No person shall possess for the purpose of sale, sell or offer for sale any bait species without first obtaining a bait dealer's license from the commissioner, provided the provisions of this section shall not apply to persons issued a commercial hatchery license under section 26-149. Application forms for such license shall be furnished by the commissioner. Such license shall be nontransferable. The fee for each such license shall be sixty-three dollars annually. Each such license shall expire on the last day of December next after issuance. Each such licensed bait dealer may possess and sell only such bait species as shall be authorized under regulations issued by the commissioner, provided live carp and goldfish shall not be possessed for any purpose on premises used by licensed bait dealers. Each such licensee shall keep such records relating to the operation of such business as the commissioner determines on forms furnished by the commissioner and shall file such report with the commissioner within thirty days after the expiration of such license. No such report shall contain any material false statement. Failure to file such report shall be a violation of this section and the commissioner may refuse to reissue such license until the licensee complies with this requirement. Representatives of the commissioner may enter upon the premises of bait dealers at any time to inspect required records and the bait species possessed and to detect violations of this section and regulations issued hereunder by the commissioner, and such representatives may confiscate and dispose of any fish illegally possessed. Any person who violates any provision of this section or any such regulation issued by the commissioner shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.
(1957, P.A. 338, S. 1; 1959, P.A. 398, S. 8; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 240; P.A. 82-91, S. 21, 38; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3, S. 15, 21; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1, S. 89; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 449; P.A. 10-3, S. 40; P.A. 12-80, S. 83.)
History: 1959 act increased license fee from $2 to $5 and required that fees collected be deposited in general fund rather than in fish fund; 1971 act replaced references to board of fisheries and game with references to environmental protection commissioner; P.A. 82-91 increased license fee from $5 to $10; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-3 increased the fee for a bait dealer's license to $20; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-1 increased license fee to $50, effective January 1, 2003; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased fee from $50 to $100; P.A. 10-3 reduced fee from $100 to $63 and made a technical change, effective April 14, 2010; P.A. 12-80 replaced penalty of a fine of not less than $10 or more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both with a class D misdemeanor and made a technical change.