Oklahoma 2024 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2868 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 02/28/2023

                     
 
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ENGROSSED HOUSE 
BILL NO. 2868 	By: Wallace of the House 
 
   and 
 
  Green of the Senate 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to wildlife; amending 29 O.S. 2021, 
Section 4-112, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 347, 
O.S.L. 2022 (29 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 4 -112), 
which relates to hunting licenses; mod ifying licenses 
authorization; and p roviding an effective date. 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     29 O.S. 2021, Section 4 -112, as 
amended by Section 1, Chapter 347, O.S.L. 2022 (29 O.S. Supp. 2022, 
Section 4-112), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 4-112.  A.  Except as otherwise provided for in the 
Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Code or the Oklahoma Farmed Cervidae 
Act, no person may hunt , pursue, trap, harass, catch, kill, take or 
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 procure d a license from the Department of Wildlife 
Conservation.  The Wildlife Conservation Commission shall designate 
a consecutive Saturday and Sunday in September of each year as free 
hunting days in which residents of this state may hunt without first   
 
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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 F of this section and the following nonresidents shall b e 
exempt from the annual nonresident hunting licenses requir ed 
pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of subsection C of this section: 
1.  Legal residents under sixteen (16) years of age; 
2.  Legal residents sixty-five (65) years of age or older 
provided they have obtained a senior citizen lifetime hunting or 
combination hunting and fishing license pursuant to the provisions 
of Section 4-114 of this title; 
3.  Legal residents born on or before Janua ry 1, 1923; 
4.  Legal resident veterans having a disability of sixt y percent 
(60%) or more; 
5.  Legal resident owners or tenant s who hunt on land owned or 
leased by them; 
6.  Any nonresident under fourteen (14) years of age; 
7.  Legal residents having a pr oven disability which renders 
them nonambulatory and confines them to a wheelchair, as certified 
by a physician licensed in thi s state or in any state which borders 
this state;   
 
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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 402 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes; and 
9.  Any legal resident or nonresident hunting, pursuing, 
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 nonr esident hunting licenses issued pursuant 
to this section and the fe e for each license shall be: 
1.  Annual hunting license for nonresidents hunting game other 
than deer, antelope, elk or bear which expires on December 31 of the 
year purchased – One Hundred Forty-one Dollars ($141.00).  
Nonresidents hunting big game, combi nation big game and upland game 
or exotic wildlife in a comm ercial hunting area shall be required to 
have this license; 
2.  Annual hunting license for nonresidents hunting 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, combination big game and upland game 
or exotic wildlife in a commercial hunting area shall be req uired to 
have this license; 
3.  Gun hunting license for deer:   
 
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a. during deer gun seasons for youth nonresidents 
seventeen (17) years of age or younger which shall be 
valid for hunting one antlerless deer allowed during 
the current calendar year deer gun se asons – Thirty 
Dollars ($30.00), 
b. during deer gun seasons for you th nonresidents 
seventeen (17) years of age or younger which shall be 
valid for hunting one antlered or antlerless deer 
allowed during the current calendar year deer gun 
seasons – Ninety-nine Dollars ($99.00), and 
c. during deer gun seasons for nonresident s which shall 
be valid for hunting all deer allowed during t he 
current calendar year deer gun season - Two Hundred 
Ninety-nine Dollars ($299.00); 
4.  Archery hunting license for deer for no nresidents which 
shall expire on January 15 of the calendar year af ter the year 
purchased or, if purchased during the deer arch ery season, it shall 
expire at the end of that deer archery season: 
a. during deer archery seasons for youth nonresidents 
seventeen (17) years of age or younger which shall be 
valid for hunting on e antlerless deer allowed during 
the current deer archery se asons – Thirty Dollars 
($30.00),   
 
