Section 520.30  General Provisions

a)         Formal agreements between the Department and State or federal agencies, county or municipal conservation agencies, universities or other scientific institutions that include annual reports, meet the eligibility criteria of Section 520.20 and meet the requirements of this Section will serve as scientific permits for employees designated by the agency, university or scientific institution.  This includes agreements for Department sponsored scientific studies.  Scientific permits under this Section will be valid for the term stated in the agreement.  The agreement must state the term of the agreement and that the agreement is intended to serve as a scientific permit.

b)         Scientific permits not covered under subsection (a) will be issued on an annual basis and will expire on December 31.

c)         The scientific permit is valid for only the approved activities stated on the permit.  Under no circumstances shall a scientific permit be used in lieu of sport or commercial licenses.

d)         Permittee's method of taking fauna must be approved by the Department. Approved methods include, but are not limited to, electro-fishing, nets, hand and traps.  All devices used for taking which are left unattended must have the permittee's name, address and scientific permit number visible on them.

e)         Taking and/or salvage of fauna is only allowed in areas designated on the permit.

f)         Taking and/or salvage of fauna on private properties requires oral or written landowner's permission.  This permit does not allow the privilege of trespass.

g)         Fauna taken and/or salvaged and rehabilitated must be released to the wild or permanently donated to a public or State scientific educational or zoological institution within 120 days.

h)         At no point will a scientific permit be issued or allowed for the keeping of fauna as a pet or companion animal.

i)          Except as otherwise stated on the face of a permit, any person who is under the direct control of the permittee, or who is an agent of the permittee for the purposes authorized by the permit, may carry out the activity authorized by the permit.

j)          Permittee is responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions of the permit and reporting on behalf of the permittee's agents engaged in the taking and/or salvage of fauna under the issued permit.  Permittee must maintain a record of all specimens taken and shall present such record upon request to Department.

k)         No person shall transfer a permit issued pursuant to this Part to another person.

l)          Permits issued under this Part or valid copies thereof must be in the possession of the permittee or the permittee's agents when engaged in the taking and/or salvage of fauna and presented upon demand to any authorized officer or agent of the Department or any police officer of the State of Illinois or of any unit of local government within the State of Illinois.

m)        Permittees issued a permit under subsection (c) shall submit an annual report to the Department of the past year's activities on forms provided by the Department by January 30 of the next year.  At a minimum, permittees will be required to report the number of individuals and species taken, live or salvaged, and disposition. 

n)         Permittees shall also provide the Department a copy of all articles and scientific publications resulting from the permitted activities.  Permits issued under subsection (c) will be renewed only after copies of the annual report and all related documents have been received by the Department.

o)         A scientific permit does not release the permittee from compliance with other provisions of the Illinois Administrative Code nor from federal or State law and does not supersede federal permits.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 12398, effective August 4, 2023)