Section 27-2-10. Commercial alligator farming licenses

   (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in alligator farming unless such person has a valid commercial alligator farming license as provided in Code Section 27-2-23. Any person desiring to establish, maintain, and operate a commercial alligator farm shall apply to the department for such a license.

(b) It shall be lawful for any person with a valid commercial alligator farming license to possess and propagate live alligators and to process and sell or export the hides of the alligators harvested on such alligator farm, provided that it shall be unlawful for any person, including a person with a commercial alligator farming license, to acquire any live alligator, except by propagation of live alligators lawfully in his possession, without first obtaining a permit from the department to acquire the live alligator. It shall also be unlawful for any person, including a person with a valid commercial alligator farming license, to sell, barter, exchange, give, or loan any live alligator to any other person without first obtaining a permit from the department to so sell, barter, exchange, give, or loan the live alligator.

(c) It shall be unlawful for any person with a valid commercial alligator farming license to acquire or possess any alligator hide or carcass except from the harvest of live alligators lawfully in his possession and on his alligator farm.

(d) At such time as is deemed necessary by the department to discharge its responsibilities under this Code section, every person with a valid commercial alligator farming license shall file reports with the department in such form and containing such information as deemed necessary by the department. In addition, every such licensee shall maintain on his business premises records in such form and containing such information as is required by the department to discharge its responsibilities under this Code section.

(e) The board shall have the authority to adopt and promulgate rules and regulations relative to commercial alligator farming including, but not limited to, the power:

   (1) To establish standards relating to enclosures, housing facilities, handling, care, and treatment of live alligators on the alligator farm of the licensee;

   (2) To establish standards relating to the processing, marking, sale, and exportation of hides of alligators harvested on the alligator farm of the licensee;

   (3) To require, at such times as it deems necessary for the department to discharge its responsibilities under this Code section, from each licensee an application for a commercial alligator farming license in such form and containing such information as the department deems necessary; and

   (4) To require each licensee to maintain on his business premises records in such form and containing such information as is required by the department to discharge its responsibilities under this Code section.

Ga. L. 1968, p. 480, §§ 2-7; Code 1933, § 45-310, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 27.