Title FGC — California Fish & Game Code

Any regulation of the commission pursuant to this article relating to resident game birds, game mammals and fur-bearing mammals may apply to all or any areas, districts, or portions thereof, at the discretion of the commission, and may do any or all of the following as to any or …

When adopting regulations pursuant to Section 203, the commission shall consider populations, habitat, food supplies, the welfare of individual animals, and other pertinent facts and testimony.

Any regulation of the commission pursuant to this article which relates to fish, amphibia, and reptiles, may apply to all or any areas, districts, or portion thereof, at the discretion of the commission, and may do any or all of the following as to any or all species or subspecie…

As used in this chapter, “wild animal” means any animal of the class Aves (birds), class Mammalia (mammals), class Amphibia (frogs, toads, salamanders), class Osteichtyes (bony fishes), class Monorhina (lampreys), class Reptilia (reptiles), class Crustacea (crayfish), or class Ga…

The Legislature finds and declares that wild animals are being captured for importation and resale in California; that some populations of wild animals are being depleted; that many animals die in captivity or transit; that some keepers of wild animals lack sufficient knowledge o…

As used in this chapter, “enforcing officers” means the department, the state plant quarantine officers, the local law enforcement agents, the county sheriffs, and the county agricultural commissioners. These enforcing officers are authorized and empowered to enforce the provisio…

It is unlawful to import, transport, possess, or release alive into this state, except under a revocable, nontransferable permit as provided in this chapter and the regulations pertaining thereto, any wild animal of the following species: (a) Class Aves: (birds) Family Cuculidae …

Except as provided in Section 1007, it is unlawful to import any elk (genus Cervus) into this state. The department may import elk pursuant to Section 1007, if prior to such importation, the department issues written findings justifying the need for and explaining the purpose of …

No part of any elk horn or antler shall be removed from any live elk for commercial purposes.

The department shall seize any elk imported in violation of Section 2118.2.

The commission may designate wild animals which may be possessed without a permit.

The department shall publish from time to time as changes arise, a list of animals that may not be imported or transported into this state.

(a) The commission, in cooperation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, shall adopt regulations governing both (1) the entry, importation, possession, transportation, keeping, confinement, or release of any and all wild animals that will be or that have been imported into…

No person having possession or control over any wild animal under this chapter shall intentionally free, or knowingly permit the escape, or release of such an animal, except in accordance with the regulations of the commission.

The commission shall promulgate regulations in cooperation with the State Department of Food and Agriculture for the guidance of enforcing officers. Such regulations shall include a list of the wild animals for which permits that may be issued under this chapter will be refused, …

The department in cooperation with the State Department of Food and Agriculture shall furnish descriptive and illustrative material concerning the wild animals enumerated in or designated pursuant to Section 2118, as well as explanatory material setting forth the reasons for desi…

(a) Except as otherwise authorized by this code or regulations adopted pursuant to this code, including, but not limited to, those provisions that authorize raising deer to produce venison for market, it is unlawful for any person to possess, transport, import, export, propagate,…

(a) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person who violates this chapter or any regulations implementing this chapter, is subject to a civil penalty of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation. Exc…

(a) Except as otherwise authorized by this code or regulations made pursuant thereto, it is unlawful for any person to take any mammal enumerated in or designated pursuant to Section 2118. (b) This section does not prohibit the euthanasia of a mammal as appropriately directed by …

(a) The department may reimburse eligible local entities, pursuant to a memorandum of understanding entered into pursuant to this section, for costs incurred by the eligible local entities in the administration and enforcement of any provision concerning the possession of, handli…

(a) (1) Any person who houses, possesses, manages, or is in direct contact with an elephant shall not do either of the following: (A) Use a bullhook, ankus, baseball bat, axe handle, pitchfork, or other device designed to inflict pain for the purpose of training or controlling th…

(a) (1) The department, in cooperation with the Department of Food and Agriculture, may, upon application, issue a written permit to import into, possess, or transport within this state any wild animal enumerated in, or designated pursuant to, Section 671 of Title 14 of the Calif…

Fees collected pursuant to this chapter for permits, permit applications, and facility inspections shall be deposited in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. The department shall annually identify the amount collected for each type of permit, permit application, or inspection for…

The department shall establish fees for permits, permit applications, and facility inspections in amounts sufficient to cover the costs of administering, implementing, and enforcing this chapter.

