Nope, when I was living in WA, it was perfectly legal to keep them with no permits. Unfortunately, now it is completely illegal.
I started with non-venomous and worked my way up by myself, which I do not recommend. It is best to start with a mentor.
Ahhh. Gotcha. Here, in FL, you have to be certified. I've given some thought to it, then realized, "Hey! If I'm going to go through all the trouble of being certified, I may as well be certified to milk them. Do you do that with yours?