Vermont § 4254 - Fishing and hunting licenses; eligibility, design, distribution, sale, and issue

§ 4254. Fishing and hunting licenses; eligibility, design, distribution, sale, and issue

• (a) Fishing licenses. A fishing license may be issued to any person aged 15 or older. (b) Hunting licenses. A resident or nonresident hunting license, combination fishing and hunting license,
  or archery license may be issued to any person, provided that the applicant prior
  to issue first presents: (1) a certificate of satisfactory completion of a Vermont hunter safety course, bow hunter
  education course as applicable, or an equivalent approved by the Commissioner; or (2) a certificate of satisfactory completion of a hunter safety course, or bow hunter
  education course as applicable, in another state or a province of Canada which is
  approved by the Commissioner; or (3) a hunting license, a combination hunting and fishing license, or archery license,
  if applicable, issued for this State or any other state or a province of Canada and
  valid for any license year; or (4) other satisfactory proof that the applicant has previously held a hunting, or combination
  hunting and fishing license or archery license, if applicable. A hunting license or
  archery license may be issued to a person aged 15 or under only with the written consent
  of the applicant’s parent or legal guardian given in the presence of the agent issuing
  the license. (c) Hunter Education. The Commissioner shall provide for a course of basic instruction in the safe handling
  of firearms, survival training, and first aid training and a course in bow hunter
  education. For this purpose, the Commissioner may cooperate with any reputable association,
  organization, or agency, and he or she may designate any person found by him or her
  to be competent to give such instruction. A person satisfactorily completing the course
  of instruction shall receive from the instructor a certificate in evidence thereof.
  No fee shall be charged for a course of instruction provided under this subsection. (d) Administration. The Commissioner shall be responsible for the design of all licensing documents and
  forms, the sale of licenses, the reporting of sales, and the full return of all funds
  due the Department. (e) Licenses. The Commissioner shall establish: (1) license agencies, for the sale and distribution of licenses or lottery applications
  for licenses, including any town clerk who desires to sell licenses or process lottery
  applications for licenses; (2) the number, type, and location of license agencies, other than town clerk agencies; (3) the qualifications of all agencies and agents except town clerks; (4) controls for the inventory, safeguarding, issue, and recall of all licensing materials; (5) the times and methods for reporting the sale and issuance of all licenses; (6) procedures for accounting for and return of all monies and negotiable documents due
  the Department from agencies in accordance with the provisions of this title and Title
  32 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated; (7) procedures for the audit of all license programs and license agency transactions and
  the proper retention and inspection of all accounting and inventory records related
  to the sale or issuance of licenses; (8) procedures for the suspension of any license agent or agency, including a town clerk
  agent, for noncompliance with the provisions of this title, any written agreement
  between the agent and the Department, or any licensing rule established by the Department; (9) that for each license or lottery application, $1.50 of the fee is a filing fee that
  may be retained by the agent, except for the super sport license for which $5.00 of
  the fee is a filing fee that may be retained by the agent; and (10) that for licenses, lottery applications, and tags issued where the Department does
  not receive any part of the fee, $1.50 may be charged as a filing fee and retained
  by the agent. (f) License agency. All persons or businesses who wish to serve as agents shall apply on forms provided
  by the Department. Except for the fee collected under subdivision (e)(9) of this section,
  all license fees collected by an agent are the property of the State of Vermont and
  shall be promptly paid to the State following the procedures established under subdivision
  (e)(6) of this section. (g) [Repealed.] (h) Lotteries. If the Board decides to hold a lottery for the purpose of allocating permits to hunt
  or fish, except for a lottery held pursuant to section 4081 or 4153 of this title or for water fowl hunting permits for specific areas as defined by the Board by rule,
  the Department shall require that each resident entering the lottery shall submit
  a nonrefundable fee of $10.00 and each nonresident entering the lottery shall submit
  a nonrefundable fee of $25.00 with each application. Proceeds from the sale of applications
  shall be deposited into the Fish and Wildlife Fund. (i) Moose hunting. (1) If the Board establishes a moose hunting season, not more than 10 percent of the total
  number of annual moose permits authorized by the Board shall be set aside to be auctioned.
  The total number of annual moose permits set aside to be auctioned shall not exceed
  six. The moose permits, if any, set aside for auction shall be included in the total
  number of annual moose permits authorized by the Board. The Board shall adopt rules
  necessary for the Department to establish, implement, and run the auction process.
  The Commissioner annually may establish a minimum dollar amount of not less than $1,500.00
  for any winning bid for a moose permit auctioned under this subdivision. Proceeds
  from the auction shall be deposited in the Fish and Wildlife Fund and used for conservation
  education programs run by the Department. Successful bidders must have a Vermont hunting
  or combination license in order to purchase a moose permit. (2) If the Board establishes a moose hunting season, the Commissioner shall set aside
  not more than 10 percent of the total number of annual moose permits authorized by
  the Board for Vermont residents who have served on active duty in any branch of the
  U.S. Armed Forces provided that he or she has not received a dishonorable discharge.
  The total number of annual moose permits set aside for Vermont veterans shall not
  exceed six. Veterans awarded a moose permit under this subsection shall possess a
  valid Vermont hunting license or combination license in order to purchase a moose
  permit. The Department of Fish and Wildlife shall coordinate with the Office of Veterans
  Affairs to provide notice to eligible veterans of the moose permits set aside under
  this subsection. (3) The Department of Fish and Wildlife shall adopt a procedure to implement the set-aside
  program for auction and for veterans, including a method to award applicants bonus
  points and a method by which auction participants and veterans who applied for but
  failed to receive a permit in one hunting season are awarded priority in the subsequent
  moose hunting season. The procedure adopted under this subdivision may include a provision
  for freezing bonus points in the event that the Board does not approve a moose hunting
  season or approves a small number of permits for the moose hunting season. (Added 1961, No. 119, § 1, eff. May 9, 1961; amended 1963, No. 126, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1964; 1967, No. 373 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. March 27, 1968; 1973, No. 169 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1973, No. 173 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1977, No. 111, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; 1977, No. 225 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 1, 2, 10, eff. April 12, 1978; 1989, No. 87, § 1, eff. June 6, 1989; 1989, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 1993, No. 192 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1997, No. 59, § 42, eff. June 30, 1997; 1997, No. 155 (Adj. Sess.), § 42, eff. Jan. 1, 1999; 1999, No. 30, § 3, eff. Jan. 1, 2001; 2001, No. 65, § 19, eff. Jan. 1, 2002; 2003, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 13, eff. Nov. 1, 2004; 2005, No. 42, § 1; No. 72, § 11a; 2007, No. 98 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2009, No. 146 (Adj. Sess.), § B11; 2011, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 28; 2013, No. 78, § 7; 2015, No. 61, §§ 2, 14, eff. June 17, 2015; 2017, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. May 22, 2018; 2019, No. 14, § 43, eff. April 30, 2019; 2019, No. 50, § 5, eff. Jan. 1, 2020.)