Section 222.301 - General requirements(a)(1) The regulations in this subpart C provide uniform rules and procedures for application, issuance, renewal, conditions, and general administration of permits issuable pursuant to parts 222, 223, and 224 of this chapter. While this section provides generic rules and procedures applicable to all permits, other sections may provide more specific rules and procedures with respect to certain types of permits. In such cases, the requirements in all applicable sections must be satisfied.(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the Assistant Administrator may approve variations from the requirements of parts 222, 223, and 224 of this chapter when the Assistant Administrator finds that an emergency exists and that the proposed variations will not hinder effective administration of those parts and will not be unlawful. Other sections within parts 222, 223, and 224 of this chapter may allow for a waiver or variation of specific requirements for emergency situations, upon certain conditions. In such cases, those conditions must be satisfied in order for the waiver or variation to be lawful.(b) No person shall take, import, export or engage in any other prohibited activity involving any species of fish or wildlife under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce that has been determined to be endangered under the Act, or that has been determined to be threatened and for which the prohibitions of section 9(a)(1) of the Act have been applied by regulation, without a valid permit issued pursuant to these regulations. The permit shall entitle the person to whom it is issued to engage in the activity specified in the permit, subject to the limitations of the Act and the regulations in parts 222, 223, and 224 of this chapter, for the period stated on the permit, unless sooner modified, suspended or revoked.(c) Each person intending to engage in an activity for which a permit is required by parts 222, 223, and 224 of this chapter or by the Act shall, before commencing such activity, obtain a valid permit authorizing such activity. Any person who desires to obtain permit privileges authorized by parts 222, 223, and 224 of this chapter must apply for such permit in accordance with the requirements of these sections. If the information required for each specific, permitted activity is included, one application may be accepted for all permits required, and a single permit may be issued.(d)(1) Any permit issued under these regulations must be in the possession of the person to whom it is issued (or of an agent of such person) while any animal subject to the permit is in the possession of such person or agent. Specifically, a person or his/her agent must be in possession of a permit during the time of the authorized taking, importation, exportation, or of any other act and during the period of any transit incident to such taking, importation, exportation, or to any other act.(2) A duplicate copy of the issued permit must be physically attached to the tank, container, package, enclosure, or other means of containment, in which the animal is placed for purposes of storage, transit, supervision, or care.(e) The authorizations on the face of a permit setting forth specific times, dates, places, methods of taking, numbers and kinds of fish or wildlife, location of activity, authorize certain circumscribed transactions, or otherwise permit a specifically limited matter, are to be strictly construed and shall not be interpreted to permit similar or related matters outside the scope of strict construction.(f) Permits shall not be altered, erased, or mutilated, and any permit which has been altered, erased, or mutilated shall immediately become invalid.(g) Any permit issued under parts 222, 223, and 224 of this chapter shall be displayed for inspection, upon request, to an authorized officer, or to any other person relying upon its existence.(h) Permittees may be required to file reports of the activities conducted under the permit. Any such reports shall be filed not later than March 31 for the preceding calendar year ending December 31, or any portion thereof, during which a permit was in force, unless the regulations of parts 222, 223, or 224 of this chapter or the provisions of the permit set forth other reporting requirements.(i) From the date of issuance of the permit, the permittee shall maintain complete and accurate records of any taking, possession, transportation, sale, purchase, barter, exportation, or importation of fish or wildlife pursuant to such permit. Such records shall be kept current and shall include the names and addresses of persons with whom any fish or wildlife has been purchased, sold, bartered, or otherwise transferred, and the date of such transaction, and such other information as may be required or appropriate. Such records, unless otherwise specified, shall be entered in books, legibly written in the English language. Such records shall be retained for 5 years from the date of issuance of the permit.(j) Any person holding a permit pursuant to parts 222, 223, and 224 of this chapter shall allow the Assistant Administrator to enter the permit holder's premises at any reasonable hour to inspect any fish or wildlife held or to inspect, audit, or copy any permits, books, or records required to be kept by these regulations or by the Act. Such person shall display any permit issued pursuant to these regulations or to the Act upon request by an authorized officer or by any other person relying on its existence.