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Illinois Senate Bill SB2043

Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SB2043 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2043 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Chris Balkema SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2 Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that, upon request, the Department of Natural Resources shall issue a certificate of competency to any resident active-duty military personnel who provide acceptable verification of service, any Illinois resident veterans who provide acceptable verification of service, and any individuals who present proof of holding a concealed carry permit issued by the State. LRB104 11028 BDA 21110 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2043 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Chris Balkema SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2 Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that, upon request, the Department of Natural Resources shall issue a certificate of competency to any resident active-duty military personnel who provide acceptable verification of service, any Illinois resident veterans who provide acceptable verification of service, and any individuals who present proof of holding a concealed carry permit issued by the State. LRB104 11028 BDA 21110 b LRB104 11028 BDA 21110 b A BILL FOR
22 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2043 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Chris Balkema SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
33 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2
44 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2
55 Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that, upon request, the Department of Natural Resources shall issue a certificate of competency to any resident active-duty military personnel who provide acceptable verification of service, any Illinois resident veterans who provide acceptable verification of service, and any individuals who present proof of holding a concealed carry permit issued by the State.
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1111 1 AN ACT concerning wildlife.
1212 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
1313 3 represented in the General Assembly:
1414 4 Section 5. The Wildlife Code is amended by changing
1515 5 Section 3.2 as follows:
1616 6 (520 ILCS 5/3.2) (from Ch. 61, par. 3.2)
1717 7 Sec. 3.2. Hunting license; application; instruction.
1818 8 Before the Department or any county, city, village, township,
1919 9 incorporated town clerk or his duly designated agent or any
2020 10 other person authorized or designated by the Department to
2121 11 issue hunting licenses shall issue a hunting license to any
2222 12 person, the person shall file his application with the
2323 13 Department or other party authorized to issue licenses on a
2424 14 form provided by the Department and further give definite
2525 15 proof of identity and place of legal residence. Each clerk
2626 16 designating agents to issue licenses and stamps shall furnish
2727 17 the Department, within 10 days following the appointment, the
2828 18 names and mailing addresses of the agents. Each clerk or his
2929 19 duly designated agent shall be authorized to sell licenses and
3030 20 stamps only within the territorial area for which he was
3131 21 elected or appointed. No duly designated agent is authorized
3232 22 to furnish licenses or stamps for issuance by any other
3333 23 business establishment. Each application shall be executed and
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3737 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 SB2043 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Chris Balkema SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3838 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2
3939 520 ILCS 5/3.2 from Ch. 61, par. 3.2
4040 Amends the Wildlife Code. Provides that, upon request, the Department of Natural Resources shall issue a certificate of competency to any resident active-duty military personnel who provide acceptable verification of service, any Illinois resident veterans who provide acceptable verification of service, and any individuals who present proof of holding a concealed carry permit issued by the State.
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6868 1 sworn to and shall set forth the name and description of the
6969 2 applicant and place of residence.
7070 3 No hunting license shall be issued to any person born on or
7171 4 after January 1, 1980 unless he presents the person authorized
7272 5 to issue the license evidence that he has held a hunting
7373 6 license issued by the State of Illinois or another state in a
7474 7 prior year, or a certificate of competency as provided in this
7575 8 Section. Persons under 18 years of age may be issued a Lifetime
7676 9 Hunting or Sportsmen's Combination License as provided under
7777 10 Section 20-45 of the Fish and Aquatic Life Code but shall not
7878 11 be entitled to hunt alone, without the supervision of an adult
7979 12 age 21 or older, unless they have a certificate of competency
8080 13 as provided in this Section and the certificate is in their
8181 14 possession while hunting.
8282 15 Upon request, the Department shall issue a certificate of
8383 16 competency, as provided in this Section, to any resident
8484 17 active-duty military personnel who provide acceptable
8585 18 verification of service, any Illinois resident veterans who
8686 19 provide acceptable verification of service, and any
8787 20 individuals who present proof of holding a concealed carry
8888 21 permit issued by the State.
8989 22 The Department of Natural Resources shall authorize
9090 23 personnel of the Department or certified volunteer instructors
9191 24 to conduct courses, of not less than 10 hours in length, in
9292 25 firearms and hunter safety, which may include training in bow
9393 26 and arrow safety, at regularly specified intervals throughout
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104104 1 the State. Persons successfully completing the course shall
105105 2 receive a certificate of competency. The Department of Natural
106106 3 Resources may further cooperate with any reputable association
107107 4 or organization in establishing courses if the organization
108108 5 has as one of its objectives the promotion of safety in the
109109 6 handling of firearms or bow and arrow.
110110 7 The Department of Natural Resources shall designate any
111111 8 person found by it to be competent to give instruction in the
112112 9 handling of firearms, hunter safety, and bow and arrow. The
113113 10 persons so appointed shall give the course of instruction and
114114 11 upon the successful completion shall issue to the person
115115 12 instructed a certificate of competency in the safe handling of
116116 13 firearms, hunter safety, and bow and arrow. No charge shall be
117117 14 made for any course of instruction except for materials or
118118 15 ammunition consumed. The Department of Natural Resources shall
119119 16 furnish information on the requirements of hunter safety
120120 17 education programs to be distributed free of charge to
121121 18 applicants for hunting licenses by the persons appointed and
122122 19 authorized to issue licenses. Funds for the conducting of
123123 20 firearms and hunter safety courses shall be taken from the fee
124124 21 charged for the Firearm Owners Identification Card.
