2020 Georgia Code
Title 27 - Game and Fish
Chapter 2 - Licenses, Permits, and Stamps Generally
Article 1 - Hunting, Trapping, or Fishing
§ 27-2-23. License, Permit, Tag, and Stamp Fees

Fees for licenses, permits, tags, and stamps required by this title shall be as follows: (1) Hunting licenses: (A) Resident hunting license Annual $ 15.00 (B) Nonresident hunting license Annual 100.00 (C) Nonresident hunting license One-day 20.00 (D) Resident big game license Annual 25.00 (E) Nonresident big game license Annual 225.00 (F) Resident big game license One-day 10.00 (G) Nonresident big game license One-day 130.00 (H) Resident senior hunting license for 65 years of age or older Annual 4.00 (I) Shooting preserve hunting license valid for residents and nonresidents Two-year 12.00 (J) Commercial fox hunting preserve license Seasonal 75.00 (K) Commercial fox breeder license Seasonal 75.00 (L) Georgia waterfowl and migratory bird stamp valid for residents and nonresidents Annual 5.00 (M) Landowner Georgia waterfowl and migratory bird stamp Annual 0.00 (2) Hunting and fishing licenses: (A) Resident hunting/fishing license Annual 30.00 (B) Nonresident hunting/fishing license One-day 30.00 (C) Resident hunting/fishing license One-day 5.00 (D) Nonresident hunting/fishing license Annual 150.00 (3) Sportsman's licenses: (A) Resident sportsman's license Annual 65.00 (B) Nonresident sportsman's license Annual 400.00 (C) Resident sportsman's license One-day 25.00 (D) Nonresident sportsman's license One-day 170.00 (E) Resident optional youth sportsman's license for 12 to 15 years of age Annual 5.00 (F) Resident optional youth sportsman's license for 12 to 15 years of age Multiyear 15.00 (G) Resident senior sportsman's license for 65 years of age or older Annual 7.00 (H) Nonresident youth sportsman's license for 15 years of age or younger Annual 50.00 (4) Recreational fishing licenses: (A) Resident fishing license Annual 15.00 (B) Nonresident fishing license Annual 50.00 (C) Nonresident fishing license One-day 10.00 (D) Resident trout license Annual 10.00 (E) Resident trout license One-day 5.00 (F) Nonresident trout license Annual 25.00 (G) Nonresident trout license One-day 10.00 (H) Resident optional youth fishing license Annual 3.00 (I) Resident optional youth fishing license Multiyear 10.00 (J) Resident senior fishing license for 65 years of age or older Annual 4.00 (5) Trapping licenses: (A) Resident commercial trapping license Annual 40.00 (B) Nonresident commercial trapping license Annual 325.00 (6) Commercial fishing licenses: (A) Resident commercial fishing license Seasonal 20.00 (B) Nonresident commercial fishing license Seasonal 200.00 (C) Resident commercial fishing species endorsement Seasonal 5.00 (D) Nonresident commercial fishing species endorsement Seasonal 10.00 (E) Resident commercial crabbing license Seasonal 20.00 (F) Nonresident commercial crabbing license Seasonal 200.00 (7) Fur, hide, and pelt licenses: (A) Resident fur dealer license Annual 300.00 (B) Nonresident fur dealer license Annual 450.00 (C) Fur dealer's agent license Annual 200.00 (8) Miscellaneous licenses and permits: (A) Retail fish dealer license Annual 40.00 (B) Wholesale fish dealer license Annual 75.00 (C) Resident game-holding permit Annual 5.00 (D) Commercial quail breeder permit Annual 30.00 (E) Scientific collecting permit Annual 75.00 (F) Wildlife exhibition permit Annual 150.00 (G) Commercial shooting preserve license Annual 150.00 (H) Private shooting preserve license Annual 50.00 (I) Reserved. (J) Commercial fish hatchery license Annual 75.00 (K) Catch-out pond license Annual 250.00 (L) Soft-shell crab dealer license Annual 40.00 (M) Resident taxidermist license Three-year 150.00 (N) Nonresident taxidermist license Three-year 500.00 (O) Falconry permit Three-year 40.00 (P) Commercial alligator farming license Annual 75.00 (Q) Resident alligator harvest permit Annual 75.00 (R) Nonresident alligator harvest permit Annual 250.00 (S) Wild animal license Annual 250.00 (T) Wild animal auction license Seven-day 5,500.00 (U) Resident bait dealer license Seasonal 40.00 (V) Nonresident bait dealer license Seasonal 250.00 (W) Resident film production wildlife permit Annual 300.00 (X) Nonresident film production wildlife permit Annual 600.00 (Y) Resident trawler crew license Annual 200.00 (Z) Nonresident trawler crew license Annual 600.00 (AA) Seafood dealer license Annual 40.00

