§3372. Prohibited acts

(a) Offenses other than marking offenses

It is unlawful for any person-

(1) to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any fish or wildlife or plant taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law, treaty, or regulation of the United States or in violation of any Indian tribal law;

(2) to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce-

(A) any fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State or in violation of any foreign law;

(B) any plant taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State; or

(C) any prohibited wildlife species (subject to subsection (e) of this section);

(3) within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States (as defined in section 7 of title 18)-

(A) to possess any fish or wildlife taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State or in violation of any foreign law or Indian tribal law, or

(B) to possess any plant taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any law or regulation of any State; or

(4) to attempt to commit any act described in paragraphs (1) through (3).

(b) Marking offenses

It is unlawful for any person to import, export, or transport in interstate commerce any container or package containing any fish or wildlife unless the container or package has previously been plainly marked, labeled, or tagged in accordance with the regulations issued pursuant to paragraph (2) of section 3376(a) of this title.

(c) Sale and purchase of guiding and outfitting services and invalid licenses and permits

(1) Sale

It is deemed to be a sale of fish or wildlife in violation of this chapter for a person for money or other consideration to offer or provide-

(A) guiding, outfitting, or other services; or

(B) a hunting or fishing license or permit;

for the illegal taking, acquiring, receiving, transporting, or possessing of fish or wildlife.

(2) Purchase

It is deemed to be a purchase of fish or wildlife in violation of this chapter for a person to obtain for money or other consideration-

(A) guiding, outfitting, or other services; or

(B) a hunting or fishing license or permit;

for the illegal taking, acquiring, receiving, transporting, or possessing of fish or wildlife.

(d) False labeling offenses

It is unlawful for any person to make or submit any false record, account, or label for, or any false identification of, any fish, wildlife, or plant which has been, or is intended to be-

(1) imported, exported, transported, sold, purchased, or received from any foreign country; or

(2) transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

(e) Nonapplicability of prohibited wildlife species offense

(1) In general

Subsection (a)(2)(C) of this section does not apply to importation, exportation, transportation, sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase of an animal of a prohibited wildlife species, by a person that, under regulations prescribed under paragraph (3), is described in paragraph (2) with respect to that species.

(2) Persons described

A person is described in this paragraph, if the person-

(A) is licensed or registered, and inspected, by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or any other Federal agency with respect to that species;

(B) is a State college, university, or agency, State-licensed wildlife rehabilitator, or State-licensed veterinarian;

(C) is an accredited wildlife sanctuary that cares for prohibited wildlife species and-

(i) is a corporation that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of title 26 and described in sections 501(c)(3) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of such title;

(ii) does not commercially trade in animals listed in section 3371(g) of this title, including offspring, parts, and byproducts of such animals;

(iii) does not propagate animals listed in section 3371(g) of this title; and

(iv) does not allow direct contact between the public and animals; or

(D) has custody of the animal solely for the purpose of expeditiously transporting the animal to a person described in this paragraph with respect to the species.

(3) Regulations

Not later than 180 days after December 19, 2003, the Secretary, in cooperation with the Director of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, shall promulgate regulations describing the persons described in paragraph (2).

(4) State authority

Nothing in this subsection preempts or supersedes the authority of a State to regulate wildlife species within that State.

(5) Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a)(2)(C) of this section $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2008.

( Pub. L. 97–79, §3, Nov. 16, 1981, 95 Stat. 1074 ; Pub. L. 100–653, title I, §101, Nov. 14, 1988, 102 Stat. 3825 ; Pub. L. 108–191, §3(a), Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2871 .)

Amendments

2003-Subsec. (a)(2)(C). Pub. L. 108–191, §3(a)(1)(A), added subpar. (C).

Subsec. (a)(3)(B). Pub. L. 108–191, §3(a)(1)(B), inserted "or" after semicolon at end.

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 108–191, §3(a)(1)(C), substituted "paragraphs (1) through (3)" for "paragraphs (1) through (4)".

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 108–191, §3(a)(2), added subsec. (e).

1988-Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 100–653, §101(1), substituted "taken, possessed, transported, or sold" for "taken or possessed".

Subsec. (a)(4), (5). Pub. L. 100–653, §101(2), redesignated par. (5) as (4) and struck out former par. (4), which made it unlawful for any person having imported, exported, transported, sold, purchased, or received any fish or wildlife or plant imported from any foreign country or transported in interstate or foreign commerce, to make or submit any false record, account, label, or identification thereof.

Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 100–653, §101(3), added subsecs. (c) and (d).

Effective Date of 2003 Amendment

Pub. L. 108–191, §3(b), Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2872 , provided that: "Section 3(a)(2)(C) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 [16 U.S.C. 3372(a)(2)(C)] (as added by subsection (a)(1)(A)(iii)) shall apply beginning on the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 3(e)(3) of that Act [16 U.S.C. 3372(e)(3)] (as added by subsection (a)(2)) [Sept. 17, 2007, see 72 F.R. 45938]."