I tried to post this earlier, but my daughter got on my computer, not sure what she did. My husband and I have had a few corns for several years and are thinking about trying to breed them. We have both searched and cannot find anything about whether or not we need a license or permit to breed or sell corn snakes. (We are in KY) I contacted a pet store in TN and they said that they thought we needed a license. I have tried looking up county, city and state laws/ordinances and cannot find anything.Anyone that can give us a link, or let us know for sure, we would GREATLY appreciate it!
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License to Breed?
- Thread starter LeMoN6123
- Start date
DMong
colubrid connoisseur
Really weird, because I couldn't find a SINGLE THING that even mentions the WORD "reptiles" on this Kentucky Fish and Wildlife site. This is almost identical to how Florida's site is formatted, but the licenses are called "Class III" licenses that allow to display and/or sell harmless reptiles.
I'm pretty sure Kentucky has laws on posessing indigenous wildlife though,...but I still can't understand the site not having some kind of license for other harmless non-indigenous reptiles one breeds and sells, like say Ball pythons, Honduran milks, Cal. kings, or whatever??
http://fw.ky.gov/avlic.asp
My friend Phil Peak from Kentucky will know all about this!.........I'll try to contact him and post here what he says regarding it.
~Doug
I'm pretty sure Kentucky has laws on posessing indigenous wildlife though,...but I still can't understand the site not having some kind of license for other harmless non-indigenous reptiles one breeds and sells, like say Ball pythons, Honduran milks, Cal. kings, or whatever??
http://fw.ky.gov/avlic.asp
My friend Phil Peak from Kentucky will know all about this!.........I'll try to contact him and post here what he says regarding it.
~Doug
From what I understand you are allowed to possess up to 5 individuals of any/every species of snake found in KY. This does not include exotics, no permit required for those and no limit. No exotic venomous are legal, only natives, and up to 5 of each species without a permit. KY requires a propagation permit for possessing more than 5 individuals of any species native to KY or buying or selling wildlife native to the state. Morphs not commonly found in the wild are exempt.
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/kar/301/002/081.htm
(5) Amphibians and reptiles.
(a) Five (5) or fewer individuals of each species of native reptile or amphibian may be taken year round or possessed for personal use without a permit. The following shall be exceptions to taking or possessing five (5) individuals of each species. There shall be:
1. No limit on snapping or softshell turtles;
2. A limit of fifteen (15) per night on bullfrogs; and
3. A limit of twenty-five (25) dusky salamanders or spring lizards of the genus Desmognathus.
(b) There shall be no limit on the number of individuals of each species possessed by a commercial or noncommercial captive wildlife permit holder, if the permit holder does not possess more than five (5) wild-caught individuals of each species of amphibian or reptile.
(c) A captive wildlife permit shall not be required to hold reptiles with a color morphology that is distinctly different from the wild type of the same species of reptile.
(5) Amphibians and reptiles.
(a) Five (5) or fewer individuals of each species of native reptile or amphibian may be taken year round or possessed for personal use without a permit. The following shall be exceptions to taking or possessing five (5) individuals of each species. There shall be:
1. No limit on snapping or softshell turtles;
2. A limit of fifteen (15) per night on bullfrogs; and
3. A limit of twenty-five (25) dusky salamanders or spring lizards of the genus Desmognathus.
(b) There shall be no limit on the number of individuals of each species possessed by a commercial or noncommercial captive wildlife permit holder, if the permit holder does not possess more than five (5) wild-caught individuals of each species of amphibian or reptile.
(c) A captive wildlife permit shall not be required to hold reptiles with a color morphology that is distinctly different from the wild type of the same species of reptile.
Ya, thats all I could find too, but I don't want to get in trouble if we start breeding and need a license to sell... Doug, if you can get ahold of him, that would be GREAT! I just think it is crazy that KY is so relaxed about it (not a bad thing!) and then TN is the complete opposite! The pet stores have to pay a large fee in order to sell corn snakes (even morphs) because they are local wildlife, and they have to keep info on the people they sell them to as well. Thanks for taking the time to look it up everyone! 
DMong
colubrid connoisseur
Thanks, that's very interesting. You being from Kentucky would know far more about it than I would. What about if the person has 5 corns and produces 100 offspring to sell?. That scenario wasn't very clear to me from what I just saw. I am assuming any offspring from the legal five animals can be sold without any licensing?
