambar deer owned before 6/20/92 and progeny
- Reindeer (Rangifer) owned before 2/13/93 except woodland caribou and roedeer (Capreolus)
  - ALL SPECIES ABOVE: reported, confined, NOT breed except AZA, neutered/separated/contraception except AZA, NOT release, NOT sold or transferred except export, move to new residence, transfer federal endangered/threatened to AZA (AZA may sell/transfer with permission)

EXEMPT:
- scientific research or AZA zoos and aquariums
  - Must be confined, not transferred within state except to AZA, euthanized at end of project except federal endangered/threatened, keep records
- Federal threatened/endangered allowed by federal law
- Fallow deer and reindeer if reported, confined, NOT released and complies with Agriculture testing requirements for import
  - BANS east of line through eastern boundaries of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and 100th Meridian through Texas, or had contact with animals there
  - BANS reindeer in Ferry, Stevens, or Pend Oreille counties or Spokane County north of Spokane River

LIST:

Birds:
- mute swan

Mammals:
- mongoose (Herpestes)
- wild boar (Sus scrofa) and wild hybrids
- collared peccary (javelina)
- Bovids:
  - Chamois (Rupicapra)
  - Tahr (Hemitragus)
  - goats, ibexes (Capra) except domestic goat
  - Barbary sheep or Aoudad (Ammotragus)
  - Sheep (Ovis) except domestic sheep
  - Sassabies (Damaliscus)
  - Hartebeest
  - Wildebeests (Connochaetes)
- Cervids: European red deer, red deer and hybrids with North American elk, fallow deer, axis deer, Rusa or Sambar deer, Sika deer, Reindeer (Rangifer), roedeer (Capreolus)

REQUIREMENTS:

immediately report escape and recapture or death
Other requirements such as facilities, fencing, reporting, quarantine, testing and inspections

(RCW 77.12.047; WAC 220-640-200)

ENDANGERED SPECIES

BANS fishing for or possession of federal endangered fish.

BANS take, possession, harassing and killing endangered fish and wildlife.

EXEMPT: take authorized by rule or permit or federal endangered species permit

LIST:

Oregon vesper sparrow
pygmy rabbit
fisher
gray wolf
grizzly bear
killer whale
sei whale
fin whale
blue whale
humpback whale
North Pacific right whale
sperm whale
Columbian white-tailed deer
woodland caribou
North American lynx
Columbian sharp-tailed grouse
sandhill crane
snowy plover
upland sandpiper
spotted owl
Streaked horned lark
Tufted puffin
marbled murrelet
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Pinto abalone
Greater sage grouse
Ferruginous hawk
western pond turtle
leatherback sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle
Oregon spotted frog
northern leopard frog
mardon skipper
Oregon silverspot butterfly
Taylor's checkerspot

(RCW 77.15.120; WAC 220-610)

PROTECTED WILDLIFE – THREATENED, SENSITIVE, OTHER

BANS fishing for or possession of federally threatened fish.

BANS hunting and fishing of protected wildlife.

EXCLUDES: hair seals and sea lions damaging lawful commercial fishing gear or their fish

LIST:

Threatened:
- western gray squirrel
- sea otter
- green sea turtle
- Mazama pocket gopher
- American white pelican

Sensitive:
- Gray whale
- Common Loon
- Larch Mountain salamander
- Pygmy whitefish
- Margined sculpin
- Olympic mudminnow

Others:
- cony or pika
- least chipmunk
- yellow-pine chipmunk
- Townsend's chipmunk
- red-tailed chipmunk
- hoary marmot
- Olympic marmot
- Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel
- golden-mantled ground squirrel
- Washington ground squirrel
- red squirrel
- Douglas squirrel
- northern flying squirrel
- Humboldt's flying squirrel
- wolverine
- painted turtle
- California mountain kingsnake
- Unlisted birds (not game, predatory or endangered)
- Bats (except those in or around dwellings or buildings)
- Unlisted Cetacea (except endangered)
- Unlisted Pinnipedia (except endangered)