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b. during deer archery seasons for youth nonresidents 
seventeen (17) years of age or younger whi ch shall be 
valid for hunting one antlered or antlerless deer 
allowed during the current deer archery seasons – 
Ninety-nine Dollars ($99.00), and 
c. during deer archery seasons for nonresidents which 
shall be valid for hunting all deer allowed during the 
current deer archery season - Two Hundred Ninety-nine 
Dollars ($299.00); 
5.  Primitive firearms hunting license for deer for: 
a. during deer primitive firearms seasons for youth 
nonresidents seventeen (17) years of age or younger 
which shall be valid for hu nting one antlerless deer 
allowed during the current calendar year deer 
primitive firearms seasons – Thirty Dollars ($30.00), 
b. during deer primitive firearms seasons for youth 
nonresidents seventeen (17) years of age or younger 
which shall be valid for h unting one antlered or 
antlerless deer allowed during the current c alendar 
year deer primitive firearms seasons – Ninety-nine 
Dollars ($99.00), and 
c. during deer primitive firearms seasons for 
nonresidents which shall be valid for hunting all deer 
allowed during the current calendar year deer   
 
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primitive firearms season - Two Hundred Ninety-nine 
Dollars ($299.00); 
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); 
8.  Five-day hunting license for nonresidents hunting game other 
than deer, antelope, elk, quail, turkey or bear – Seventy-four 
Dollars ($74.00).  Nonresidents hunting big game, combination big 
game and upland game or exotic wi ldlife in a commercial hunting area 
shall be required to have this license; and 
9.  Ten-day hunting license for nonresidents hu nting small game 
in a commercial hunting area – Five Dollars ($5.00) ; and 
10.  Five-day hunting license for nonresident s hunting winged 
upland game, excluding wild turkey, in a commercial hunting area – 
Fifteen Dollars ($15.00). 
D.  The Department of Wildl ife Conservation shall provide a 
report to both the President Pro Tempore of the S enate and the 
Speaker of the House of Represent atives by February 1 of 2019 and 
2020 setting forth information rega rding licenses issued pursuant to 
paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of subsection C of this section, which shall 
include, but not be limited to: 
1.  The number of licenses issued during the most recen t 
respective deer hunting seasons; and   
 
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2.  A fiscal analysis compari ng revenue generated from the fees 
of the licenses issued d uring the most recent respective deer 
hunting seasons compared to previous years a nd whether the deer 
hunting license structure i s beneficial to the Department. 
E.  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 each 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 Wildlife Land Acquisition 
Fund created pursuant to 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 o f this 
section shall be for the Oklahoma Wildlife Land Stamp and shall be 
deposited in the Oklahoma Wildlife Land Fund created pu rsuant to the 
provisions of Section 4 -141 of this title. 
F.  Except as otherwise provided, the resident hunting licenses 
issued pursuant to this section and the fee for each license shall 
be: 
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);   
 
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2.  Annual hunting license for residents eighteen (18) years of 
age and older which expires on June 30 of the fi scal year purchased 
– Thirty-one Dollars ($31.00); 
3.  Annual hunting license for residents sixteen (16) or 
seventeen (17) years of age which expires on December 31 of the ye ar 
purchased - Four Dollars ($4.00); 
4.  Annual hunting license for residents sixt een (16) or 
seventeen (17) years of age which e xpires on June 30 of the fiscal 
year purchased – Six Dollars ($6.00); 
5. Ten-day hunting license for residents for small game in a 
commercial hunting area - Five Dollars ($5.00); 
6.  Five-year disability hunt ing license for residents of this 
state for at least six (6) months who are receiving Social Security 
Disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income benefits or 
disability benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act, 45 U.S.C.A., 
Section 231a, or residen ts who are one-hundred-percent disabled and 
are receiving disability payments from the Multiple Injury Trust 
Fund pursuant to Section 31 of Title 85A of the Oklahoma Statutes - 
Ten Dollars ($10.00); 
7.  Gun hunting license for deer for residents 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 Vet erans Affairs or its   
 
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successor, certifying that the person is a disabled 
veteran in receipt of compensation at the one -hundred-
percent rate, and 
b. residents hunting in big game or combination big game 
and upland game commercial hunting areas; 
8.  Gun hunting license for deer for residents under eighteen 
(18) years of age – Nine Dollars ($9.00); 
9.  Archery hunting license for deer for residents 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 Affai rs or its 
successor, certifying that the person is a disabled 
veteran in receipt of compensation at the one -hundred-
percent rate, and 
b. residents hunting in big game or comb ination big game 
and upland game commercial hunting areas; 
10.  Archery hunting li cense for deer for residents under 
eighteen (18) years of age - Nine Dollars ($9.00); 
11.  Primitive firearms hunti ng license for deer for residents 
eighteen (18) years of ag e or older - Nineteen Dollars ($19.00).  
The following persons shall be exempt: 
a. residents with proper certification from the U nited 
States Department of Veterans Affairs or its   
 
