Rhode Island § 20-39-3 - Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact

§ 20-39-3. Reciprocal recognition of license suspensions — Suspension of privileges for conviction in participating state — Penalty.

(a) When the department of environmental management receives notice of the suspension of a person’s hunting, trapping, or fishing privileges by a participating state, the department shall determine whether the violation leading to the suspension could have led to the forfeiture of privileges under Rhode Island law. If the department determines that the person’s privileges could have been forfeited, the department may suspend the person’s privileges to hunt, trap, or fish in this state for the same period as imposed by the participating state not to exceed the maximum limits allowed by Rhode Island law, provided the department has complied with the requirements of § 20-39-5.

(b) When the department receives notice of a conviction of a state resident from the licensing authority of the issuing state, the department may, if the conviction is final, treat the conviction as if it had occurred in Rhode Island and shall determine whether the conviction could have led to the forfeiture of the resident’s hunting, trapping, or fishing privileges under state law. If the department determines that the resident’s privileges could have been forfeited, the department may suspend the resident’s privileges to hunt, trap, or fish in this state for the same period as the issuing state, not to exceed the limit that could have been imposed under Rhode Island law, provided the department has complied with the requirements of § 20-39-5.

(c) Notice of the suspension must be sent to the person, who must surrender any current Rhode Island hunting, trapping, or fishing licenses to the department within ten (10) days.

(d) A person whose privileges have been suspended and who hunts, traps, or fishes in this state; who applies for or purchases any licenses or permits to hunt, trap, or fish in this state; or who refuses to surrender any current hunting, trapping, or fishing licenses as required is guilty of a misdemeanor.