To apply for a CITES permit, identify the scientific name and appendix listing of your specimen, choose the correct U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service application form for what you are shipping and why, submit it through the USFWS ePermits system with proof of legal acquisition and the applicable fee (typically $100 for a standard export or re-export permit), and plan to move the shipment through one of 18 designated ports with at least 48 hours’ advance notice to wildlife inspectors. Most applications take 60 to 90 days to process, so start early. The rules below come from 50 CFR Part 23, the federal regulations that implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species inside the United States.
Identify Your Species and Its Appendix
Every regulated species falls into one of three CITES appendices, and the appendix decides what documents you need.
Appendix I covers species threatened with extinction. Trade is allowed only in exceptional circumstances and is generally non-commercial. You need both an export permit from the country of origin and an import permit from the receiving country before anything moves.
Appendix II covers species not currently facing extinction but at risk if trade goes unmonitored. This is where most regulated trade sits. You need an export permit or re-export certificate from the shipping country; the importing country usually does not issue a separate import permit unless its own law requires one.
Appendix III covers species a particular country has flagged for cooperative management. If the specimen originates from the listing country, you need that country’s export permit. From anywhere else, a certificate of origin is enough.
The application requires the scientific name (genus and species), not a common name. The free Species+ database at speciesplus.net lets you search by either and confirms the current appendix, along with any trade suspensions or quotas.
Pick the Correct Source Code
Every CITES permit carries a one-letter source code showing how the specimen was obtained. Using the wrong code delays processing or gets the application denied. The codes most applicants deal with are:
- W — taken from the wild, including animals born in captivity from eggs collected in the wild.
- C — bred in captivity (Appendix II or III, or Appendix I bred for non-commercial purposes).
- D — bred in captivity or artificially propagated for commercial purposes at an operation registered with the CITES Secretariat.
- A — artificially propagated plant.
- R — ranched wildlife, reared in a controlled environment after being collected from the wild as eggs or juveniles.
- O — pre-Convention specimen, used alongside another code.
- I — confiscated or seized specimen.
Additional codes cover specimens from international waters (X), unknown source (U), and assisted-production plants (Y). Source code U requires a written justification on the face of the permit.
Choose the Right Application Form
USFWS uses different forms depending on what you are shipping and why. There is no single “wildlife” or “plants” form. Form 3-200-27 is for wildlife removed from the wild. Form 3-200-29 is for biological specimens and samples. Form 3-200-32 covers most plant export and re-export transactions. Captive-born wildlife has its own form, 3-200-24. Paddlefish and sturgeon caviar from aquaculture facilities go on Form 3-200-80. The full CITES export list runs to more than a dozen forms, so match the form to your specific transaction before filling anything out.
Assemble Your Documentation
Whatever form you use, every application needs the same core items:
- The scientific name as listed in the CITES Appendices.
- The source code.
- Proof of legal acquisition — sales receipts, breeding records, transfer-of-ownership documents, import declarations, or similar evidence that the specimen was not poached or illegally harvested.
- For live specimens, a description of preparation and shipping methods designed to minimize injury or cruel treatment.
Chain of custody is where most applications fall apart. If you cannot trace how the specimen reached you, the application will be denied and the fee is not refunded. For Appendix I exports, you also have to show that the importing country has already issued its import permit or confirmed it will.
Pay the Fee and Submit
Fees depend on the permit type and are non-refundable, even if the application is denied:
- Standard CITES export or re-export permit for wildlife or plants: $100.
- Pre-Convention certificate: $75.
- Personal or household plant permit: $50.
- New Master File for frequent shippers: $200, with individual single-use permits at $5 each.
- Registration of a native species production facility: $50.
- Designated Port Exception Permit: $100.
Payment runs through Pay.gov, which accepts bank accounts, credit and debit cards, PayPal, and Venmo. You can mail a paper application with payment to the Division of Management Authority, but electronic submission through USFWS ePermits is faster and produces a trackable record.
Expect 60 to 90 Days for Processing
Most applications take 60 to 90 days. Species also protected under the Endangered Species Act, or applications that trigger a 30-day Federal Register public comment period, take longer. During review, USFWS may ask for more information on transport conditions, housing for live animals, or gaps in your documentation. Approval comes through the ePermits portal or email, and the physical permit has to accompany the shipment when it crosses the border.
