HB2685 Summary

• Amends the Illinois Wildlife Code to streamline fur buyer licensing and regulations by eliminating the distinction between "resident retail" and "resident wholesale" fur buyers, consolidating them into a single "resident fur buyer" category with a reduced permit fee of $50.00 (down from $125.00).

• Requires all fur buyers and non-resident auction participants to maintain detailed transaction records of green hide purchases and sales, retained for 2 years, with receipts issued to sellers specifying dates, quantities, prices, and buyer identification.

• Creates a new non-resident auction participation permit (annual fee $50.00) for non-residents purchasing fur-bearing mammal hides at Illinois auctions, separate from the non-resident fur buyer permit ($250.00).

• Clarifies that fur tanner permit holders are exempt from resident fur buyer permit requirements if they only process hides for clients rather than buying and selling hides as merchandise.

• Changes permit expiration dates from April 30 to March 31 annually, removes seasonal date restrictions (May 1-April 30) for holding fur hides, and updates language references from "the State of Illinois" to "this State" throughout the code.