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successor, certifying that the person is a disabled 
veteran in receipt of co mpensation at the one-hundred-
percent rate, and 
b. residents hunting in big game o r combination big game 
and upland game commerci al hunting areas; 
12.  Primitive firearms hunting license for deer f or residents 
under eighteen (18) years of age - Nine Dollars ($9.00); 
13.  Hunting license for elk for residents - Fifty Dollars 
($50.00).  Residents hunting in big game or combination big game and 
upland game commercial hunting areas shall be exempt from this 
license; 
14.  Hunting license for antelope for residen ts – Fifty Dollars 
($50.00).  Residents hunting in big game or combination big game and 
upland game commercial hunting areas shal l be exempt from this 
license; and 
15.  Bonus, special or additional gun hunting license for deer 
for residents - Nineteen Dollars ($19.00).  The following persons 
shall be exempt: 
a. residents with proper certification 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   
 
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b. residents hunting in big game or combination big game 
and upland game commercial hunting areas. 
G.  Residents hunting big game, combination big game and upland 
game or exotic wildlife in a commercial hunting area shall be 
required to have one of the following license s: 
1.  An annual hunting license issued pursuant to paragraph 1, 2, 
3 or 4 of subsection F of this section; 
2.  An annual hunting and fishing combination license issued 
pursuant to Section 4-113 of this title; 
3.  A five-year hunting license or five-year combination hunting 
and fishing license issued pursuant to Section 4 -113.1 of this 
title; or 
4.  A lifetime hunting license or lifetime combination hunting 
and fishing license issued pursuant to Section 4 -114 of this title. 
H.  Of the fees collected pursuan t to the provisions of 
paragraphs 1 and 2 of subsection F 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. 
I.  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 handler of an 
entry, as an official, or as a sp ectator in the conduct of a field 
trial or performance test of dogs, whether a resident or no nresident   
 
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of the State of Oklahoma.  No license to hunt shall be req uired of 
any person engaged in training or working dogs, pr ovided that person 
is in no way engaged in hunting and does not take or attempt to take 
in any manner any game. 
J.  1.  Any person arrested for hunting game other than deer, 
antelope, elk, bear or turkey without a valid hunting license as 
required by the provisions of subsection A of this se ction may 
purchase a substitute temporary thirty -day license from the 
arresting game warden i n lieu of posting bond.  Proof of hunter 
safety certification will n ot be required for the temporary 
substitute license.  The f ee for a substitute license purchase d 
pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall be: 
a. for legal residents, Fifty Dolla rs ($50.00), and 
b. for nonresidents, One Hundred Forty -five Dollars 
($145.00). 
2.  Except as otherwise provided for by this su bsection, the 
fees from licenses pur chased pursuant to the provisions of this 
subsection shall be deposited in the Wildlife Conse rvation Fund to 
be used exclusively for developing, managing, preser ving, and 
protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat. 
K.  Any person producing proof in court tha t a current hunting 
license issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation to that 
person was in force at the time of the alleged offense shall be 
entitled to dismissal of a charge of violating this section upon   
 
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payment of court costs.  If proof of a cu rrent 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 violation, the 
charge shall be dismissed without paymen t of court costs. 
L.  Unless a substitute license is purchased as provided for by 
subsection J 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 Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) nor more 
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. 
M.  Unless a substitute license is purchased as provided for by 
subsection J of this section, any non resident convicted of violating 
the provisions of this section shall be punished by the impos ition 
of a fine of not less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) nor m ore 
than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment in the 
county jail for a period not to exceed six (6) months, or by both . 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effe ctive November 1, 2023.   
 
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Passed the House of Representatives the 27th day of February, 
2023. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the Hous e 
 	of Representatives 
 
 
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2023. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the Senate