§ 20-19-604 — Prior possession

A person eighteen (18) years of age or older may continue to lawfully possess a primate, including an ape, macaque, or baboon, if within one hundred eighty (180) days after August 16, 2013, the primate, including an ape, macaque, or baboon, is registered under § 20-19-605 and if: (1) The person maintains veterinary records, acquisition papers, or other documents or records that establish that the person possessed the primate, including an ape, macaque, or baboon, before August 16, 2013; (2) The person does not acquire an ape, macaque, or baboon after August 16, 2013, by purchase, trade, or breeding; (3) The person has not pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or been found guilty of an offense involving the abuse or neglect of an animal under a state, local, or federal law; (4) The person is not subject to a court order requiring the forfeiture of a primate; (5) The person has not had a license or permit regarding the care, possession, exhibition, breeding, or sale of an animal revoked or suspended for more than six (6) months by a state, local, or federal authority; (6) The facility and the conditions in which each primate is kept comply with this subchapter; (7) The person does not bring a primate to a commercial or retail establishment, unless it is owned or rented by the registered primate owner, or is a licensed veterinarian's office, an educational facility, a facility rented for the sole purpose of education, or a hotel or motel where the primate would not have direct contact with the public; or (8) The person has an identification number placed in the primate via subcutaneous microchip, at the expense of the owner, unless a veterinarian determines the implantation would be harmful to the primate's well-being.

Legislative History

Added by Act 2013, No. 1337,§ 1, eff. 8/16/2013.