SECTION 800:15-9-3. General; operating provisions

  Harvest, sale and purchase of aquatic turtles for commercial purpose shall be in accordance with 29 O.S., Sections 4-103A, 4-103B and 6-204 and the following:

(1)   The application for an aquatic turtle harvest license must be signed by a Game Warden, and must list the county or counties from which turtles will be harvested.

(2)   The harvest, collection, sale or purchase of the following turtle species is prohibited:

(A)   Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii);

(B)   Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia);

(C)   Map Turtle (Graptemys spp.);

(D)   Painted Turtles (Chrysemys ssp.)

(E)   Razor-backed Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus)

(F)   All State and/or Federal threatened or endangered species;

(G)   All soft shell turtles, except as provided in Title 29 O.S., Section 4-102, greater than sixteen (16) inches in length when measuring the carapace only from the anterior (front) end to the posterior (rear) end shall not be kept in possession or sold or purchased and must be returned to the water immediately.

(3)   The possession, buying and/or selling of any terrestrial turtles commonly known as "box turtles", is prohibited.

(4)   All traps and nets used in the harvest of turtles for commercial purposes must have an identification tag with the owner's name and address attached and the name and address of all persons authorized to operate the traps and nets. All such traps and nets must be shown to the county Game Warden at the time the Game Warden signs the license application.

(5)   All persons licensed as a commercial turtle buyer must keep accurate records of all turtles purchased within and exported from the State of Oklahoma. These records shall be available for inspection by any agent of the Department at any time. A copy of each turtle purchase transaction must be given to the seller by the buyer at the time of the sale on forms provided by the Department. A copy of all turtle purchase transactions and turtle exports shall be submitted to the Department as follows:

(A)   Each turtle buyer shall complete and submit to the Department a true and accurate purchase record for each turtle purchase transaction. Each purchase record must contain:

(i)   the buyer's name and license number;

(ii)   seller's name and license number;

(iii)   counties from which turtles were harvested;

(iv)   the total number of each species purchased;

(v)   the total amount paid for each species;

(vi)   the total amount paid for the transaction.

(vii)   the total pounds of red-eared, common snapping and soft shell turtles purchased;

(B)   A copy of each transaction along with a monthly summary must be mailed to the Department by the 15th of each month by each turtle buyer.

(C)   Each turtle buyer must supply to the Department shipping bills of lading of all turtles exported from the state during the monthly reporting period. A copy of all shipping bills of lading must accompany all turtle shipments from the state.

(D)   The shipping bill of lading must contain:

(i)   total number of turtles in shipment;

(ii)   number of each species of turtles in shipment;

(iii)   date of shipment;

(iv)   person firm or corporation's name transporting turtles out of Oklahoma;

(v)   person firm or corporation's name(s) that sold or otherwise provided the turtles to be transported out of Oklahoma;

(vi)   total pounds of turtles in the shipment;

(vii)   total pounds of each species of turtles in the shipment;

(viii)   turtle harvest season dates and turtle species legal for harvest;

(ix)   state, if other than Oklahoma, were turtles were harvested;

(x)   destination of shipment; and

(xi)   total purchase price of turtles in shipment.

(E)   Each turtle buyer must supply to the Department an annual summary report of all turtles, by species, purchased within and exported from the State of Oklahoma. This report shall contain:

(i)   total number of turtles of each species purchased or received;

(ii)   total purchase value of turtles purchased or received;

(iii)   total number and pounds of turtles of each species exported from Oklahoma.

(iv)   total pounds of red-eared, common snapping and softshell turtles purchased or received;

(6)   Inaccurate or incomplete records or delinquent reports shall be violations of this rule.

[Source: Amended at 11 Ok Reg 4701, eff 8-31-94 (emergency); Amended at 12 Ok Reg 1525, eff 1-1-96; Amended at 12 Ok Reg 3476, eff 1-2-96 through 7-14-96 (emergency); Amended at 14 Ok Reg 1478, eff 1-1-98; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 2057, eff 7-1-98; Amended at 22 Ok Reg 1624, eff 7-1-05; Amended at 26 Ok Reg 2635, eff 1-1-10; Amended at 30 Ok Reg 732, eff 6-1-13; Amended at 31 Ok Reg 2537, eff 9-15-14]