Licensing
I forgot about that. I'm not familiar with the Australian system but you're right, if it is here then it's in. There are Aus species we can't export without showing legal importation paperwork. In fact I used to work for someone who tried to export a pair of Egernia depressa that he had imported and had full documentation on. He was told by Fish & Wildlife that he would not be able to export them. He pointed out that he had the paperwork for that pair coming in, and that man telling him "no" was the person who approved and signed off on the importation. He was told that 'just because we allowed them in doesn't mean we think they are legal to export", not an exact quote but the gist of it. Since I'm on this, another person was offered three lace monitor hatchlings from Switzerland. He checked with F&W and was told there are no legal "lacies" outside of Aus. He showed them copies of the Cites paperwork and was told it was not legal paperwork. He related that to the seller and the Swiss government responded to the U.S. and said yes, it is legal. In the end my friend was told he could import them. Not trusting this, he asked for assurance they could be accepted. The answer was that it wasn't determined yet, he may be allowed to keep or the government might seize them, all they would allow was for him to buy them and bring them here, the rest would be decided later.. So the monitors stayed in Switzerland.
That isn't what you're asking about, is it? Pretty much as you said, if I have a reptile from Australia that isn't illegal. But each state has laws, and localities in the states can have further regulation. My state, Virginia, has no laws that would affect ownership of a taipan. The city I live in has no law restricting ownership. But the county (locality) five miles away from me does not allow ownership of venomous animals. So there it is illegal to have the taipan without involving the Australian origin, just that it is a ven. That also applies to taratulas, scorpions, centipedes, since they are venomous you can't own them there. The state of Georgia, a bit south of me, wouldn't allow the taipan because only native venomous can be owned there. However, in Georgia, it is legal to have the Nephrurus because only exotic (non native) non venomous can be owned there.
I'm thinking two things:
1) Boy, it is getting late, I'll go to bed.
B) Christ, can't I ever shut up?