2021 Georgia Code
Title 27 - Game and Fish
Chapter 2 - Licenses, Permits, and Stamps Generally
Article 1 - Hunting, Trapping, or Fishing
§ 27-2-20. Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp; Participation in Federal Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program

1. It shall be unlawful for any person 16 years of age or older to hunt brant, ducks, geese, and swans in this state without a federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp.
2. It shall be unlawful for any person required to obtain a hunting license as provided in Code Section 27-2-1 to hunt any migratory game bird, including brant, ducks, geese, swans, doves, rails, woodcock, snipe, gallinules, and coots, without participating in the federal Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program. Participation in such program shall require the completion of an annual screening questionnaire prior to obtaining a Georgia waterfowl and migratory bird stamp or a landowner Georgia waterfowl and migratory bird stamp. Persons holding any other license conveying migratory bird hunting privileges, including a lifetime sportsman's license, shall complete the annual screening questionnaire before hunting migratory birds. Persons shall be in possession of the license and evidence of participation in the annual screening questionnaire as provided by the department while hunting migratory birds.

(Code 1933, § 45-326, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 816, § 37; Ga. L. 1995, p. 946, § 6; Ga. L. 1998, p. 783, § 8; Ga. L. 2001, p. 1013, § 10; Ga. L. 2017, p. 27, § 10/HB 208.)

The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, substituted the present provisions of subsection (b) for the former provisions, which read: "It shall be unlawful for any person required to obtain a hunting license as provided in Code Section 27-2-1 to hunt any migratory game bird, including brant, ducks, geese, swans, doves, rails, woodcock, snipe, gallinules, and coots, without participating in the federal Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program. Participation in such program shall require the completion of a screening questionnaire prior to obtaining a free Georgia migratory bird license and the possession of the license or other evidence of participation while hunting migratory birds.". See Editor's note for applicability.

- Regulations governing the federal Migratory Bird program can be found at 50 C.F.R. Section 20.20.

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, § 55.

- 38 C.J.S., Game; Conservation and Preservation of Wildlife, §§ 23 et seq., 51 et seq.