Federal · Title 16 — Conservation

16 U.S.C. § 1423a: Prohibitions

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law prohibits taking, importing, exporting, possessing, selling, or purchasing polar bears or their parts in violation of international agreements and Commission restrictions, with exceptions for authorized law enforcement forensic testing.

Read the full statutory text

to take any polar bear in violation of the Agreement; to take any polar bear in violation of the Agreement or any annual taking limit or other restriction on the taking of polar bears that is adopted by the Commission pursuant to the Agreement; to import, export, possess, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase, exchange, barter, or offer to sell, purchase, exchange, or barter any polar bear, or any part or product of a polar bear, that is taken in violation of paragraph (2); to import, export, sell, purchase, exchange, barter, or offer to sell, purchase, exchange, or barter, any polar bear gall bile or polar bear gall bladder; to attempt to commit, solicit another person to commit, or cause to be committed, any offense under this subsection; or to violate any regulation promulgated by the Secretary to implement any of the prohibitions established in this subsection. For the purpose of forensic testing or any other law enforcement purpose, the Secretary, and Federal law enforcement officials, and any State or local law enforcement official authorized by the Secretary, may import a polar bear or any part or product of a polar bear.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.