Tenn. Code Ann. § 70-2-221
This is the official text of Tenn. Code Ann. § 70-2-221, part of Tennessee’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of Tennessee, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
[See the Compiler's Notes.] Fish dealers license - Requirements - Penalties
Official statutory text
(a) Any person, firm or corporation, before engaging in the businesses described in this section, must purchase a fish dealer's license: (1) (A) A "bait dealer" engages in the business of capturing legal species of fish or other aquatic life for the purpose of sale or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life for bait; (B) Each bait dealer shall make a monthly report to the executive director on forms provided as to the number of minnows sold and shall indicate the source of supply of such minnows; provided, that the executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, require only those monthly reports that the executive director may deem necessary; and (C) The wildlife resources agency is empowered to inspect any shipment of live minnows, and if found diseased, may cause the shipment to be destroyed without being liable for damage for such destruction; (2) "Catch-out operation" is the business of making legal species of fish placed in a pond, tank, or other constructed container available to persons wishing to procure them by purchase; (3) (A) "Fish farming" is the business of rearing for sale legal species of fish and other aquatic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and (B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license. (b) These businesses shall be operated under rules and regulations promulgated by the wildlife resources agency. (c) [Deleted by 2021 amendment.] (d) Each license issued shall cover all operations of a single business conducted within the exterior boundaries of the same tract of land owned or leased by the person, firm or corporation. (e) Any person, firm or corporation violating this section commits a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00). Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 270, s 9, eff. 7/1/2021. Acts 1989, ch. 486, § 10; 1994, ch. 727, § 1.
(a) Any person, firm or corporation, before engaging in the businesses described in this section, must purchase a fish dealer's license: (1) (A) A "bait dealer" engages in the business of capturing legal species of fish or other aquatic life for the purpose of sale or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life for bait; (B) Each bait dealer shall make a monthly report to the executive director on forms provided as to the number of minnows sold and shall indicate the source of supply of such minnows; provided, that the executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, require only those monthly reports that the executive director may deem necessary; and (C) The wildlife resources agency is empowered to inspect any shipment of live minnows, and if found diseased, may cause the shipment to be destroyed without being liable for damage for such destruction; (2) "Catch-out operation" is the business of making legal species of fish placed in a pond, tank, or other constructed container available to persons wishing to procure them by purchase; (3) (A) "Fish farming" is the business of rearing for sale legal species of fish and other aquatic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and (B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
ic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and (B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
(1) (A) A "bait dealer" engages in the business of capturing legal species of fish or other aquatic life for the purpose of sale or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life for bait; (B) Each bait dealer shall make a monthly report to the executive director on forms provided as to the number of minnows sold and shall indicate the source of supply of such minnows; provided, that the executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, require only those monthly reports that the executive director may deem necessary; and (C) The wildlife resources agency is empowered to inspect any shipment of live minnows, and if found diseased, may cause the shipment to be destroyed without being liable for damage for such destruction;
(A) A "bait dealer" engages in the business of capturing legal species of fish or other aquatic life for the purpose of sale or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life for bait;
(B) Each bait dealer shall make a monthly report to the executive director on forms provided as to the number of minnows sold and shall indicate the source of supply of such minnows; provided, that the executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, require only those monthly reports that the executive director may deem necessary; and
(C) The wildlife resources agency is empowered to inspect any shipment of live minnows, and if found diseased, may cause the shipment to be destroyed without being liable for damage for such destruction;
(2) "Catch-out operation" is the business of making legal species of fish placed in a pond, tank, or other constructed container available to persons wishing to procure them by purchase;
(3) (A) "Fish farming" is the business of rearing for sale legal species of fish and other aquatic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and (B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
(A) "Fish farming" is the business of rearing for sale legal species of fish and other aquatic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and
(B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
(b) These businesses shall be operated under rules and regulations promulgated by the wildlife resources agency.
(c) [Deleted by 2021 amendment.]
(d) Each license issued shall cover all operations of a single business conducted within the exterior boundaries of the same tract of land owned or leased by the person, firm or corporation.
(e) Any person, firm or corporation violating this section commits a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00).
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 270, s 9, eff. 7/1/2021.
Acts 1989, ch. 486, § 10; 1994, ch. 727, § 1.
(a) Any person, firm or corporation, before engaging in the businesses described in this section, must purchase a fish dealer's license: (1) (A) A "bait dealer" engages in the business of capturing legal species of fish or other aquatic life for the purpose of sale or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life for bait; (B) Each bait dealer shall make a monthly report to the executive director on forms provided as to the number of minnows sold and shall indicate the source of supply of such minnows; provided, that the executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, require only those monthly reports that the executive director may deem necessary; and (C) The wildlife resources agency is empowered to inspect any shipment of live minnows, and if found diseased, may cause the shipment to be destroyed without being liable for damage for such destruction; (2) "Catch-out operation" is the business of making legal species of fish placed in a pond, tank, or other constructed container available to persons wishing to procure them by purchase; (3) (A) "Fish farming" is the business of rearing for sale legal species of fish and other aquatic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and (B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
ic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and (B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
(1) (A) A "bait dealer" engages in the business of capturing legal species of fish or other aquatic life for the purpose of sale or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life for bait; (B) Each bait dealer shall make a monthly report to the executive director on forms provided as to the number of minnows sold and shall indicate the source of supply of such minnows; provided, that the executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, require only those monthly reports that the executive director may deem necessary; and (C) The wildlife resources agency is empowered to inspect any shipment of live minnows, and if found diseased, may cause the shipment to be destroyed without being liable for damage for such destruction;
(A) A "bait dealer" engages in the business of capturing legal species of fish or other aquatic life for the purpose of sale or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life for bait;
(B) Each bait dealer shall make a monthly report to the executive director on forms provided as to the number of minnows sold and shall indicate the source of supply of such minnows; provided, that the executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, require only those monthly reports that the executive director may deem necessary; and
(C) The wildlife resources agency is empowered to inspect any shipment of live minnows, and if found diseased, may cause the shipment to be destroyed without being liable for damage for such destruction;
(2) "Catch-out operation" is the business of making legal species of fish placed in a pond, tank, or other constructed container available to persons wishing to procure them by purchase;
(3) (A) "Fish farming" is the business of rearing for sale legal species of fish and other aquatic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and (B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
(A) "Fish farming" is the business of rearing for sale legal species of fish and other aquatic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and
(B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
(b) These businesses shall be operated under rules and regulations promulgated by the wildlife resources agency.
(c) [Deleted by 2021 amendment.]
(d) Each license issued shall cover all operations of a single business conducted within the exterior boundaries of the same tract of land owned or leased by the person, firm or corporation.
(e) Any person, firm or corporation violating this section commits a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00).
Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 270, s 9, eff. 7/1/2021.
Acts 1989, ch. 486, § 10; 1994, ch. 727, § 1.
Status: in_force
Need a lawyer in Tennessee?
Find a Tennessee lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.