Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer

District of Columbia Code Division IV. Criminal Law and Procedure and Prisoners. § 22-1862. Unlawful distribution of a prohibited animal product.

Current as of January 01, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) Beginning one year after October 1, 2020, a person commits the offense of unlawful distribution of a prohibited animal product if that person knowingly imports, sells, offers for sale, purchases, barters, trades, or possesses with intent to sell a prohibited animal product.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a person does not commit the offense of unlawful distribution of a prohibited animal product if the person:

(1) Bequeaths the prohibited animal product to the legal beneficiary of an estate or trust upon the death of the owner;

(2) Gifts or donates the prohibited animal product without remuneration;

(3) Is a government employee or agent conducting law enforcement activities pursuant to federal, state, or local law;

(4) Is an educational or scientific institution that imports, sells, offers for sale, purchases, barters, trades, or possesses with intent to sell a prohibited animal product for educational or scientific purposes;

(5) Is engaging in an activity that is expressly authorized by federal law or a permit issued pursuant to federal law;

(6) Imports, sells, offers for sale, purchases, barters, trades, or possesses with intent to sell a prohibited animal product that is part of an antique that:

(A) Is composed of not more than 20% of a prohibited animal product by volume; and

(B) The person can, through documentation, establish provenance and demonstrate that the antique is at least 100 years old; or

(7) Imports, sells, offers for sale, purchases, barters, trades, or possesses with intent to sell a prohibited animal product that is part of a musical instrument that:

(A) Is composed of less than 20% of a prohibited animal product by volume; and

(B) The person can establish provenance and demonstrate that the musical instrument was manufactured before 1976.

(c) The act of obtaining an appraisal of a prohibited animal product alone shall not constitute possession with intent to sell or offer for sale.

Previous Part of Code Next Part of Code
Back to Chapter List

Cite this article: FindLaw.com - District of Columbia Code Division IV. Criminal Law and Procedure and Prisoners. § 22-1862. Unlawful distribution of a prohibited animal product. - last updated January 01, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/dc/division-iv-criminal-law-and-procedure-and-prisoners/dc-code-sect-22-1862/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

Was this helpful?

Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes

A free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. For more information about the legal concepts addressed by these cases and statutes, visit FindLaw’s Learn About the Law.

Go to Learn About the Law

Latest Blog Posts

For Legal Professionals

Learn About The Law

Get help with your legal needs

FindLaw’s Learn About the Law features thousands of informational articles to help you understand your options. And if you’re ready to hire an attorney, find one in your area who can help.

Go to Learn About the Law

Need to Find an Attorney?

Search our directory by legal issue

Enter information in one or both fields (Required)

Copied to clipboard