Any one-day license purchased that has not expired may be extended for up to ten additional consecutive days by payment of additional reduced rate daily fees:

Nonresident hunting license: $6.00 per day;

Resident big game license: $2.00 per day;

Nonresident big game license: $8.00 per day;

Nonresident hunting/fishing license: $10.00 per day;

Resident hunting/fishing license: $1.00 per day;

Nonresident fishing license: $3.50 per day;

Resident trout license: $1.00 per day;

Nonresident trout license: $2.00 per day;

Resident sportsman's license: $3.00 per day; and

Nonresident sportsman's license: $20.00 per day.

The board is authorized to provide by rule for a fee not to exceed $19.00 for resident daily, seasonal, or annual use permits, or licenses; a fee of $38.00 for resident two-year use permits; or a fee not to exceed $73.00 for nonresident annual use permits or licenses to hunt and fish on or otherwise use specially designated streams, lakes, public fishing areas, or wildlife management areas.

For wildlife that may be legally taken by commercial fishing gear as authorized in this title or by board rule, the board may designate which species of wildlife or species grouping of wildlife require a commercial fishing species endorsement for a fee shown in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph (6) of this Code section in addition to the required commercial fishing license. Each species or group of species so designated shall require a separate commercial fishing species endorsement.

The fees for any annual license established in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1) and in paragraph (2), (3), or (4) of this Code section shall be reduced by the amount of the lowest available renewal transaction fee for each renewal transaction made before the expiration date of the then current license or tag. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "renewal transaction" means the renewal of one or more licenses by a licensee during a single telephone call, Internet session, or on-site visit to a store.

After July 1, 2017, the General Assembly shall not increase the cost of any license, permit, tag, or stamp provided for in this Code section by more than 20 percent.

(Ga. L. 1916, p. 114, § 2; Ga. L. 1924, p. 101, § 36; Ga. L. 1925, p. 302, § 13; Ga. L. 1931, p. 7, § 25; Ga. L. 1931, p. 173, § 6; Code 1933, §§ 45-206, 45-207, 45-213, 45-304; Ga. L. 1935, p. 379, § 2; Ga. L. 1935, p. 386, § 5; Ga. L. 1937, p. 675, § 2; Ga. L. 1937-38, Ex. Sess., p. 332, § 5; Ga. L. 1939, p. 316, § 1; Ga. L. 1945, p. 315, § 1; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1005, § 1; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1116, § 1; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1188, § 1; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1189, § 1; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1577, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1951, p. 157, §§ 8-9a; Ga. L. 1952, p. 258, §§ 2, 3; Ga. L. 1953, Jan.-Feb. Sess., p. 521, § 1; Ga. L. 1953, Nov.-Dec. Sess., p. 173, § 1; Ga. L. 1955, p. 158, §§ 1, 3, 4; Ga. L. 1955, p. 483, §§ 30, 31; Ga. L. 1959, p. 184, § 1; Ga. L. 1960, p. 974, §§ 2-4; Ga. L. 1966, p. 6, § 1; Ga. L. 1967, p. 634, § 3; Ga. L. 1968, p. 480, § 3; Ga. L. 1968, p. 497, § 9; Ga. L. 1971, p. 38, § 1; Ga. L. 1972, p. 915, § 1; Ga. L. 1973, p. 274, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 1254, § 3; Ga. L. 1976, p. 771, § 2; Ga. L. 1976, p. 1159, § 3; Ga. L. 1976, p. 1674, § 2; Code 1933, § 45-303, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1977, p. 1270, § 6; Ga. L. 1978, p. 816, §§ 23, 24; Ga. L. 1978, p. 1552, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 420, §§ 4-7; Ga. L. 1979, p. 678, § 19; Ga. L. 1979, p. 800, § 5; Ga. L. 1979, p. 1094, § 3; Ga. L. 1981, p. 144, §§ 4-6; Ga. L. 1981, p. 823, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1729, §§ 5-7; Ga. L. 1983, p. 467, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 837, § 2; Ga. L. 1985, p. 913, § 2; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1047, § 3; Ga. L. 1987, p. 179, §§ 4, 5; Ga. L. 1987, p. 469, § 2; Ga. L. 1987, p. 663, § 2; Ga. L. 1988, p. 13, § 27; Ga. L. 1989, p. 506, § 3; Ga. L. 1990, p. 386, § 2; Ga. L. 1990, p. 2422, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1157, § 1; Ga. L. 1992, p. 470, §§ 1, 5; Ga. L. 1995, p. 156, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 946, § 7; Ga. L. 1998, p. 783, § 9; Ga. L. 2003, p. 654, § 7A; Ga. L. 2005, p. 517, § 1/HB 662; Ga. L. 2009, p. 787, § 8/HB 326; Ga. L. 2012, p. 958, § 1A/SB 464; Ga. L. 2013, p. 771, § 5/HB 155; Ga. L. 2016, p. 432, § 5/HB 840; Ga. L. 2017, p. 27, § 11/HB 208; Ga. L. 2018, p. 948, § 3/SB 332; Ga. L. 2019, p. 1056, § 27/SB 52; Ga. L. 2020, p. 493, § 27/SB 429.)

