Wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license; place of business; employees; exemptions; wholesale out-of-state crab shipping license; imported seafood license
La. R.S. 56:306
in effect56:306. Wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license; place of business; employees; exemptions; wholesale out-of-state crab shipping license; imported seafood license
A.(1) Any person buying, acquiring, or handling, from any person, by any means whatsoever, any species of fish, whether fresh, frozen, processed, or unprocessed, in Louisiana from within or outside the state, for sale or resale, including bait species, whether on a commission basis or otherwise, is a wholesale/retail seafood dealer and must purchase a wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license.
(2) Repealed by Acts 2021, No. 356, §5, eff. Nov. 15, 2021.
B.(1) The license shall be in the name of the licensee and shall list the legal mailing address and the physical location of the place of business, and any other information required by the department. If the place of business is a vehicle, then the license shall state "vehicle" and shall list the legal mailing address and physical location of the licensee.
(2)(a) This license, when issued to an individual, allows the licensee to operate as a wholesale/retail seafood dealer at any point within the state when that person is in possession of the original license. The license is only valid for the person for whom it has been issued.
(b) This license, when issued to a corporation, partnership, or any other type of association, is only valid for one place of business and only valid to transact business for and in the name of the licensee.
(3) If the licensee owns or operates more than one place of business, then an additional wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license must be purchased for each additional place of business or vehicle. The additional licenses shall be in the same name of the operator, list a different license number than the original license, list the legal mailing address and the location of the place of business, and any other information required by the department.
(4) Individual employees of wholesale/retail seafood dealers are not required to obtain a wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license when transacting the business of the wholesale/retail seafood dealer on the premises of the place of business, or when delivering for or on behalf of a wholesale/retail seafood dealer and possessing a valid transport license purchased in connection with that wholesale/retail seafood dealer, but any employee or person buying, acquiring, handling, or selling fish as a wholesale/retail seafood dealer or for a wholesale/retail seafood dealer at any place other than on the premises of the place of business, or without a valid transport license for that wholesale/retail seafood dealer, must obtain a wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license. When individual employees of a wholesale/retail seafood dealer operate under authority of a transport license for the dealer, the wholesale/retail seafood dealer licensee remains responsible for all activities which take place under the authority of that license.
(5) The provisions of this Section shall not apply to a person transporting fish under the privilege of a Louisiana transport license purchased in connection with a Louisiana wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license when that person buys fish for or on behalf of the wholesale/retail seafood dealer to whom such transport license was issued and only transports such fish to that wholesale/retail dealer in Louisiana. When a person operates under the authority of a transport license for that dealer, the wholesale/retail seafood dealer licensee remains responsible for all activities which take place under the authority of that license.
(6) Restaurants and retail grocers who only purchase fish or seafood, whether fresh, frozen, processed, or unprocessed, from a licensed wholesale/retail seafood dealer and only sell such fish or seafood fully prepared for immediate consumption by the consumer need not be licensed in compliance with the provisions of this Section. Any restaurant or retail grocer who sells fish or seafood as described in this Section shall be licensed in accordance with the applicable law. All restaurants and retail grocers shall maintain records as required in this Subpart.
(7)(a) In addition to the license requirements contained in this Section, any wholesale/retail seafood dealer who exports or attempts to export outside of the state of Louisiana any crabs, soft shell crabs, boiled crabs, containerized crabmeat, or containerized pasteurized crabmeat shall be required to purchase a wholesale out-of-state crab shipping license in addition to his wholesale/retail dealer's license. The wholesale out-of-state crab shipping license shall be issued in the same manner as a wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license and shall be issued only to a person who is a licensed wholesale/retail seafood dealer.
(b) The fee for a wholesale out-of-state crab shipping license shall be two hundred forty dollars per year. The license shall be valid for one year, beginning on January first of each calendar year and expiring on December thirty-first of the same calendar year. The license may be purchased at any time of the year for the current license year and from November fifteenth for the immediately following license year.
(c) All revenues collected from the issuance of wholesale out-of-state crab shipping licenses shall be deposited to the Crab Development, Management, and Derelict Crab Trap Removal Account as provided in R.S. 56:10(B)(1)(e).
(8)(a) In addition to the license requirements contained in this Section, any wholesale/retail seafood dealer who sells seafood sourced from outside of the federal exclusive economic zone (EEZ) shall be required to purchase an imported seafood license in addition to his wholesale/retail dealer's license. The imported seafood license shall be issued in the same manner as a wholesale/retail seafood dealer's license and shall be issued only to a person who is a licensed wholesale/retail seafood dealer.
(b) The license shall be valid for one year, beginning on January first of each calendar year and expiring on December thirty-first of the same calendar year. The license may be purchased at any time of the year for the current license year and from November fifteenth for the immediately following license year. The license fee shall be three hundred dollars.
(c) Ten percent of all revenues collected from the issuance of imported seafood licenses shall be deposited into the Conservation Fund as provided in R.S. 56:10, and the remainder shall be deposited into the Imported Seafood Safety Fund as provided in R.S. 40:5.10.1.
Acts 1986, No. 904, §1; Acts 1990, No. 261, §1, eff. July 4, 1990; Acts 1997, No. 376, §1; Acts 1997, No. 866, §1; Acts 2004, No. 99, §1; Acts 2006, No. 401, §1, eff. Nov. 15, 2006; Acts 2008, No. 722, §1, eff. Nov. 15, 2008; Acts 2021, No. 356, §§2, 5, eff. Nov. 15, 2021; Acts 2024, No. 719, §2.
Source: Louisiana State Legislature (legis.la.gov)URL: https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=105162Fetched: 10/20/2026