Licenses and Permits
Livestock Dealer License
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Section 22-381. Definitions. As used in this chapter, "commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture; "dealer" or "broker" means any person, copartnership, association, limited liability company or corporation engaged in the business of buying, receiving, selling or exchanging or negotiating or soliciting the sale, resale, exchange, transporting for a fee, transfer or shipment of any livestock; "agent" means any person buying or soliciting or negotiating the sale for a fee, resale or exchange of livestock for or on behalf of any dealer or broker; "livestock" means any camelid or hooved animal raised for domestic or commercial use; and "livestock producer" means a person involved in the keeping, feeding, growing, raising or breeding of livestock for domestic or commercial use.
Section 22-382. Exceptions. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to (1) any person, association, copartnership or corporation which by dispersal sale is permanently discontinuing the activities or business of a livestock producer; (2) any person, association, copartnership or corporation which sells livestock that have been raised on the premises of such person, association, copartnership or corporation; (3) any livestock producer who purchases or receives livestock for the purpose of producing milk, meat or other animal products or improving such livestock producer's own herd or flock; (4) any butcher, packer or processor to whom livestock are delivered which are used exclusively for immediate slaughter;(5) any farmer who buys or receives livestock for grazing and feeding and sells or disposes of such livestock after a feeding or grazing period of not less than sixty days; (6) any railroad; (7) any youth project or organization keeping, feeding, breeding, growing, showing or raising livestock; or (8) any person who does not buy, receive, sell, exchange, solicit or negotiate the sale, resale, exchange or shipment of livestock in the aggregate of more than ten head in any one license year.
Section 22-383. License. Responsibility of dealer or broker for acts of employees. No dealer or broker shall engage in or carry on the business of buying, receiving, selling, exchanging, transporting or negotiating or soliciting the sale, resale, exchange, transportation or transfer of any livestock within the state unless licensed as hereinafter provided. Such dealer or broker shall be responsible for acts performed or contracts made in connection with buying, receiving, selling, exchanging, transporting or negotiating or soliciting the sale, resale, exchange, transportation or transfer of livestock by any person or individual employed by such dealer or broker.
Section 22-384. Application for license. Any person before engaging in the business of a dealer or broker shall file an application with the commissioner on a form prescribed by the commissioner and pay a license fee. The fee shall be one hundred ninety dollars, provided the fee may be increased by the commissioner by regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. Such application shall state the nature of the business, the type of livestock the applicant proposes to handle, the name of the person applying for a license and, if the applicant is a firm, association, partnership or corporation, the full name of each member of such firm, association or partnership or the names of the officers of the corporation, and the name of the agent or agents of the applicant, the municipality and post-office address at which business is to be conducted and such other facts as the commissioner may prescribe. The applicant shall further satisfy the commissioner as to the applicant's character, financial responsibility and good faith in seeking to engage in the business.
Section 22-385. Issuance of license. Term. Renewal. Upon compliance by the applicant with section 22-384, as amended by this act, the commissioner shall, subject to the provisions of this chapter, issue a license entitling the applicant or the applicant's agents to conduct the business of buying or receiving livestock or receiving, selling, exchanging or soliciting or negotiating the sale, resale, exchange or shipment of livestock at the place named in the application until June thirtieth next following. Such license shall be renewable annually, unless suspended or revoked, on payment of a fee of one hundred and ninety dollars.
Section 22-386. Suspension or revocation. Hearing. Appeal. For failure or refusal of a licensee to obey the provisions of this chapter, the commissioner may suspend or revoke the license held by such licensee. Whenever the commissioner is satisfied of the existence of any one or more reasons for revoking a license as provided for in this chapter, before revoking such license the department shall give written notice of a hearing to be had thereon to the licensee affected. Such notice shall be sent by registered or certified mail to the licensee at least ten days prior to the date set for the hearing at the department. On the day of the hearing the commissioner may hear the evidence presented by the licensee and any other witnesses, and the commissioner shall within a reasonable time thereafter render a decision. Any licensee aggrieved by the decision of the commissioner may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183, except venue for such appeal shall be in the judicial district of New Britain. The following actions by the applicant or licensee shall constitute just cause for revoking or refusing a license: (1) The violation of state laws or official regulations governing intrastate or interstate movement of livestock; (2) where there have been false or misleading statements with regard to the results of official livestock disease diagnostic tests approved by the commissioner and the United States Department of Agriculture or with regard to ownership; (3) the buying or receiving of livestock, selling or exchanging, or soliciting resale, exchange, transport or transfer, of animals officially branded designated by the Department of Agriculture as being diseased, a quarantined animal, or animals from quarantined herds or flocks; (4) failure of the licensee to practice approved measures of sanitation of barns, stables, premises or vehicles used for stabling, holding or transporting of livestock; (5) consistent or continual failure to keep records required by the commissioner or by law, or refusal to produce books, accounts or records of transactions in the carrying on of the business for which the license is granted; (6) failure to comply with any provision of the general statutes or regulations thereunder relating to livestock; and (7) where a license to deal in livestock, issued to the applicant or licensee by another state, has been suspended or revoked by such state within five years next preceding the date of issuance or renewal of a license under the provisions of section 22-385, as amended by this act.
