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SENATE FLOOR VERSION
February 14, 2022
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 1696 By: Treat
An Act relating to hunting and fishing; amending 29
O.S. 2021, Sections 4-101, 4-112, as last amended by
Section 3, Chapter 229, O.S.L. 2017, and 4-113, which
relate to hunting and fishing licenses; allowing for
expiration of nonresident and resident licenses one
year after purchase; clarifying language; modifying
fee schedule for certain legal residents; updating
statutory reference; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 29 O.S. 2021, Section 4 -101, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 4-101. A. All licenses and permits issued by the
Director of Wildlife Conservation, the Department of Wildlife
Conservation or by any of its agents shall be u sed only in
conformity with the prov isions of this title and the rul es
promulgated by the Oklahoma Wildlif e Conservation Commission.
B. All persons making application for any licenses required by
this section shall produce a valid license to operate a mot or
vehicle or other positive proof of identification, age and
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residency, and any such license issued shall show such data as well
as the date and time of issuance.
C. All licenses are nontransferable. No per son shall alter,
change, lend or transfer any l icense. No person shall use or bo rrow
a license which has not been issued to that person by the Director,
the Department or by any o f its agents pursuant to the provisions of
this section.
D. No person may engage in activities requiring a license
without that person’s carrying such lice nse on their person and
producing the same for an inspection upon the dem and of any Oklahoma
citizen or game warden.
E. Any person required to produce a license must also iden tify
themselves as the person to whom such lice nse was issued, and
failure or refusal to comply shall be deemed pri ma facie evidence of
a violation of this section.
F. Unless otherwise provided in this Code:
1. Hunting licenses issued pursuant to paragraph 1 of
subsection C and paragraphs 1 and 3 2 of subsection E of Section 4 -
112 of this title and paragraphs 1 and 3 2 of subsection B of
Section 4-113 of this title shall expire on December 31 of the year
issued. Hunting licenses issued pursuant to paragraph 2 of
subsection C and paragraphs 2 and 4 of sub section E of Section 4 -112
of this title and paragraphs 2 and 4 of s ubsection B of Section 4-
113 of this title shall expire on June 30 of the fiscal year issued.
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All other licenses shall terminate December 31 for the year expire
one (1) year after the date issued; and
2. Any person convic ted of violating any of the p rovisions of
this title may have any or all licenses held by that person or the
privilege of applying for, purchasing or exercising the benefits
conferred by the licenses revoked b y the Department in accordance
with rules promulgated by the Commission or b y a court of competent
jurisdiction for a period of not less than one (1) year. For
purposes of this paragraph, a court conviction, a plea of guilty, a
plea of nolo contendere, th e imposition of a deferred or suspended
sentence by a court, or forfeiture o f bond shall be deemed a
conviction.
G. Should any license or permit issued pursuant to Part 1 of
Article IV of this title be lost or destroyed, duplicates will be
issued by the Department at a fee of One Dollar and fifty cent s
($1.50).
H. Upon harvesting any whitetail or mule deer, or any other
wildlife where the hunter, according to Commission rules, is
required to check the wildlife in at a Department check station, the
taker of the wildlife shall:
1. Securely attach the n ame of the taker, time of harvest, date
of harvest and license number to the carcass of the wildlife;
2. Check in the carcass of the wildlife electronically using
the online check station provided on the offi cial website of the
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Oklahoma Department of Wild life Conservation or as p rescribed by
rule of the Commission, within twenty-four (24) hours of leaving the
hunt area and in all cases prior to processing the carcass; and
3. Not remove evidence of the sex of the animal until after the
carcass of the anima l has been checked in.
I. It shall be unlawful for any license or permit holder to
knowingly make a false statement or give false information to any
authorized hunter check station or to an authorized Departm ent
employee when complying with the provisions of subsection H of thi s
section. Information which may be collected at a Department check
station shall include but not be limited to the name, address,
license or permit number and signature of the taker, t he date, time,
county, method or weapon of the kill, sex and weight of carcass,
whether or not the animal was taken on public hunting land and if so
in what area, or any other information which may be required by the
Commission.
