New law in Connecticut?

Hello all, i am very disapointed in connecticut's new law about retailers selling reptiles. for all of you that dont know. connecitcut's new law is that pet stores cant sell anymore reptiles. eventuly or sometime soon they will come out with a list of reptiles that can be sold but, its porbaly only going to be like leopard geckos and bearded dragons. but basicly there taking away all the fun and enjoyment out of owning reptiles. lots of people are going to be going out of business or hurt financily wise because of this. i heard about this because i work at a pet store and im the reptile guy there and the managers came and told me first. and im outraged at this. its not going to solve anything except get people angry and make people go out of there way to go other places (nearby states) to buy these wonderful creatures. if anyone else has anyhting to say about this or anyhting along the lines of how the USA is basicly baning herps slowly but surely, plz feel free to comment. thanks

Mike, I think it's pretty outrageous that something like this could occur two states away from me and I never had a clue. Before there was a law there was a bill. Where was everyone when the bill was being drafted and proposed? It seems to me prevention is the key. I just had a customer drive up here to NH to buy a snake and used Vision cage only a few weeks ago and he never mentioned anything about it. Are you sure on this one?

I searched Connecticut statutes this morning and here is what I found.


Connecticut General Statutes Annotated Currentness


Title 26. Fisheries and Game

Chapter 490. Fisheries and Game (Refs & Annos)

Part III. Licenses and Permits

§ 26-55. Permit for importing, possessing or liberating fish, wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates



No person shall import or introduce into the state, or possess or liberate therein, any live fish, wild bird, wild mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate unless such person has obtained a permit therefor from the commissioner, provided nothing in this section shall be construed to require such permit for any primate species that weighs not more than fifty pounds at maturity that was imported or possessed in the state prior to October 1, 2003. Such permit may be issued at the discretion of the commissioner under such regulations as the commissioner may prescribe. The commissioner may by regulation prescribe the numbers of live fish, wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates of certain species which may be imported, possessed, introduced into the state or liberated therein. The commissioner may by regulation exempt certain species or groups of live fish from the permit requirements. The commissioner may by regulation determine which species of wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates must meet permit requirements. The commissioner may totally prohibit the importation, possession, introduction into the state or liberation therein of certain species which the commissioner has determined may be a potential threat to humans, agricultural crops or established species of plants, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates. The commissioner may by regulation exempt from permit requirements organizations or institutions such as zoos, research laboratories, colleges or universities, public nonprofit aquaria or nature centers where live fish, wild birds, wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates are held in strict confinement. Any such fish, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate illegally imported into the state or illegally possessed therein shall be seized by any representative of the Department of Environmental Protection and shall be disposed of as determined by the commissioner. Any person, except as provided in section 26-55a, who violates any provision of this section or any regulation issued by the commissioner as provided in this section shall be guilty of an infraction. Importation, liberation or possession of each fish, wild bird, wild mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate in violation of this section or such regulation shall be a separate and distinct offense and, in the case of a continuing violation, each day of continuance thereof shall be deemed to be a separate and distinct offense.