(515 ILCS 5/20-70) (from Ch. 56, par. 20-70)

Sec. 20-70. Non-resident and resident aquatic life dealers.

(a) Non-resident aquatic life dealers. Any person not a resident of Illinois who sells or ships to other wholesalers, retailers, or consumers any of the aquatic life protected by this Code, whether from waters within or without the State is a non-resident aquatic life dealer within the meaning of this Code.

All licenses issued to non-resident aquatic life dealers are valid only in the location described and designated in the application for the license. Wholesalers may deliver their products by truck or common carrier of any type but must possess a separate license for each truck from which aquatic life are being sold if business is solicited from the trucks.

Application for a non-resident aquatic life dealer's license shall be made to and upon forms furnished by the Department and shall be in the form as the Department may prescribe. The annual fee for a non-resident aquatic life dealer's license shall be $100. All non-resident aquatic life dealer licenses shall expire on March 31 of each year.

Non-residents purchasing aquatic life in Illinois for sale solely outside the State are exempt from possessing an aquatic life dealer's license if purchases are made from a licensed resident wholesale or retail aquatic life dealer.

(b) Resident aquatic life dealer's licenses. Any person conducting a fish market or buying, selling, or shipping any aquatic life (except minnows) protected by this Code, whether from waters within or without the State, shall first procure a license from the Department to do so, including any commercial fisherman selling live fish for stocking only. Any commercial fisherman selling fish legally caught or taken by themselves to a resident licensed wholesale aquatic life dealer, however, is exempt from the provisions of this Section.

(1) Wholesale aquatic life dealer's license. Any resident of this State who, within the State of Illinois, conducts a wholesale fish market or who sells or ships to any other wholesaler, retailer, or other commercial institution aquatic life protected by this Code, whether from waters within or without the State, is a resident wholesale aquatic life dealer in the meaning of this Code.

This provision, however, does not apply to minnows or saltwater species commonly used as seafood that will not survive in freshwater, such as lobsters, clams, mussels, and oysters.

All licenses issued to resident wholesale aquatic life dealers are valid only in the location described and designated in the application for license. Wholesale aquatic life dealers may deliver their products by truck or other common carrier but must possess a separate license for each truck from which aquatic life is being sold if business is solicited from the truck. Applications for resident wholesale aquatic life dealer's licenses shall be made to and upon forms furnished by the Department, which shall be in the form as the Department may prescribe. The annual license fee for each wholesale aquatic life dealer's license is $50. All wholesale aquatic life dealer's licenses shall expire on March 31 of each year.

(2) Retail aquatic life dealer's license. Any resident of the State of Illinois who, within the State of Illinois, conducts a retail fish market where he or she sells or offers for sale any aquatic life protected by this Code, whether from waters from within or without the State, is a retail aquatic life dealer in the meaning of this Code.

This provision, however, does not apply to minnows or saltwater species commonly used as seafood that will not survive in freshwater, such as lobsters, clams, mussels, and oysters.

All licenses issued to resident aquatic life dealers are valid only in the location described and designated in the application for the license. Retailers may deliver their products by truck or other common carrier but must possess a separate license for each truck from which aquatic life is being sold if business is solicited from the truck.

Applications for resident retail aquatic life dealer's licenses shall be made to and upon forms furnished by the Department, which shall be in the form the Department may prescribe. The annual license for each resident retail aquatic life dealer's license is $10. All these licenses shall expire on March 31 of each year.

(3) Separate licenses. A license shall be procured for each separate fish market or place of business operated by any wholesale or retail aquatic life dealer, whether a resident or non-resident, and for each vehicle from which aquatic life is sold. All licenses shall be conspicuously displayed at all times.

(c) The Department may adopt administrative rules pertaining to non-resident and resident aquatic life dealers. Any person who violates any provision of this Section 20-70, or related administrative rule, is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

(Source: P.A. 100-256, eff. 1-1-18.)