Scientific and Educational Collecting

General Information

The Scientific and Educational Collecting Permit authorizes the collecting and holding, even temporarily of wildlife for zoological, educational or scientific purposes.

• Scientific wildlife collecting means the taking and subsequent possession or release of protected wildlife specimens for the purposes of conducting scientific investigations or evaluations for which compensation is received. 
• Educational wildlife collecting means the taking and subsequent possession or release of protected wildlife by an individual or nonprofit organization for use in the bona fide instruction of students or for a university-related research project.

All collectors must carry a valid copy or photocopy of their permit while in the field.

A Scientific or Educational Collecting permit shall not be used in lieu of hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses.

Federally-threatened or endangered species may not be killed. Federally threatened or endangered species inadvertently killed shall be reported to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife within twenty-four (24) hours and all specimens submitted to the department within seven (7) days of taking. 

All live wildlife shall be released at the capture location.

Issuance Cycle

A Scientific or Educational Collecting Permit is valid from January 1, or date of issue through, December 31 of the same year.

Application Process

To obtain a scientific or educational collecting permit, an applicant MUST submit the following:

1. A completed and signed application.
2. The appropriate fee: 
• Scientific Collection Permit - $100.00
• Educational Collection Permit - $25.00
3. A valid copy of the applicant’s federal permit if collecting ANY bats, mussels, fishes in a watershed known to harbor federally threatened or endangered fish species, or species with any federal protection.
4. A Project Proposal Form (if collecting any species listed in #3 above) and an Indiana Bat Proposal Form (if collecting Indiana bats) for each new project.   An 8.5" x 11" topo or aerial map is required (MRP's are not accepted).  These forms must be submitted at least 15 days prior to the collection activities.

Submit all materials to: ATTN: Scientific and Educational Collecting Permits, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, #1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601.

Permit Renewal

An Applicant must submit a new and/or updated application and appropriate fee each year.

Previous year’s data must be reported prior to January 15th for an application to be considered for renewal.

An updated copy of the applicant’s federal permit must be provided if collecting ANY bats, mussels, fishes in a watershed known to harbor federally threatened or endangered fish species, or species with any federal protection.

Regulations

301 KAR 4:070​  Scientific and educational permits.

Reporting

All Scientific and Educational Permit holders must submit a report.

In a given collection year, if you have “no data”, you have to submit an official letter or e-mail to the appropriate Divisional administrative assistants stating that no specimens were collected. This letter or e-mail will serve as your annual report.

Data must be submitted for all vertebrate fish and wildlife species collected, and data on the following list of invertebrates shall be reported as well: Mussels (Class Bivaliva), Crayfish (Class Decopoda), and Federally threatened or endangered invertebrates.

Data must be in a format specified by the department.

Prior year’s data must be submitted by January 15th the following year.