(a) No person shall engage in the business of buying raw furs produced in this state without obtaining a license from the commissioner. Such license shall be nontransferable and shall expire on June thirtieth next succeeding its issuance. Any license issued in accordance with the provisions of this section may be revoked for failure of the licensee to report the activities engaged in under the license to the commissioner. Activities shall be reported in a manner and at a time specified by the commissioner. Any conservation officer, special conservation officer or recreation officer may examine and inspect any premises used by or records maintained by any person pursuant to a license issued under this section. Notwithstanding any provision of section 1-210 to the contrary, no person shall obtain, attempt to obtain or release to any person or government agency any identifiable individual record of, or information derived from, any report submitted in accordance with the provisions of this section or submitted voluntarily upon request of the commissioner without the consent of the person making the report, except that the commissioner may authorize the release of such information for the purposes of wildlife research, management or development. The fees for such licenses shall be as follows: For each nonresident, or resident, fifty-five dollars, and for each authorized agent of a licensed resident fur buyer, thirty-five dollars.
(b) The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 concerning the buying and selling of raw furs. Such regulations may establish (1) procedures for recording and reporting transactions involving raw furs, and (2) tagging requirements for buying and selling raw furs.
(c) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars.
(1949 Rev., S. 4880; 1959, P.A. 398, S. 7; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 238; P.A. 82-91, S. 20, 38; P.A. 83-191, S. 3, 9; 83-587, S. 81, 96; P.A. 85-403, S. 2; P.A. 86-111, S. 1; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3, S. 14, 21; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1, S. 88; P.A. 03-278, S. 86; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 448; P.A. 10-3, S. 39; P.A. 12-80, S. 22.)
History: 1959 act increased fees for residents from $5 to $15 and for authorized agent of resident fur buyers from $2 to $10 and required that proceeds from license fees be deposited in general fund rather than game fund; 1971 act replaced reference to board of fisheries and game with reference to environmental protection commissioner and deleted provision requiring deposit of money received in general fund; P.A. 82-91 increased nonresident license fee from $75 to $150; increased resident license fee from $15 to $30 and increased license fee for agent of licensed resident from $10 to $20; P.A. 83-191 amended Subsec. (a) by authorizing the commissioner to revoke a raw fur dealer license for failure to report license activities and made June 30, rather than December 31, the license renewal date for consistency with the state fiscal year; P.A. 83-587 clarified that licenses issued in 1983 are valid until July 1, 1984; P.A. 85-403 amended Subsec. (a) to allow inspection of the premises of a raw fur dealer, inserted new Subsec. (b) to require the commissioner to adopt regulations re the buying and selling of raw furs relettering former Subsec. (b) accordingly; P.A. 86-111 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re confidentiality of information contained in reports; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3 reduced the fee for a nonresident raw fur dealer's license from $150 to $30; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1 amended Subsec. (a) to increase fee for nonresident or residents from $30 to $42 and to increase fee for authorized agents from $20 to $28 and amended Subsec. (b) by making a technical change, effective January 1, 2003; P.A. 03-278 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective July 9, 2003; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (a) to increase fees from $42 to $84 and from $28 to $56; P.A. 10-3 amended Subsec. (a) by reducing fees from $84 to $55 and from $56 to $35, effective April 14, 2010; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsec. (c) to replace penalty of a fine of not less than $100 or more than $250 or imprisonment of not more than 10 days or both with a fine of not more than $250.