125125 22 The fee for a hunting license to hunt all species for a
126126 23 resident of Illinois is $12. For residents age 65 or older,
127127 24 and, commencing with the 2012 license year, resident veterans
128128 25 of the United States Armed Forces after returning from service
129129 26 abroad or mobilization by the President of the United States
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140140 1 as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the
141141 2 Illinois National Guard, or the Reserves of the United States
142142 3 Armed Forces, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for a
143143 4 hunting license to hunt all species for a resident of
144144 5 Illinois. Veterans must provide to the Department acceptable
145145 6 verification of their service. The Department shall establish
146146 7 by administrative rule the procedure by which such
147147 8 verification of service shall be made to the Department for
148148 9 the purpose of issuing resident veterans hunting licenses at a
149149 10 reduced fee. The fee for a hunting license to hunt all species
150150 11 shall be $1 for residents over 75 years of age. Nonresidents
151151 12 shall be charged $57 for a hunting license.
152152 13 Residents of this State may obtain a 3-year hunting
153153 14 license to hunt all species as described in Section 3.1 for 3
154154 15 times the annual fee. For residents age 65 or older and
155155 16 resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces after
156156 17 returning from service abroad or mobilization by the President
157157 18 of the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged
158158 19 for a 3-year hunting license to hunt all species as described
159159 20 in Section 3.1 for a resident of this State. Veterans must
160160 21 provide to the Department, per administrative rule,
161161 22 verification of their service. The Department shall establish
162162 23 what constitutes suitable verification of service for the
163163 24 purpose of issuing resident veterans 3-year hunting licenses
164164 25 at a reduced fee.
165165 26 Nonresidents may be issued a nonresident hunting license
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176176 1 for a period not to exceed 10 consecutive days' hunting in the
177177 2 State and shall be charged a fee of $35.
178178 3 A special nonresident hunting license authorizing a
179179 4 nonresident to take game birds by hunting on a game breeding
180180 5 and hunting preserve area only, established under Section
181181 6 3.27, shall be issued upon proper application being made and
182182 7 payment of a fee equal to that for a resident hunting license.
183183 8 The expiration date of this license shall be on the same date
184184 9 each year that game breeding and hunting preserve area
185185 10 licenses expire.
186186 11 Each applicant for a State Migratory Waterfowl Stamp,
187187 12 regardless of his residence or other condition, shall pay a
188188 13 fee of $15 and shall receive a stamp. The fee for a State
189189 14 Migratory Waterfowl Stamp shall be waived for residents over
190190 15 75 years of age. Except as provided under Section 20-45 of the
191191 16 Fish and Aquatic Life Code, the stamp shall be signed by the
192192 17 person or affixed to his license or permit in a space
193193 18 designated by the Department for that purpose.
194194 19 Each applicant for a State Habitat Stamp, regardless of
195195 20 his residence or other condition, shall pay a fee of $5 and
196196 21 shall receive a stamp. The fee for a State Habitat Stamp shall
197197 22 be waived for residents over 75 years of age. Except as
198198 23 provided under Section 20-45 of the Fish and Aquatic Life
199199 24 Code, the stamp shall be signed by the person or affixed to his
200200 25 license or permit in a space designated by the Department for
201201 26 that purpose.
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212212 1 Nothing in this Section shall be construed as to require
213213 2 the purchase of more than one State Habitat Stamp by any person
214214 3 in any one license year.
215215 4 The fees for State Pheasant Stamps and State Furbearer
216216 5 Stamps shall be waived for residents over 75 years of age.
217217 6 The Department shall furnish the holders of hunting
218218 7 licenses and stamps with an insignia as evidence of possession
219219 8 of license, or license and stamp, as the Department may
220220 9 consider advisable. The insignia shall be exhibited and used
221221 10 as the Department may order.
222222 11 All other hunting licenses and all State stamps shall
223223 12 expire upon March 31 of each year. Three-year hunting licenses
224224 13 shall expire on March 31 of the 2nd year after the year in
225225 14 which the license is issued.
226226 15 Every person holding any license, permit, or stamp issued
227227 16 under the provisions of this Act shall have it in his
228228 17 possession for immediate presentation for inspection to the
229229 18 officers and authorized employees of the Department, any
230230 19 sheriff, deputy sheriff, or any other peace officer making a
231231 20 demand for it. This provision shall not apply to Department
232232 21 owned or managed sites where it is required that all hunters
233233 22 deposit their license, permit, or Firearm Owner's
234234 23 Identification Card at the check station upon entering the
235235 24 hunting areas.
236236 25 For the purposes of this Section, "acceptable
237237 26 verification" means official documentation from the Department
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