J. 1. Any person convicte d of violating the provisions of this
section or of making a false st atement or giving any false
information in order to acquire any license or permit, pursuant to
the provisions of this section, shall be punishable by a fine of not
less than One Hundred D ollars ($100.00) nor more than Two Hundred
Fifty Dollars ($250.00), o r by imprisonment in the county jail for a
period not to exceed ten (10) days, or by both such fine and
imprisonment. Any person convicted of a second or subsequent
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violation of the prov isions of this section or of making a false
statement or giving any f alse information in order to acquire any
license or permit, pursuant to the provisions of this section, shall
be punishable by a fine of not less than Two Hundred Fifty Dollars
($250.00) nor more than Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750 .00), or by
imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed ten (10)
days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
2. Any hunting or fishing license issued to a person by the
Department of Wildlife Conservation shall be automatically revoked
upon conviction of the p erson of violating the provisions of this
section. The revocation shall be for a period set by the court of
not less than one (1) year nor more than ten (10) years. If the
court does not set a period, the revocation shall be for one (1)
year from the date of the conviction. During this period of
revocation, the Department shall not issue the person a hunting or
fishing license. If the court does not set a revocation period, the
Department shall not issue that person a license within one (1) year
of the conviction of the person pursuant to this section. A person
who has a license or permit revoked pursuant to this section shall
surrender the revoked license or permit to the court , or the court
may order the defendant to surrender the license or permit directly
to an officer from the Department of Wildlife Conservation present
at the hearing. If the license or permit is surrendered to the
court, the court shall send the Department of Wildlife Conservation
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the revoked license. The court shall also send the Department a
copy of the judgment of conviction. For purposes of this section,
“conviction” shall include a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to an
offense or the imposition of deferred adjudication for an offense.
In lieu of sending a paper co py of the documents and information
required by this subsection, the court clerk may transmit the
conviction information by using an electronic method authorized by
the Department of Wildl ife Conservation.
K. Any person who has had th eir license privileg es revoked
shall not be entitled to purchase, apply for, or exercise the
benefits conferred by any license until the revocation period has
expired or the person has obtained approval from t he Director. Any
person violating the provisio ns of this subsectio n, upon conviction,
shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars
($500.00), or by imprisonment in a county jail for a term of not
more than ninety (90) days or by both the fine and imprisonment.
Upon conviction under this subsection, the previously granted
license revocation period shall be extended by two (2) additional
years.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 29 O.S. 2021, Section 4 -112, as
last amended by Sectio n 3, Chapter 229, O.S. L. 2017, is amended to
read as follows:
Section 4-112. A. Except as otherwise provided f or in the
Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Code or the Oklahoma Farmed Cervidae
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Act, no person may hunt, pursue, trap, harass , catch, kill, take o r
attempt to take in any manner, use, have in possession, sell, or
transport all or any portion of any wildlife except fish, without
having first procured a license from the Department of Wildlife
Conservation. The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commissio n shall
designate a consecutive Saturday and Sunda y in September of each
year as free hunting days in which resid ents of this state may hunt
without first procuring a hunting license pursuant to the provisions
of this section.