The 2016 amendment, effective July 1, 2016, added subparagraphs (8)(W) and (8)(X). See Editor's notes for applicability.

The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, rewrote this Code section. See Editor's note for applicability.

The 2018 amendment, effective July 1, 2018, added subparagraph (3)(H).

The 2019 amendment, effective May 12, 2019, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, deleted the dollar sign preceding "50.00" in subparagraph (3)(H).

The 2020 amendment, effective July 29, 2020, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted "years of age or younger" for "years of age and under" in subparagraph (3)(H).

- Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, in 1995, a second, repetitive "preserve" was deleted from the version of subparagraph (7)(H) (now subparagraph (8)(H)).

- Ga. L. 1987, p. 179, § 6, not codified by the General Assembly, set forth the legislative intent of that Act.

Ga. L. 1992, p. 470, §§ 4 and 5, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "The General Assembly declares its intent to use the increases and changes in fees provided in this Act to fund the acquisition and management of lands and waters, by and through the Department of Natural Resources, for fish hatcheries; for wildlife restoration, propagation, protection, preservation, research, or management; for public hunting, fishing, or trapping; and for related recreational areas. The General Assembly further recognizes the importance of wildlife related recreation and the need to provide greater opportunities for such recreation and public lands in the face of rapid woodland development and appropriation of existing wildlife habitat. The General Assembly further declares its intent to ensure that the funding provided by hunters and fishermen through the payment of these license fee increases and changes will fund the acquisition of fish and wildlife habitat and public recreational areas.

"This Act shall become effective on April 1, 1992, or as soon thereafter as it is approved by the Governor or becomes law without such approval; provided, however, that the fees which are increased in Sections 1 and 3 of this Act shall on March 31, 2012, be reduced to the level of such fees prior to the effective date of this Act."

Ga. L. 2009, p. 787, §§ 10, 11, and 12/HB 326 eliminated the automatic reduction of rates provided by Ga. L. 1992, p. 470, § 5.

Ga. L. 2016, p. 432, § 6/HB 840, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: "This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2016, and shall apply to all offenses occurring on or after such date."

Ga. L. 2017, p. 27, § 20/HB 208, not codified by the General Assembly, provides, in part, that the amendment of this Code section by that Act shall be applicable to all offenses occurring on or after July 1, 2017.

RESEARCH REFERENCES

Am. Jur. 2d.

- 35A Am. Jur. 2d, Fish, Game, and Wildlife Conservation, §§ 37, 47.

- 36A C.J.S., Fish, § 28. 38 C.J.S., Game; Conservation and Preservation of Wildlife, § 52.