(RCW 77.12.020; WAC 220-200-100, 220-610)

BULLFROGS

Game animals – eastern cottontail, Nuttall's cottontail, snowshoe hare, white-tailed jackrabbit, black-tailed jackrabbit, red fox, black bear, raccoon, cougar, bobcat, Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer and black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, moose, pronghorn, mountain goat, California and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, bullfrog

BULLFROG TAKE METHODS: angling, hand dip netting, spearing or bow and arrow

BULLFROG LIMITS: None

(WAC 220-400-020, 220-416-120)

LIVE WILDLIFE

BANS take and possession of nearly all live native wildlife.

PERMIT (Scientific Collection Permit) issued for research or education
EXEMPT:
- starlings, house sparrows, Eurasian collared doves, and rock doves by falconers
- rock doves and Eurasian collared doves for bird dog training
- certain game species
- feral domestic mammals
- old world rats and mice (Muridae)
- fish, shellfish, and marine invertebrates classified as food fish or shellfish
- certain unprotected introduced species

BANS sales of wildlife, wild birds and game fish unless allowed by rule.

BANS import, holding, possession, propagation, offer for sale, sale, transfer, and release of Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer and black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, moose, and caribou.

GRANDFATHERED:
- Ones (except caribou) owned on 6/20/92 if not propagated (except at AZA), sold or transferred (except export, federal endangered or threatened to AZA, move to new residence)
- Caribou owned on 2/13/93 under same conditions above
- Game farms operating by 1/1/92 for those species owned 1/1/92

EXEMPT: Must meet testing, reporting, quarantine facility, marking, fencing
- Zoos and aquariums
- scientific research or display by AZA zoos or aquariums that do not transfer or sell without written authorization and transfer only to AZA
- federal threatened or endangered as allowed by federal law

PERMIT (Fish Planting Permit) required to release fish into state waters including private ponds.

REQUIREMENTS:

import requires CVI (health certificate for raptors) and proof of lawful import
maintain proof of lawful acquisition
immediately report escape and recapture or death
Publicly owned zoos and aquariums may only sell to other zoos, AZA facilities or outside the state – NEED annual records
- The state sets up county zoo and aquarium advisory authorities

(RCW 35.64, 36.01.180, 36.01.190, 36.29.200, 77.12.020, 77.15.250, 82.14.400; WAC 220-450)

SPECIAL PERMITS

Wildlife Rehabilitation Permits
- state issues funds for wildlife rehabilitation programs
- special requirements for oil spills

Scientific Collection Permits (collect food and game fish, shellfish, wildlife for food or display)
- Allows $1000 bond

Falconry Permits (raptors for falconry and propagation)
- Allows wild-take and sale of starlings, house sparrows, Eurasian collared doves, and rock doves

Game Farm License (operate game farm or sell listed species)
- LIMITED TO: pheasant (Phasianus), gray partridge, chukar, quail (Colinus, Callipepla, Oreortyx), waterfowl (Anatidae)
  - EXCEPTION: game farms on 1/1/92 may breed and sell other animals owned 1/1/92
- EXEMPT: captive bred mink and silver fox from breeder or fur farm used for fur farming

Field Trial Permit (hunting game birds with dogs)
- Allows wild-take, release and sale of rock doves and Eurasian collared doves for bird dog training

(RCW 77.12.467 to 77.12.471, 77.12.570 to 77.12.600, 77.15.660, 77.15.800, 77.32.240, 90.56.110; WAC 173-182-540, 220-200-150, 220-412-120, 220-416-040, 220-416-110, 220-420, 220-430, 220-450)

COVERED ANIMAL SPECIES PARTS AND PRODUCTS

BANS sale, purchase, barter, trade, and distribution of covered animal species parts and products.