(a) The director shall appoint a committee to advise the director on the humane care and treatment of wild animals. (b) The committee shall make recommendations to the director for the establishment of standards of performance for administration and enforcement, which shall inclu…

(a) The department or an eligible local entity shall inspect the wild animal facilities, as determined by the director’s advisory committee, of each person holding a permit issued pursuant to Section 2150 authorizing the possession of a wild animal. (b) In addition to the inspect…

Classes, orders, families, genera, and species which may not be imported, transported, possessed, or released alive in this state solely because of concern for the welfare of the animal may be possessed under permit when the owner can demonstrate that such animal was legally acqu…

A permit shall be issued only upon written application from the person desiring to import or transport the species, enumerating all of the following: (a) The approximate number and true scientific name of each species of wild animal for which a permit is requested. (b) The carrie…

Each permit issued shall set forth all of the following: (a) The number and true scientific name of the species of wild animal for which the permit is granted. (b) A statement of the manner and conditions under which the entry of such species is permitted. (c) A statement of the …

Whenever any permit is issued under the provisions of this article, one copy shall be sent by the department to the State Department of Food and Agriculture, one copy to the county agricultural commissioner or to the state plant quarantine officer having jurisdiction at the place…

The provisions of this chapter and regulations adopted pursuant thereto shall apply to the progeny of any wild animal imported or possessed under such laws and regulations, except that no permit shall be required for the possession of progeny if a permit has already been obtained…

Neither the provisions of this chapter nor the regulations of the commission shall prevent any city or county from enacting ordinances relating to the possession or care of wild animals provided such ordinances are more restrictive.

(a) Every person holding a permit issued pursuant to Section 2150 shall uniquely identify each wild mammal that poses a risk to the health and safety of the public and report this identification to the department to maintain in a registry. (b) The commission shall adopt regulatio…

(a) Any person who transports, receives, or imports into the state, or transports within the state, any live wild animal enumerated in or designated pursuant to Section 2118, shall hold that animal in confinement for inspection and immediately notify the nearest enforcing officer…

(a) If during inspection upon arrival any wild animal is found to be diseased, or there is reason to suspect the presence of disease, or there is reason to suspect the presence of disease that is or may be detrimental to agriculture, to native wildlife, or to the public health or…

(a) Whenever any wild animal is brought into this state under permit, as provided in this chapter, the enforcing officers may, from time to time, examine the conditions under which that species is kept, and report to the department any suspicion or knowledge of any disease or vio…

(a) As used in this section “nonnative wild animal” means any nonnative animal species, or hybrid thereof, that is not normally domesticated pursuant to this code or regulations adopted pursuant thereto and that is not designated as a furbearing, game, nongame, threatened, or end…

Any regulation adopted pursuant to this article may supersede any section of this code designated by number in the regulation, but shall do so only to the extent specifically provided in the regulation. A regulation which is adopted pursuant to this section shall be valid only to…

It is unlawful for any person who keeps in confinement, with or without a permit, any wild animal of a species enumerated in or designated pursuant to Section 2118, to liberate, ship, or transport the animal except in accordance with the conditions of a permit first obtained from…

Notwithstanding Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 18900) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code, Section 11356 of the Government Code, or any other provision of law, regulations of the commission relating to the construction, fixtures, and other minimum caging standards ado…

(a) Every person who holds a permit issued pursuant to Section 2150 shall immediately report by telephone the intentional or unintentional escape or release of the wild animal, to the department and the nearest enforcing officer of the city or county in which the wild animal was …

When a wild animal enumerated in, or designated pursuant to, Section 671 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations is properly confiscated by the department, the new custodian with whom the animal is placed by the department may bring a civil action to recover the reasona…

For purposes of this article, “mammal” means any wild animal of the class Mammalia as specified in Article 1 (commencing with Section 2116) or regulations adopted pursuant thereto which affects commerce.

The Animal Trust Fund is hereby established in the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the money in the fund is available to the department for the administration of this article and to make grants pursuant to Section 2203. The department may use not more than …

The department may seek grants and accept donations from private and public organizations and agencies for the purposes of this article for deposit in the Animal Trust Fund.

(a) The director, with the advice of the committee established pursuant to Section 2150.3, shall adopt regulations to establish and administer a grant program, including eligibility criteria, by which persons or governmental agencies who operate facilities to care and shelter mam…

This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Circus Cruelty Prevention Act.

(a) For purposes of this article, except as provided in subdivision (b), the term “circus” means a performance before a live audience in which entertainment consisting of a variety of acts, such as acrobats, aerialists, clowns, jugglers, or stunts, is the primary attraction or pr…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a person shall not sponsor, conduct, or operate a circus in this state that uses any animal other than a domestic dog, domestic cat, or domesticated horse. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, a person shall not exhibit or use any animal other tha…

(a) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, a person who violates this article, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this article, shall be liable for a civil penalty of no more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each day the person is in violation…