Ship Through a Designated Port
A valid permit does not let you ship through any airport or seaport you like. Wildlife inspectors are stationed at 18 designated ports: Anchorage, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle.
To use a different port, apply for a Designated Port Exception Permit on Form 3-200-2. It costs $100, is valid for two years, and is granted only for scientific purposes, to prevent deterioration or loss of the specimen, or to relieve undue economic hardship. If no inspector is stationed at your requested port, you pay travel, transportation, and per diem costs to bring one there.
Contact the port wildlife inspection office at least 48 hours before the shipment arrives or departs. At the port, inspectors verify the permit, examine the shipment, complete the endorsement section, record shipment details, and apply the official CITES validation stamp. File copies are stamped “CANCELED” so the permit cannot be reused. Licensed commercial importers and exporters pay a base inspection fee of $93 per shipment, with overtime charges on evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Master Files if You Ship Often
A Master File eliminates the need for a full application on every shipment of captive-bred live animals. It is valid for three years and documents your facility’s breeding credentials, transport procedures, and species inventory. Once approved, you request single-use permits on Form 3-200-74, each valid for six months and costing $5. You cannot request single-use permits until the Master File is approved. For Appendix I species, a commercial breeding operation generally has to be registered with the CITES Secretariat before USFWS will issue export documents.
When You May Not Need a Permit
A few narrow exemptions let CITES specimens cross a border without a full permit. Each has strict conditions, and people often assume the exemption is broader than it is.
Personal and Household Effects
You can travel with legally acquired CITES specimens without a permit if the items are for personal use, no live animals or plants are included, no Appendix I species are involved (with a narrow exception for certain worked African elephant ivory), and the items are worn or carried in your personal baggage on the same transport as you. Anything mailed or shipped separately falls outside the exemption. Quantity caps apply: up to 125 grams of sturgeon caviar, up to four crocodilian products, and up to three queen conch shells. Go over any cap and the entire quantity needs a full CITES document.
The household effects exemption works the same way for moving your residence between countries, provided the shipment happens within one year of the move.
Pre-Convention Specimens
Specimens acquired before their species was first listed under CITES qualify for a pre-Convention certificate. The reference date is the first listing under any appendix, not later transfers between appendices. Apply on Form 3-200-23 for wildlife or Form 3-200-32 for plants, with documentation showing the specimen was removed from the wild or bred in captivity before the listing date. Offspring or cell lines produced after the listing date do not qualify. Appendix I pre-Convention specimens do not need an import permit from the receiving country.
Musical Instrument Certificates
Instruments containing CITES-listed materials such as rosewood, ivory, or tortoiseshell can travel on a musical instrument certificate valid for up to three years and multiple border crossings. The instrument must be for non-commercial use, meaning you cannot sell it while abroad. The application requires the scientific name of all CITES-listed materials, a description and measurements, the manufacture date, and proof the materials predate the relevant CITES listing. African elephant ivory removed from the wild after February 4, 1977 does not qualify as pre-Convention. Declare the instrument at every border crossing, and expect a USDA inspection if it contains CITES-listed plant material.
If Your Application Is Denied
USFWS can deny a permit for failing the issuance criteria, false statements, insufficient justification, prior civil penalties or criminal convictions suggesting a lack of responsibility, or a proposed activity that threatens a wildlife population. Shipping without the required permits can also lead to seizure and forfeiture of the specimen and civil or criminal penalties under the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act.
You have 45 calendar days from the date on the denial notice to file a written request for reconsideration with the issuing officer. The request must be signed, must identify the specific decision being challenged, and must present reasons for reconsideration, including any new information. Include a certification that you are familiar with the applicable regulations and that all submitted information is accurate. Miss the certification, or fail to supply it within 15 days of being notified of the deficiency, and the request is rejected outright.
If reconsideration also goes against you, appeal in writing to the Regional Director within 45 days of that second decision. The appeal can include additional evidence. The Regional Director’s decision is the final action by the Department of the Interior, and after that your only remaining option is federal court.