B. The following legal residents of Oklahoma shall be exempt
from the annual hunting license requirement of paragraph 1 of
subsection E of this section and the following nonresidents sh all be
exempt from the annual nonresident hunting licenses required
pursuant to paragraph 1 of subsection C of this section:
1. Legal residents unde r sixteen (16) years of age;
2. Legal residents sixty -five (65) years of age or older
provided they have o btained a senior citizen lifetime hunting or
combination hunting and fishing l icense pursuant to th e provisions
of Section 4-114 of this title;
3. Legal residents born on or before January 1, 1923;
4. Legal resident veterans having a disability of sixty percent
(60%) or more and registered with the veterans registry created by
the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs; provided, that if the
veteran has previously received an exemption pursuant to this
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paragraph, no registration with the veterans registr y shall be
required;
5. Legal resident owners or tenants who hunt on land own ed or
leased by them;
6. Any nonresident under fourteen (14) years of age;
7. Legal residents having a proven disability which rende rs
them nonambulatory and confines them to a wheelchair, as certified
by a physician licensed in this state or in any stat e which borders
this state;
8. Any legal resident or nonresident under eighteen (18) years
of age who is in the physical custody of a child care facility as
defined by Section 4 02 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes; and
9. Any legal resident or nonresi dent hunting, pursuin g,
trapping, harassing, catching, killing, taking, or attempting to
take in any manner any species of rattlesnake during an organized
rattlesnake-hunting event or festival and who has a rattlesnake
permit issued pursuant to Section 4 -143 of this title.
C. Except as otherwise provided for in the Oklahoma Wildlife
Conservation Code, the nonresident hunting licenses is sued pursuant
to this section and the fee fo r each license shall be:
1. Annual hunting license for nonresidents hunting g ame other
than deer, antelope, elk or bear which expires on December 31 of the
one (1) year purchased after the date of issuance – One Hundred
Forty-one Dollars ($141.00). Nonr esidents hunting big game or
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combination big game and upland game in a commercial hunting area
shall be required to have this license;
2. Annual hunting license for nonresidents huntin g game other
than deer, antelope, elk or bear which expires on June 30 of the
fiscal year purchased – One Hundred Seventy-five Dollars ($175.00).
Nonresidents hunting big game or combi nation big game and upland
game in a commercial hunting area shall be r equired to have this
license;
3. Gun hunting license for deer for nonr esidents which shall be
valid for hunting all deer al lowed during the current calendar year
deer gun season – Two Hundred Seventy-nine Dollars ($279.00);
4. Archery hunting license for deer for nonresidents which
shall expire on January 15 of the calendar year after the year
purchased or if purchased during the deer archery season it shall
expire at the end of that d eer archery season – Two Hundred Seventy-
nine Dollars ($279.00);
5. Primitive firearms hunting lic ense for deer for nonresidents
which shall be valid for hunting all deer allowed during the curr ent
calendar year deer primitive firearms season – Two Hundred Seventy-
nine Dollars ($279.00);
6. Hunting license for antelope for nonresidents – Three
Hundred Five Dollars ($305.00);
7. Hunting license for elk for nonresidents – Three Hundred
Five Dollars ($305.00);
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8. Five-day hunting license for nonresidents h unting game other
than deer, antelope, elk, quail, turkey or bear – Seventy-four
Dollars ($74.00); and
9. Ten-day hunting license for nonresi dents hunting small game
in a commercial hunting area – Five Dollars ($5.00).
D. Of the fees collected pursuant t o the provisions of
subsection C of this section:
1. Five Dollars ($5. 00) of the license fee of ea ch license
issued pursuant to paragraphs 1 through 7 of subsection C of this
section and Two Dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) of the license fee
for each license issued pursuant to paragraph 8 of subsection C of
this section shall be deposited in the Wildli fe Land Acquisition
Fund created pursuant t o the provisions of Section 4-132 of this
title; and
2. Five Dollars ($5.00) of the license fee for each license
issued pursuant to paragraphs 1 through 8 of subsection C of this
section shall be for the Oklahoma Wildlife Land Stamp and shall be
deposited in the Oklahoma Wildlife Land Fund created pursuant to the
provisions of Section 4 -141 of this title.