EXEMPT:
- part of bona fide antique with historical documentation of being 100+ years old and less than 15% of item
- bona fide educational or scientific purpose, or to or from a museum
- legal beneficiary of estate, trust, or other inheritance upon death of owner
- Less than 15% of musical instrument
- intrastate activities authorized by federal law or permit
- employee or agent of federal, state, or local government

LIST: Those listed on CITES I or II OR IUCN critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable

Elephant
Rhinoceros
Tiger
Lion
Leopard
Cheetah
Pangolin
marine turtle
shark
ray

(RCW 77.15.135)

EXOTIC AND WILD PETS (Agriculture)

The Secretary has the authority to regulate import, movement, sale, transfer and possession of pet animals, including all exotic and wild pets.

(RCW 16.70)

LLAMAS AND ALPACAS

Prohibits Fish & Wildlife from controlling movement or sale of llamas and alpacas.

(RCW 77.12.031)

FUR FARMING (Agriculture)

Fox, mink, and marten lawfully imported, acquired or bred are considered personal property. Need proof of legal acquisition within 10 days for wild-caught ones.

Fur farming (breeding or rearing fox, mink, marten and chinchilla in captivity) is considered an agricultural pursuit.

(RCW 16.72)

BENEFICIAL INSECTS (Agriculture)

Allows Department to regulate or prohibit the commercial movement of ladybugs and other beneficial insects from the state.

EXEMPT: honeybees and research

(RCW 15.61)

LIVE FISH

BANS live take of bottomfish for commercial purposes unless authorized.

PERMIT required to import, transport, transfer, sell or possess live fish.

EXEMPT:
- Aquarium fish
- Game fish
- indigenous marine baitfish
- indigenous hagfish species
- mosquito fish (agencies authorized under 17.28 only)

(WAC 220-353-130, 220-355-010)

AQUACULTURE (Fish & Wildlife/Agriculture)

REGISTRATION from Department of Fish & Wildlife required to cultivate aquatic products for commercial purposes.

ALSO NEED:
- marine finfish aquaculture permit (marine finfish only)
- amphibian aquaculture permit (import amphibians)

BANS African clawed frogs

REQUIREMENTS:

Need shipping document if cultured aquatic products moved or sold
- EXCLUDES: retail sale for personal use

(RCW 15.85, 77.115; WAC 16-603-010, 220-370)

NONNATIVE AQUATIC ANIMAL SPECIES

BANS prohibited nonnative aquatic species and must immediately kill wild-caught.

GRANDFATHERED: those owned prior to classification
PERMIT for scientific research or display
- MUST BE confined at facility, not natural watercourse, inaccessible to other animals, not transferred without approval, and incinerate or chemically preserve zebra and quagga mussels and decontaminate everything and kill other all species at end
PERMIT for monitoring and control program

CLASSIFICATIONS:

Prohibited (need authorization to possess, introduce or traffic)
- Level 1 (high risk – priority expedited response)
  - Zebra and quagga mussels
  - Mitten crabs (Erochier)
  - European green crab
  - Snakeheads (Channa)
  - walking catfish (Clarriidae)
  - Carp, Bighead
  - Carp, Black
  - Carp, Silver
  - Carp, Largescale Silver
  - Northern pike
- Level 2 (high risk – priority long-term action)
  - NONE
- Level 3 (moderate to high risk)
  - See separate list
  - EXCLUDES: dead ones for consumption

Regulated (need authorization to introduce in water)
- Type A (low to moderate risk – beneficial use)
  - All nonnative food fish and game fish
  - Tilapia (Tilapia, Oneochromis, and Sartheradon)
  - Alewife
  - Common carp, koi
  - Goldfish
  - Tench
  - Grass carp (in the triploid form)
  - Mosquito fish
  - All nonnative shellfish under WAC 220-320-010
- Type B (low risk – personal or commercial purposes)
  - nonnative aquatic animal species not Prohibited level 1-3 or Regulated Type A
  - nonnative aquatic animal species for personal or commercial purposes, such as for aquariums, live food markets, or nondomesticated pets
- Type C (low risk – unlisted)
  - nonnative aquatic animal species not Prohibited level 1-3 or Regulated Type A
  - All other nonnative aquatic animal species not meeting criteria for regulated Type B species

