1. A. All live cervids may only be imported, possessed, or transported as authorized under R12-4-430.

2. B. A person is not required to possess a special license to lawfully possess restricted live wildlife under the following circumstances:

   1. 1. All Sonoran desert tortoises (Gopherus morafkai) lawfully possessed prior to April 28, 1989 are the property of the possessor.

      1. a. All Sonoran desert tortoises or their progeny possessed on or after April 28, 1989 are the property of the State.

      2. b. An Arizona resident may lawfully possess a Sonoran desert tortoise by adopting it through a Department authorized adoption program, or by receiving a lawfully possessed Sonoran desert tortoise as a gift.

         1. i. Male and female Sonoran desert tortoises shall be kept separated and housed in separate enclosures.
         2. ii. All Sonoran desert tortoises in excess of the possession limit of one per person or four per household shall be surrendered to the Department.
      3. c. A person who receives a Sonoran desert tortoise as a gift is exempt from special license requirements.

      4. d. A person shall not:

         1. i. Possess Sonoran desert tortoises in excess of one per person, per household, not to exceed four tortoises per household unless authorized in writing by the Department.
         2. ii. Export a live Sonoran desert tortoise from this state unless authorized in writing by the Department’s special license administrator. A person may only export a live Sonoran desert tortoise to an education or research institution or zoo located in another state.
         3. iii. Propagate or allow the propagation of lawfully possessed Sonoran desert tortoises or their progeny unless authorized in writing by the Department’s special license administrator. All Sonoran desert tortoises in excess of the household possession limit of four shall be surrendered to the Department.
         4. iv. Release a Sonoran desert tortoise into the wild.
      5. e. A person who possesses a desert tortoise and is moving out-of-state shall gift the Sonoran desert tortoise to an Arizona resident or to the Department’s Tortoise Adoption Program.

   2. 2. A licensed veterinarian may possess restricted wildlife while providing medical care to the wildlife and may release rehabilitated wildlife as directed in writing by the Department, provided:

      1. a. The veterinarian keeps records of restricted live wildlife as required by the Veterinary Medical Examining Board, and makes the records available for inspection by the Department.
      2. b. The Department assumes no financial responsibility for any care the veterinarian provides, except care that is specifically authorized by the Department.

   3. 3. A person may transport restricted live wildlife through this state provided the person:

      1. a. Transports the wildlife through the state within 72 continuous and consecutive hours;
      2. b. Ensures at least one person is continually present with, and accountable for, the wildlife while in this state;
      3. c. Ensures the wildlife is neither transferred nor sold to another person;
      4. d. Ensures the wildlife is accompanied by evidence of lawful possession, as defined under R12-4-401;
      5. e. Ensures a health certificate required under this Article accompanies the wildlife described on the health certificate, when applicable; and
      6. f. Ensures the carcasses of any wildlife that die while in transport through this state are disposed of only as directed by the Department.

   4. 4. A person may exhibit, export, import, possess, and transport restricted live wildlife for a circus, temporary animal exhibit, or government-authorized state or county fair, provided the person:

      1. a. Possesses evidence of lawful possession as defined under R12-4-401, for the wildlife;
      2. b. Ensures the evidence of lawful possession accompanies the wildlife described on that evidence;
      3. c. Ensures a health certificate required under this Article accompanies the wildlife described on the health certificate, when applicable;
      4. d. Ensures the wildlife does not come into physical contact with the public;
      5. e. Keeps the wildlife under complete control by safe and humane means; and
      6. f. Ensures the wildlife is not in this state for more than 60 consecutive days.

   5. 5. A person may export, import, possess, and transport restricted live wildlife for the purpose of commercial photography, provided the person:

      1. a. Possesses evidence of lawful possession as defined under R12-4-401 for the wildlife;
      2. b. Ensures the evidence of lawful possession accompanies the wildlife described on that evidence;
      3. c. Ensures a health certificate required under this Article accompanies the wildlife described on the health certificate, when applicable;
      4. d. Ensures the wildlife does not come into physical contact with the public;
      5. e. Keeps the wildlife under complete control by safe and humane means; and
      6. f. Ensures the wildlife is not in this state for more than 60 consecutive days.