E. Except as otherwise provided, the annual resident hunting
licenses issued purs uant to this subsection shal l expire one (1)
year after the date of issuance. The resident hunting licenses
issued pursuant to thi s section and the fee for each license shall
be:
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1. Annual hunting license for residents eighteen (18) years of
age and older which expires on December 31 of the year purchased -
Twenty-four Dollars ($24.00);
2. Annual hunting license for residents eighteen (18) years of
age and older which expires on June 30 of th e fiscal year purchased
– Thirty-one Dollars ($31.00);
3. Annual hunting license for resid ents sixteen (16) or
seventeen (17) years o f age which expires on December 31 of the year
purchased - Four Dollars ($4.00);
4. 2. Annual hunting license for residents sixteen (16) or
seventeen (17) years of age which expires on June 30 of the fiscal
year purchased – Six Dollars ($6.00);
5. 3. Ten-day hunting license for residents for small game in a
commercial hunting area - Five Dollars ($5.00);
6. 4. Five-year disability hunting license for residents of
this state for at least six (6) months who ar e receiving Social
Security Disability benefits , Supplemental Security Income benefits
or disability benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act, 45
U.S.C.A., Section 231 a, or residents who are one-hundred-percent
disabled and are receiving disability payme nts from the Multiple
Injury Trust Fund pursuan t to Section 31 of Title 85A of the
Oklahoma Statutes - Ten Dollars ($10.00);
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7. 5. Gun hunting license for deer for resi dents eighteen (18)
years of age or older - Nineteen Dollars ($19.00). The following
persons shall be exempt:
a. residents with proper certification from the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs o r its
successor, certifying that the person is a di sabled
veteran in receipt of compensation at the on e-hundred-
percent rate and registered w ith the veterans registry
created by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans
Affairs; provided, that if the veteran has previously
received an exemption pursuant to this subparagraph,
no registration with the veterans reg istry shall be
required, and
b. residents hunting in big game or combin ation big game
and upland game commercial hunting areas;
8. 6. Gun hunting license for deer for residents under eighteen
(18) years of age – Nine Dollars ($9.00);
9. 7. Archery hunting license for deer for residents eightee n
(18) years of age or older - Nineteen Dollars ($19.00). The
following persons shall be exempt:
a. residents with proper certification from the United
States Department of Veterans Affai rs or its
successor, certifying that the person is a disabled
veteran in receipt of compensation at the one -hundred-
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percent rate and registered with the veterans registry
created by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans
Affairs; provided, that if the veteran has previously
received the exemption pursuant to this subparagraph ,
no registration with the veterans registry shall be
required, and
b. residents hunting in big game or combination big game
and upland game commercial hunting areas;
10. 8. Archery hunting license for deer for residents under
eighteen (18) years of age - Nine Dollars ($9.00);
11. 9. Primitive firearms hunting license for deer for
residents eighteen (18) y ears of age or older - Nineteen Dollars
($19.00). The following persons shall be exempt:
a. residents with proper certif ication from the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs or its
successor, certifying that the person is a disabled
veteran in receipt of compensation at the one-hundred-
percent rate and registered with the veterans registry
created by the Oklahoma De partment of Veterans
Affairs; provided, that if the veteran has previously
received the exemption pursuant to this subparagraph,
no registration with the veterans registry shall be
required, and
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b. residents hunting in big game or combination big game
and upland game commercial hunting areas;
12. 10. Primitive firearms hunting license for deer for
residents under eighteen (18) years of age - Nine Dollars ($9.00);
13. 11. Hunting license for elk for residents - Fifty Dollars
($50.00). Residents hunting in big game or combination big ga me and
upland game commercial hunting areas shall be exempt from this
license;
14. 12. Hunting license for antelope for residents – Fifty
Dollars ($50.00). Residen ts hunting in big game or combination big
game and upland game commercial hunting areas sha ll be exempt from
this license; and
15. 13. Bonus, special or additional gun hunting li cense for
deer for residents - Nineteen Dollars ($19.0 0). The following
persons shall be exempt:
a. residents with proper certification from the United
States Department of Veterans Affairs or i ts
successor, certifying that the person is a disabled
veteran in receipt of compensation at the one -hundred-
percent rate and registered with the veterans registry
created by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans
Affairs; provided, that if the veteran has pr eviously
received the exemption pursuant to this subparagraph ,
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no registration with the veterans registry shall be
required, and
b. residents hunting in big game or combination big game
and upland game commercial hunting areas.
