# Keeping Hissing cockroaches in California?



## InvertSam (May 17, 2009)

Hi, 
I currently have a small colony of about 30 gromphadorhina portentosa roaches that started breeding.  I have a surplus of nymphs and I was wondering about the legality of sending some over to my cousins in California.  Are they illegal in CA?

I couldn't find anything that suggested they were, but I thought I'd just make sure.

Thanks

--Sam


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## skippy (May 18, 2009)

i see them in the pet stores around here so i assume they are.


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## cacoseraph (May 18, 2009)

i am 97% sure you need some kind of permit to ship roaches legally across state lines. try searching the forums and i sure you will find good info


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## Matt K (May 18, 2009)

Technically a permit is required for ANY livestock moved from one state to another....  This is not enforced though.  Most of the thousands of people on these boards have bought or sold tarantulas, roaches, and whatevers shipped to or from them without any permit of any sort.  I know of several bug dealers in California that buy/sell roaches throughout the USA.  No permit.


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## CodeWilster (May 24, 2009)

I work at a pet store here in Northern CA and I asked my boss recently if he could order me some hissers and he said that the last time he got some, fish and game came in and confiscated them. He's the kind of person that would rather just give them up and not deal with the law rather than to fight over some roaches. I cannot find anything that says they are not legal and so I think that these individuals didn't know what they were talking about, but they still got the roaches  I wish I had been there when it happened and saw the details!


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## Matt K (May 24, 2009)

It depends where he got them from I think.  I know there are stores and individuals in California with hissing roaches.  Example:  James (Blaberus.com) sells them in California for years and has no problems from that- but he has very large colonies to sell from and does not buy them outside of the state from what I know....


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## CodeWilster (May 24, 2009)

Yeah and Ken sells them too, so does that mean if they came out of state it is illegal but it is fine if they came from somebody already in CA? What's the difference to the state is what I want to know! I'm guessing they are worried ones from out of state may be carrying something?


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## Galapoheros (May 24, 2009)

CodeWilster said:


> I'm guessing they are worried ones from out of state may be carrying something?


They could be simply reinforcing red tape in that area, depends on the management attitude there in the area, gives them something to do.


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