Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits the sale of recreational or commercial fur trapping licenses.

Highlights:

• Prohibits any person to fur trap for the purposes of recreation or commerce for any fur-bearing mammal or non-game mammal with a body-gripping trap (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits any person to buy, sell, barter, or otherwise exchange for profit, the raw fur of any fur-bearing mammal or non-game mammal that was trapped in the state (Sec. 3). 

• Prohibits any person, including an employee of the federal, state, county, or municipal government, to use or authorize the use of any steel-jawed leghold trap, padded or otherwise, to capture any game mammal, fur-bearing mammal, non-game mammal, or protected mammal, or any dog or cat (Sec. 3). 

• Requires every person who traps fur-bearing mammals or non-game mammals, as designated by the Fish and Game Commission, to procure a trapping license (Sec. 7).

• Requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop standards that are necessary to ensure the competence and proficiency of applicants for a trapping license, and a person will not be issued a license until they have passed a test of their knowledge and skill in the field (Sec. 7).

• Specifies that only persons trapping mammals for profit are required to procure a trapping license (Sec. 7).

• Prohibits raw furs taken by persons providing trapping services for profit from being sold (Sec. 7).

• Specifies that the license requirements imposed by section 7 do not apply to any of the following, including (Sec. 7):

• Officers or employees of federal, county, or city agencies of the Department, when acting in their official capacities, or officers or employees of the Department of Food and Agriculture when acting pursuant to the Food and Agricultural Code pertaining to pests;

• Structural pest control operators  when trapping mice, rats, miles, or gophers; and

• Persons and businesses licensed or certified by the Department of Pesticide Regulation when trapping mice, rats, moles, or gophers. 

• Defines “raw fur” as anu fur, pelt, or skin that has not been tanned or cured, except that salt-cured or sun-cured pelts are raw fur (Sec. 7).

• Defines “body-gripping trap” as one that grips the mammal’s body or body part, including, but not limited to, steel-jawed leghold traps, padded-jaw leghold traps, conibear traps, and snares (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that cage a box traps, nets, suitcase-style live beaver traps, and common rat and mouse traps are not considered body-gripping traps (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text