F. Of the fees collected pursuant to the provisions of
paragraphs paragraph 1 and 2 of subsection E of this section, Five
Dollars ($5.00) of the license fee shall be for the Oklahoma
Wildlife Land Stamp and shall be deposited in the Oklahoma Wildlife
Land Fund created pursuant to the provisions of Section 4-141 of
this title.
G. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to
require a hunting license, resident or nonresident, of any person
merely because the person participates, as owner or handl er of an
entry, as an official, or as a spectator in the conduct of a field
trial or performance test of dogs, whether a resident or nonresident
of the State of Oklahoma this state. No license to hunt shall be
required of any person engaged in training or working dogs, provided
that person is in no way engaged in hunting and does not take or
attempt to take in any manner any game.
H. 1. Any person arrested for hu nting game other than deer,
antelope, elk, bear or turkey without a valid hunting license as
required by the provisions of subsection A of this section may
purchase a substitute temporary thirty-day license from the
arresting game warden in lieu of posting bond. Proof of hunter
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safety certification will not be required for the temporary
substitute license. The fee for a substitute lic ense purchased
pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall be:
a. for legal residents, Fifty Dollars ($50.00), and
b. for nonresidents, One Hundred Forty -five Dollars
($145.00).
2. Except as otherwise provid ed for by this subsection, the
fees from licenses purchased pursuant to the provisions of this
subsection shall be deposited in the Wildlife Conservation Fund to
be used exclusively for developing, managing, preserving, and
protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat.
I. Any person producing proof in court that a current hunting
license issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation to that
person was in force at t he time of the alleged offense shall be
entitled to dismissal of a charge of violating this s ection upon
payment of court costs. If proof of a current hunting license
issued by the Department to the person that was in force at the time
of the alleged offense is presented to the court or district
attorney within seventy -two (72) hours after the vi olation, the
charge shall be dismissed w ithout payment of court costs.
J. Unless a substitute license is purchased as provided for by
subsection H of this section, any resident convicted of violating
the provisions of this section shall be punished by the imposition
of a fine of not less than T wenty-five Dollars ($25.00) nor more
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than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), or by imprisonment in the county
jail for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days, or by both.
K. Unless a substitute license is purchased as provided for by
subsection H of this section, any nonresident convicted of violating
the provisions of this section shall be punished by the imposition
of a fine of not less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) nor more
than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), o r by imprisonment in the
county jail for a period not to exceed six (6) months, or by both.
L. The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission shall
promulgate any rules necessary to implement the provisions of this
section.
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 29 O.S. 2021, Section 4-113, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 4-113. A. Legal residents who ar e not the individuals
excepted exempted from the license requirement as provided in
subsection B of Section 4-112 of this title may purchase an annual
combination hunting/fishing license from the Director or agents of
the Director.
B. The fee for each combination hunting/fishing license issued
under this section shall be:
1. For legal residents eig hteen (18) years of age and older for
a license that expires on December 31 of the year purchased - Forty-
one Dollars ($41.00);
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2. For residents eighteen (18) years of age and older for a
license that expires on June 30 of the fiscal year purchased one (1)
year after the date of issuance – Fifty-two Dollars ($52.00);
3. For legal residents sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years of
age for a license that expires on December 31 of the year purchased
- Thirteen Dollars ($13.00); and
4. 2. For legal residents sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years
of age for a license that expires on June 30 of the fiscal year
purchased one (1) year after the date of issuance – Eighteen Dollars
($18.00).
C. Of the fees collected pursuant to the provisions of
paragraphs paragraph 1 and 2 of subsection B of this section, Five
Dollars ($5.00) of the license fee shall be for the Oklahoma
Wildlife Land Stamp and shall be deposited in the Oklahoma Wildlife
Land Fund created pursuant to the provisions of Section 4-141 of
this title.
SECTION 4. This act shall be come effective November 1, 2022.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE
February 14, 2022 - DO PASS AS AMENDED