EXEMPT:

Pests, domesticated animals, livestock (Agriculture)
Forest invasive insects and disease species (DNR)
mosquito and algae control and shellfish sanitation (Health)

LIST: Prohibited Level 3:

Amphibians:
- Cricket frog (Hyla) including Jerdon’s tree, European tree, Common Chinese tree, Hallowell’s tree, spotless tree, Japanese tree, Mediterranean tree, San Chiang tree, Annam tree, spotless tree (Hyla suweonensis), Shensi tree, zhaoping tree
- Spadefoots (Pelobates) including Western, common, Pelobates, Moroccan
- Spadefoots (Scaphiopus) including Couch’s, Eastern, Hurter’s
- Spadefoots (Spea) including Plains, Western, New Mexico
  - EXCLUDES: great basin spadefoot
- African clawed frog (Silurana and Xenopus)
- American Bull frog
- Holoarctic brown frogs and Palearctic green frogs (Rana) including:
  - Moor, Chaochiao, Chevron-spotted brown, Siberian, Asiatic grass, Dybowski's, Plateau brown, Korean brown (kunyuensis), Montane brown, Hokkaidō, Greek stream, Italian stream, Siberian tree, European common (aragonensis), Japanese brown, Omei brown, Zhenhai brown, Japanese wrinkled (rugosa), Imienpo Station (emeljanovi), Tiantai, Stream brown, Tago's brown, Central Asiatic, agile, R. honnorate, Huanren, Iberian, Italian agile, Long-legged wood, harpist brown, Pyrenean, Tsushima brown, R. zhengi, Levant water, Italian pool, Karpathos, Seoul, Cretan, Demarchi’s green, Epirus water, Fukien gold-striped pond, R. grafti, Hubei gold-striped pond, Kokarit Pond, pool (lessonae), dark-spotted, wood, Perez's, eastern golden, Daruma pond, marsh, Sahara, Albanian water, Sichuan, Terentjev's frog, tenggerensis, edible, Italian hybrid
- Mole salamanders – California tiger, blue-spotted, marbled, Tarahumara, Eastern tiger
  - EXCLUDES: Western/barred tiger and blotched tiger
Amphiuma (Amphiuma)
Giant salamanders and hellbenders (Andrias and Cryptobranchus)
American giant salamanders (Dicamptodon)
- EXCLUDES: Pacific giant salamander and Cope's giant salamander
Mountain salamanders (Batrachuperus, Hynobius, Liua, Onychodactylus, Pachyhynobius, Pseudohynobius, Ranodon, and Salamandrella)
dusky salamander (Desmognathus)
American brook, cave, four-toed, red and mud salamanders (Eurycea, Gyrinophilus, Hemidactylium, Hydromantes and Pseudotriton)
Mudpuppies (Necturus and Proteus)
Newts (Chioglossa, Eichinotriton, Euproctus, Neurergus, Notophthalmus, Pachytriton, Paramesotriton, Salamandrina, Taricha, Ichthyosaura and Triturus)
- EXCLUDES: Northern rough-skin newt
Sirens (Pseudobranchus and Siren)

Reptiles:
- snapping turtles (Chelydridae)
- Chinese pond turtles (Chinemys)
- Pond turtles (Clemmys)
- European pond turtle
- Asian pond turtle (Mauremys)
- American soft shell turtles (Apalone)

Crustaceans:
- Fish hook water flea
- Spiny water flea
- Crayfish (Cambaridae, Parastacidae)
  - EXCLUDES: Engaeos, Australian red claw, Cherax papuanus, Margaret River marron
- Burrowing isopod

Fish:
- Bowfin
- Piranha or caribe (Pygocentrus, Rooseveltiella, and Serrasalmus)
- Fathead minnow
- Carp, Grass (in the diploid form)
- Ide
- Rudd
- Round goby
- Gar-pikes (Lepisosteidae)
Mammals:
- Nutria

Mollusks:
- Dreissenid mussels except zebra and quagga
- New Zealand mud snail

(RCW 77.135; WAC 220-640)

REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN VENDORS (Health)

BANS sale, transfer and acquisition of animal associated with zoonotic disease outbreak.