Section 22-387. Keeping and inspection of records. Every dealer or broker shall keep accounts, records and memoranda which shall fully and clearly disclose all transactions of such dealer's or broker's business, including the true ownership of the business. Such records shall be made available at any time for inspection by the commissioner or the commissioner's designated agent to determine the origin and destination of any livestock handled by the licensee but information relating to the general business of any such person disclosed by the investigation and not related to the immediate purpose thereof shall be treated as of a confidential nature by the commissioner or the commissioner's designated agent.
Section 22-388. Periodic testing of livestock. (a) All livestock owned by a livestock dealer or held by a livestock dealer, pending sale, exchange, resale or shipment on premises owned, rented, leased or borrowed by such dealer may be subjected periodically to diagnostic tests for infectious diseases, including, but not limited to, tuberculin and brucellosis tests. Such tests shall be conducted, at no expense to the dealer, by the State Veterinarian or the commissioner's designated agent, a veterinarian employed by the United States Department of Agriculture, or a licensed accredited veterinarian. In the case of an animal or animals that test positive to such diagnostic tests, or if the commissioner has reason to believe that an infectious disease is present in such animal or animals, the commissioner, the commissioner's designated agent or the State Veterinarian may issue a quarantine order pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(b) Any reactors to the brucellosis or tuberculin test shall be identified in a manner acceptable to the commissioner or the commissioner's designated agent. Such reactors shall be disposed of in a manner acceptable to the commissioner or the commissioner's designated agent. Indemnity shall be paid on all such reactors in the manner provided in section 22-288, provided such reactor shall have passed at least one negative test since entering the state and shall have been acquired by the dealer in compliance with existing state regulations on interstate and intrastate movements of cattle.
(c) If a quarantine, due to the presence of an infectious, communicable livestock disease, is imposed on livestock owned by a livestock dealer or held by a livestock dealer pending sale, exchange, resale or shipment on premises owned, rented, leased or borrowed by such dealer, such dealer shall not be prohibited from engaging in business as a dealer, provided such dealer shall comply with all quarantine restrictions and orders and any isolation, bio-security and sanitation requirements of the department in respect to quarantined livestock, including identifying quarantined livestock in a manner acceptable to the commissioner or the commissioner's designated agent as prescribed on the quarantine form, or quarantine order issued by the commissioner or the commissioner's designated agent.
Section 22-389. Copy of license to be posted. Plate on motor vehicle. Identification card. Every person licensed under the provisions of this chapter and conducting business under such license shall keep a copy thereof, to be furnished by the commissioner, posted in a conspicuous place in such person's motor vehicle, on their person or at such person's place of business and exposed to inspection by any person entitled to make such inspection. The licensee and each of such licensee's agents shall, at all times when buying or receiving, selling, exchanging or soliciting or negotiating the sale, resale or shipment of livestock, carry an identification card, issued by the commissioner, stating that such licensee or the principal of such agent is so licensed. The licensee or agent shall exhibit such card to persons with whom the licensee or agent is negotiating or from whom the licensee or agent is soliciting business and to the commissioner or the commissioner's designated assistant.
Section 22-390. Enforcement. Regulations. The commissioner shall enforce the provisions of this chapter and may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
Section 22-391. Penalty. Any person who violates or refuses to comply with any provision of this chapter may be fined not less than two hundred dollars or more than five hundred dollars for a first offense and not less than five hundred dollars or more than one thousand dollars for a second and each subsequent offense, or assessed an administrative civil penalty in accordance with section 22-7.
For further information, please contact:
Bureau of Inspection & Regulation
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 702, Hartford, CT 06103
phone ~ (860) 713-2504
fax ~ (860) 713-2515