POSSESSION
1.No person shall take, transport, or possess any alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), Barbour’s map turtle (Graptemys barbouri) or Suwannee cooter (Pseudemys suwanniensis), their eggs, or parts thereof.
2. No person shall possess more than two Escambia map turtles (Graptemys ernsti), two diamond-backed terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin), two box turtles (Terrapene carolina), or two loggerhead musk turtles (Sternotherus minor).
3. No person shall buy, sell, take or possess any gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
4. No person shall possess any turtle or tortoise on which paint has been applied to its shell or body parts, provided that water-soluble, non-toxic identifying marking may be used in turtle racing contests.
5. No person shall transport more than one turtle or any turtle eggs unless authorized by license or permit.
6. It is unlawful to buy, sell or possess a Red-eared Slider unless acquired prior to 7/1/2007
7. It is unlawful to release any non-native species into the wild.
8. A special permit is needed to import leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis), African spurred tortoises (G. sulcata) or Bell’s hingeback tortoises (Kinixys belliana) from another state except for some publicly owned or research facilities and traveling exhibits.
TAKING FROM THE WILD
1. No person shall take Escambia map turtles (Graptemys ernsti), cooters (Pseudemys spp.) snapping turtles (Chelydra spp.) or Barbour’s map turtle (Graptemys barbouri) from the wild.
2. For turtles not listed above (1), the following restrictions control the take:
(a) No person shall take more than one turtle per day unless authorized by permit
(b) Turtle eggs may not be taken from the wild
(c) Turtles may only be taken by hand, baited hooks, minnow seine nets or dip nets.
(d) No softshell turtles (Apalone spp.) may be taken from the wild during the period May 1 to July 31.
(e) Turtles may be taken throughout the year in any manner not conflicting with other provisions of these rules.
COMMERCIAL
1. No person shall buy, sell, or possess for sale turtles, their eggs or parts thereof, that have been taken from the wild.
2. Some turtle farms depend on collection of wild freshwater turtles. With the new rule, certified turtle aquaculture facilities, under a tightly controlled permitting system, will be allowed to collect turtles to establish reproduction in captivity so that farms can become self-sustaining to lessen their dependence on collection of turtles from the wild.
3. The transport of more than one turtle per day is prohibited, unless the transporter has a license for sale or exhibition of wildlife, aquaculture certification or documentation that their turtles were legally obtained (proof of purchase).
4. A Class III, exhibition or sale license, is required for the public sale or exhibition of turtles
5. A special blanket import permit is required to import into the state any non-native species