BANS sales of turtles with carapace less than 4” as pets.

Vendors selling reptile or amphibian as pet must provide buyer information about diseases from them, who is at greatest risk and prevention methods.

(WAC 246-100-191)

PSITTACINE BIRD AND PISTTACOSIS (Health)

BANS importing psittacine birds from premises where avian chlamydiosis infection is suspected or from a premise being quarantined for it.

REQUIREMENTS:

Vendor must keep records of transfers for 1 year
Vendors must provide buyer or recipient of general public with listed written information about psittacosis and avian chlamydiosis AND post sign visible to general public
Exhibit and displays shall prevent public exposure to birds except pet stores and aviaries plus bird shows if kept in separate room with entrance sign warning of psittacosis
Allow local health officer to make site visit of any infected birds, make documentation and work with vet to test suspect birds – includes potentially exposed non-psittacine birds

(WAC 246-100-201)

RABIES/IMPORT LAW (Health)

BANS acquiring, selling, bartering, exchanging, giving, purchasing, distributing, trapping to retain and import of bats, skunks, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes.

PERMIT (Entry Permit) issued to import for AZA zoological park, animal exhibitor or research facility
EXEMPT (other purposes): AZA zoological park, animal exhibitor, research facility and rehabilitator

REQUIREMENTS:

Ferrets need rabies vaccinations in accordance with USDA instructions
AZA zoological parks and other exhibitors must confine wild-caught mammals susceptible to rabies for at least 6 months if used for exhibition

(WAC 246-100-197)

IMPORT (Agriculture)

BANS import of 1) deleterious exotic wildlife banned by Fish and Wildlife, 2) feral swine, 3) bats, skunks, foxes, raccoons and coyotes banned under Department of Health, and 4) wild-caught carnivorous mammals with rabies detected in state of origin in last 12 months.

EXEMPT:
- Those allowed under deleterious exotic wildlife law
- bona fide public or private zoological parks and research (Department of Health ban)

PERMIT (Entry Permit) and Certificate of Veterinary Inspection or international health certificate required to import all legal wild and exotic animals.

EXEMPT:
- Fish and insects
- Those exempt by rules
- Those delivered to federally inspected slaughter plant within 12 hours
- Those sold by markets and then taken to slaughter plant in 12 hours

REQUIREMENTS:

Birds (except poultry) - CVI showing free from exotic Newcastle disease, psittacosis, or avian influenza within 30 days prior and numbered leg band
Ferrets – CVI (exempt if traveling with pet), rabies vaccine if 90+ days old
Brucellosis test within 30 days prior if 6 months+ - camelids, cervids, giraffes and okapi, bovids, wild sheep and goats, wild swine
TB test (M. bovis and M. tuberculosis) within 30 days prior if 6 months+ - Old World primates, apes, wild bovids/sheep/goats, cervids, giraffes and okapi
- Primates do not need M bovis testing
- Cervids must not be from herds exposed to it
- All other animals need statement they are not infected with it
Wild swine (zoo, exhibit, research) – negative pseudorabies within 30 days prior and quarantine and retest 30-60 days after
Wild horses/equines – negative equine infectious anemia within 6 months prior
Cervids – meet Elaphostrongylinae infection requirements

(RCW 16.36.005, 16.36.045 to 16.36.060, 16.36.128 to 16.36.140; WAC 16.54)

IMPORT (Fish & Wildlife)

BANS transplant and introduction of grizzly bears into state.

(RCW 77.12.035)