~Doug
~Doug
DMong
colubrid connoisseur
Ya, thats all I could find too, but I don't want to get in trouble if we start breeding and need a license to sell... Doug, if you can get ahold of him, that would be GREAT! I just think it is crazy that KY is so relaxed about it (not a bad thing!) and then TN is the complete opposite! The pet stores have to pay a large fee in order to sell corn snakes (even morphs) because they are local wildlife, and they have to keep info on the people they sell them to as well. Thanks for taking the time to look it up everyone!
Yeah, Florida is fairly relaxed as well (for the time being anyway). As you said, state laws can vary DRASTICALLY as to what you can and cannot have. My buddy from mainland North Carolina couldn't buy a nice pair of Outer Banks kingsnake hatchlings from me years ago, even though this bloodline has been captive-bred for many years. They just don't allow anyone to own native herpetofauna. Some states you can own amelanistic morphs as the other poster mentioned. You really gotta keep a close eye on individual state laws for sure, or they can cause a real problem.
Anyway, yes, I'll see what Phil has to say in conjuction to the other poster that was kind enough to post that helpful info as well.
Good luck!
~Doug
DMong
colubrid connoisseur
Here is what Phil just replied to me regarding the laws. It is very similar to what the other posted stated:
In KY you are allowed to keep up to five of any native species without a permit. With more than five you are required to have a captive propagation permit. Of these, only 5 can be wild caught and they also recognize on the species level. So basically, a milk snake can represent anything from our native reds and easterns to Hondurans and Mexican milks for example. In their eyes they are all milk snakes. You are allowed breed and sale native species but to do so you are required to possess a commercial propagation permit.
Exotics (ball pythons, boas, etc..) are exempt and not regulated except that it is illegal to possess exotic venomous (native is okay provided you keep less than five or have a permit).
In KY you are allowed to keep up to five of any native species without a permit. With more than five you are required to have a captive propagation permit. Of these, only 5 can be wild caught and they also recognize on the species level. So basically, a milk snake can represent anything from our native reds and easterns to Hondurans and Mexican milks for example. In their eyes they are all milk snakes. You are allowed breed and sale native species but to do so you are required to possess a commercial propagation permit.
Exotics (ball pythons, boas, etc..) are exempt and not regulated except that it is illegal to possess exotic venomous (native is okay provided you keep less than five or have a permit).
DMong
colubrid connoisseur
If Kentucky law had a problem with owning and breeding say amelanistic "Honduran" milks, then the law would be absolutely asinine!
But I don't see it stated anywhere pro or con.......
~Doug
DMong
colubrid connoisseur
Ooops!,.....it appears that snakes like amel Hondurans would need no permit from how I read it. This would mean any amelanistic triangulum the way I see it, or amel corns for that matter. But something like a fairly dark hypo corn could be interpreted as however any given officer chose to if he/she wanted to start a problem. This is no different than almost anything else when it comes to authorities of any kind. If they WANT to make trouble, they always can. I would do as I pleased with the corn morphs in this case and ride with it if I lived there. :laugh:
~Doug
Thanks everyone for all the help! My husband was finally able to get ahold of the KY department of fish and wildlife, and they said you do not need a license to breed or sell your corns as long as they are all morphs and none of them are normals. If we have any normals, or any offspring ends up being normals, we will have to get a $150 permit if we have more than 5 in our possession, and if we want to sell the normals, we have to pay another fee (forgot how much it was). Looks like we are in the clear for now! Now we just have to get the two we have to breed! lol
DMong
colubrid connoisseur
Yeah, I can believe that. Better make darn sure you breed pairs that won't be producing hets and/or poss. het by-products, and only obvious morphs. Some $4-5 dollar normal corns could get rather costly.
cheers, ~Doug
crotalis40741
Nanci said put sexy bangs
I also live in Ky, the way the state herp guy told me is that you can only keep up to five of any native species without a permit. But with the corn snakes if they do not look like wild caught type they do not count as part of the five. So if they are albino, anery, striped etc. they do not count as part of the five you can keep. Since in breeding you will usually get a lot of normal hatchligs the permit would be wise thing to get. The permit is $150.00 a year and you have to have a Game Warden come out and do an inspection.