50 CFR § 12.63 - When may the Service return live fish, wildlife, or plants to the wild?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t50/s12.63"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "50 CFR § 12.63 - When may the Service return live fish, wildlife, or plants to the wild?"
title_number: 50
title_name: "Wildlife and Fisheries"
section_number: "12.63"
section_name: "When may the Service return live fish, wildlife, or plants to the wild?"
chapter_name: "UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "TAKING, POSSESSION, TRANSPORTATION, SALE, PURCHASE, BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND PLANTS"
part_number: "12"
part_name: "SEIZURE AND FORFEITURE PROCEDURES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "16 U.S.C. 470aa  470aaa  668  668dd  703  718a  742j-l, 1361  1531  2401  3371  4201  and 5301  18 U.S.C. 42 and 981  19 U.S.C. 1602-1624; 28 U.S.C. 2465; 42 U.S.C. 1996; and E.O. 13751, 81 FR 88609, amending E.O. 13112, 64 FR 6183."
regulatory_source: "88 FR 47818, July 25, 2023, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "12"
---


# 12.63 When may the Service return live fish, wildlife, or plants to the wild?

(a) The Service may release any live member of a native species of fish, wildlife, or plant that is capable of surviving in the wild into suitable habitat within the historical range of the species in the United States, with the permission of the landowner and the State, unless that release poses an imminent danger to public health or safety, or presents a known threat of disease transmission to other fish, wildlife, or plants.

(b) The Service may transplant any live member of a native species of plant that is capable of surviving into suitable habitat on Federal or other protected lands within the historical range of the species in the United States, with the permission of the appropriate land-management agency.

(c)(1) The Service may not return to the wild any live member of an exotic, nonnative species of fish, wildlife (including injurious wildlife), or plant, within the United States. The Service may return such live member that is capable of surviving in the wild to one of the following countries for return to suitable habitat:

(i) The country of export, if known, after consultation with that country; or

(ii) A country that is within the historical range of the species and that is a party to CITES (Treaties and Other International Acts Series, TIAS 8249) after consultation with that country.

(2) Any return of fish, wildlife, or plants under paragraph (c)(1) of this section must comply with applicable laws, including CITES and the domestic laws of that country.

(3) We may require that the return of fish, wildlife, or plants under paragraph (c)(1) of this section be at the expense of that country, the transporter, the violator, or others as provided by law.