Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For those of you who sell or breed snakes in PA, who did you contact about licensing? This isn't something I plan on doing right now, but I am looking to breed next season (the snakes, not me!) and noticed that licensing is required to sell at all of the shows. I've been checking the PA Dept. of Agriculture pages, but all I have found is info. on dog, cow, & horse licensing.

Also, do you need to be an actual "business" (with a business license) in order to sell at shows or are private home breeders allowed (might vary from show to show, but I thought there might be a general rule)? Sorry for all of the questions. I've been doing searches (google, etc.) to find this info., but thought I might be able to find some PA herpers with some experience who could point me in the right direction. I'd like to find out what is required before I get in over my head.

THANKS!!!
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Amber

3.18.0 Ball Pythons - Tucker, Taylor & gang
1.0.0 Snow Corn - Aiden
1.1.0 Okeetee Corns
0.1.0 Amber Corn
0.1.0 Pueblan Milk Snake - Marishka
2.1.0 Dachshunds - Dakota, Montana, & Cheyenne
5.0.0 Ferrets - Tigger, Bailey, Cody, Keyta, & Bandit

This is a quote from the PA website

"There are no permits issued by the Fish and Boat Commission for selling reptiles and amphibians. Our regulations require that with the exception of common snapping turtles, no reptile or amphibian may be taken from the wild in PA for sale, trade or barter. Also, it unlawful to possess, import or export species listed as endangered or threatened by the Fish and Boat Commission. For species not taken from the wild but which may occur in PA, a dealer or purchaser would need to obtain and maintain the proper documentation to show that the origin of an animal was from a legal source and not taken from the wild. "

So basically you have to have documentation proving the animal is CB (I would think the parents would have to be CB also), and the animal cannot be on the endangered species list.

Hope that helps.
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Jenea

1:3 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

"The purpose of our regulations regarding the sale of reptiles and amphibians is to minimize exploitation of wild populations by eliminating a profit motive. Catching gravid females and/or captive breeding of wild caught specimens to produced young for sale goes against our philosophy of not permitting the commercial use of these species."
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Jenea

1:3 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

Thank you for the response! It must have been the MD shows that I read about the licenses? Now I can't find the web page I was looking at. Figures... I assume from this wording that as long as I am not selling anything that I gathered from the wilds of PA or an imported species listed as endangered or threatened, that I should be good to go. And if I am selling anything that does live in PA somewhere, then I just need to be able to prove that mine was not collected from the wild.

Thank you!

>>This is a quote from the PA website
>>
>>
>> "There are no permits issued by the Fish and Boat Commission for selling reptiles and amphibians. Our regulations require that with the exception of common snapping turtles, no reptile or amphibian may be taken from the wild in PA for sale, trade or barter. Also, it unlawful to possess, import or export species listed as endangered or threatened by the Fish and Boat Commission. For species not taken from the wild but which may occur in PA, a dealer or purchaser would need to obtain and maintain the proper documentation to show that the origin of an animal was from a legal source and not taken from the wild. "
>>
>>
>>So basically you have to have documentation proving the animal is CB (I would think the parents would have to be CB also), and the animal cannot be on the endangered species list.
>>
>>Hope that helps.
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>>Jenea
>>
>>1:3 Eastern Hognose
>>0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
>>0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
>>1:1 Red-eared Slider
>>2:0 Cats
>>1:1 Kids
>>1:0 Spouse
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Amber

3.18.0 Ball Pythons - Tucker, Taylor & gang
1.0.0 Snow Corn - Aiden
1.1.0 Okeetee Corns
0.1.0 Amber Corn
0.1.0 Pueblan Milk Snake - Marishka
2.1.0 Dachshunds - Dakota, Montana, & Cheyenne
5.0.0 Ferrets - Tigger, Bailey, Cody, Keyta, & Bandit

Your best bet is to contact the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (agency with jurisdiction) directly with your questions. The state does not allow commercial activity involving species native to PA. There is also a daily collection AND a possession limit of 2 per (native) species unless that species is otherwise regulated (i.e. protected etc.). I do not know the laws for breeding and selling none native species but I believe PA does have reptile shows so it must be legal for many species. My impression is that you may breed and sell any species so long as it is not native to PA and not otherwise restricted by Federal law. The agency also recommends that you reference any municipal laws. Keep in mind that laws in any given entity (municipality, county, state etc) must meet or exceed the next highest level but can not be less restrictive than the laws from a higher entity. The State may allow certain behavior but a city or county may not. Likewise if the State forbids an activity the city or county may not allow it.

Another quote from their faq web site:

“I would like to purchase/sell/possess a venomous exotic snake. Do I need a permit to possess such an animal?
PA Fish and Boat Commission regulations only pertain to native species of PA. In other words our regulations do not cover any species not found in PA. Therefore, you would not need a permit from our agency. However, you may want to contact you local municipal government to see if they have any ordinances in effect that regulate the possession of “dangerous animals” or exotic pets. Due to some recent high-profile cases in the news of non-native snake bites and snakes getting loose in neighborhoods additional municipalities are adding such laws.”

Beware: There is an individual on these forums from PA that presents himself as a more advanced hobbyist / amateur researcher etc. His core interest seems to be Ringneck Snakes. His postings implicate that he does violate his state's laws so do not use his behavior as a gauge of what is and is not legal in PA.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Amphibians & Reptiles Pages:

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/amp_rep.htm
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Randy Hallman

Thank you Randy! I appreciate the additional info.
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Amber

3.18.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.2 Snow Corns
1.1.0 Okeetee Corns
0.1.0 Amber Corn
0.0.2 Normal Corns
0.0.2 Amel Corns
0.1.0 Pueblan Milk Snake - Marishka
2.1.0 Dachshunds - Dakota, Montana, & Cheyenne
5.0.0 Ferrets - Tigger, Bailey, Cody, Keyta, & Bandit

I finally found the PA show that said you had to be licenced by the Dept. of Agriculture in order to be a vendor there. It was the Hamburg, PA show. I followed their instructions and found the following form to use to apply for a license in the state of PA to deal/haul animals. Not sure you need it at all shows, but the Hamburg one does require it according to their web site. It isn't herp specific, just a license to basically sell any "domestic" animal.

http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/lib/agriculture/animalhealthfiles/licenses/aai-38_domesticanimaldealerandhaulers.pdf
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Amber

3.18.0 Ball Pythons - Tucker, Taylor & Gang
1.1.0 Amber Corns
0.0.2 Amel Corns
1.1.0 Butter Motley Corns
1.1.0 Crimson Corns
1.1.0 Ghost Corns
1.1.0 Hypo Corns
0.0.2 Normal Corns
1.1.0 Okeetee Corns
1.0.2 Snow Corns - Aiden & Kids
1.1.0 Sunglow Motley Corns
1.1.0 Hypo Honduran Milk Snakes
0.1.0 Pueblan Milk Snake - Marishka
1.1.0 Sinaloan Milk Snakes
2.1.0 Dachshunds - Dakota, Montana, & Cheyenne
5.0.0 Ferrets - Tigger, Bailey, Cody, Keyta, & Bandit