   6. 6. A person may exhibit, import, possess, and transport restricted live wildlife for advertising purposes other than photography, provided the person:

      1. a. Ensures the wildlife is accompanied by evidence of lawful possession as defined under R12-4-401;
      2. b. Ensures the evidence of lawful possession accompanies the wildlife described on that evidence;
      3. c. Ensures a health certificate required under this Article accompanies the wildlife described on the health certificate, when applicable;
      4. d. Maintains the wildlife under complete control by safe and humane means;
      5. e. Prevents the wildlife from coming into contact with the public or being photographed with the public;
      6. f. Does not charge the public a fee to view the wildlife; and
      7. g. Exports the wildlife from the state within 10 days of importation.

   7. 7. A person may export restricted live wildlife, provided the person:

      1. a. Ensures the wildlife is accompanied by evidence of lawful possession as defined under R12-4-401;
      2. b. Ensures the evidence of lawful possession accompanies the wildlife described on that evidence;
      3. c. Maintains the wildlife under complete control by safe and humane means;
      4. d. Prevents the wildlife from coming into contact with the public or being photographed with the public;
      5. e. Does not charge the public a fee to view the wildlife; and
      6. f. Exports the wildlife from the state within 10 days of importation.
   8. 8. A person may possess restricted live wildlife taken alive under R12-4-404, R12-4-405, and R12-4-427, provided the person possesses the wildlife in compliance with those Sections.

   9. 9. A person who holds a falconry license issued by another state or country is exempt from obtaining an Arizona Sport Falconry License under R12-4-422, unless remaining in this state for more than 180 consecutive days.

      1. a. The falconer licensed in another state or country shall present a copy of the out-of-state or out-of-country falconry license, or its equivalent, to the Department upon request.
      2. b. A falconer licensed in another state or country and who remains in this state for more than the 180-day period shall apply for an Arizona Sport Falconry License in order to continue practicing sport falconry in this state.
   10. 10. A person may export, give away, import, kill, possess, propagate, purchase, trade, and transport restricted live wildlife provided the person is doing so for a medical or scientific research facility registered with the United States Department of Agriculture under 9 CFR Subpart C 2.30 revised January 1, 2024, which is incorporated by reference in this Section. The incorporated material is available at any Department office, online at www.gpo.gov, or may be ordered from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 979050, St. Louis, MO 63197-9000. This incorporation by reference contains no future editions or amendments.
   11. 11. A person may import and transport restricted live game fish, crayfish, and the following species, and hybrid forms, of the Genus Tilapia, O. aureus O. mossambica; O. niloticus, O. urolepis hornorum and T. zilli directly to restaurants or markets licensed to sell food to the public, when accompanied by a current valid transporter license issued under A.A.C. R3-2-1007.
   12. 12. A person operating a restaurant or market licensed to sell food to the public may exhibit, offer for sale, possess, and sell restricted live game fish or crayfish, provided the live game fish and crayfish are killed before being transported from the restaurant or market.
   13. 13. A person may export, giveaway, import, kill, possess, propagate, purchase, and trade transgenic animals provided the person is doing so for a medical or scientific research facility.
3. C. An exemption granted under this Section is not valid for any wildlife protected by federal law nor does it allow the take of wildlife from the wild.

Historical Note

Adopted effective April 28, 1989 (Supp. 89-2). Amended effective January 1, 1995; filed in the Office of the Secretary of State December 9, 1994 (Supp. 94-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 7 A.A.R. 2220, effective May 25, 2001 (Supp. 01-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 9 A.A.R. 3186, effective August 30, 2003 (Supp. 03-3). Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 980, effective May 6, 2006 (Supp. 06-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 21 A.A.R. 2813, effective December 5, 2015 (Supp. 15-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 27 A.A.R. 321, effective July 1, 2021 (Supp. 21-1). The Commission requested an error be corrected in subsection R12-4-407(B)(1)(a)(ii) which was amended by final rulemaking in Supp. 21-1. Under Commission Order 43 possession limits, of a desert tortoise are established, not bag limits as submitted and published. Documentation of the Commission’s intent to use the term possession limits is published at 21 A.A.R. 324; see also Commission Order 43, Note #4 (Supp. 21-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 32 A.A.R. 7 (January 2, 2026), effective February 1, 2026 (Supp. 25-4).