Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If I wanted to buy/breed snakes and sell them online what type of license and stuff would I need to get. I live in Alabama, I am just wondering is there any special things I need to get to be able to sell live animals through the internet or at local expos and stuff. I would really appreciate your help. Thanks

If I wanted to buy/breed snakes and sell them online what type of license and stuff would I need to get. I live in Alabama,

You would have to check with the Alabama Dept. of Wildlife or Fish and Game or whatever it is called. They are responsible for regulating wildlife sales in the state. If you are dealing with non-native species, you can probably do it without a permit, although some cities/counties have regs about keeping animals and other regs about selling animals as a business.

I am just wondering is there any special things I need to get to be able to sell live animals through the internet or at local expos and stuff.

For expos you basically need to buy a table. You have to make sure you don't violate game laws or local ordinances like those above. Wildlife officials often visit expos making sure everyone is in compliance with laws.

You will also need an state tax number since you will probably have to collect tax on all your sales and report it.

For selling snakes on the internet, you will have to find a way to deliver them. It is hard to ship snakes, most companies won't carry them and the ones that do charge big $ to do it. It is hard to sell someone a $30 kingsnake and then tell them it will cost $60 to ship it on Delta airlines.
Many breeders just ignore the rules and ship FedEx, UPS, etc. The problem with this is that if your animals die in shipment or get lost, you have no recourse since you weren't supposed to ship them anyway.
-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, TX