Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§742j–1 Airborne hunting

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE › § 742j–1

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

You may not, while flying in any aircraft, shoot at or try to shoot birds, fish, or other animals. You also may not use an aircraft to harass animals or help others do those things. "Aircraft" means any machine or device used to fly in the air. People who work for or are officially allowed by a State or the United States to protect land, water, wildlife, livestock, pets, people, or crops are not covered by this rule. Those people who act under a permit must report every calendar quarter how many and what kind of animals they took. If a State gives such permits, it must send the Secretary of the Interior a yearly report with the permit holder’s name and address, what animals and how many were allowed and taken, where they were taken from, and why the permit was issued. The Secretary of the Interior enforces the rule and can make rules to do that. Interior officers authorized by the Secretary can arrest someone they see breaking the rule, carry out warrants, and make searches as the law allows. The Secretary can work with State wildlife agencies and give them enforcement power. Animals, guns, aircraft, and other gear used in violations can be seized and turned over to the United States. Rules about seizure and forfeiture used for customs cases apply when they fit, and any Treasury powers needed here are given to the Secretary of the Interior.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §742j–1

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any person who—
(1)while airborne in an aircraft shoots or attempts to shoot for the purpose of capturing or killing any bird, fish, or other animal; or
(2)uses an aircraft to harass any bird, fish, or other animal; or
(3)knowingly participates in using an aircraft for any purpose referred to in paragraph (1) or (2);
(b)(1)This section shall not apply to any person if such person is employed by, or is an authorized agent of or is operating under a license or permit of, any State or the United States to administer or protect or aid in the administration or protection of land, water, wildlife, livestock, domesticated animals, human life, or crops, and each such person so operating under a license or permit shall report to the applicable issuing authority each calendar quarter the number and type of animals so taken.
(2)In any case in which a State, or any agency thereof, issues a permit referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection, it shall file with the Secretary of the Interior an annual report containing such information as the Secretary shall prescribe, including but not limited to—
(A)the name and address of each person to whom a permit was issued;
(B)a description of the animals authorized to be taken thereunder, the number of animals authorized to be taken, and a description of the area from which the animals are authorized to be taken;
(C)the number and type of animals taken by such person to whom a permit was issued; and
(D)the reason for issuing the permit.
(c)As used in this section, the term “aircraft” means any contrivance used for flight in the air.
(d)The Secretary of the Interior shall enforce the provisions of this section and shall promulgate such regulations as he deems necessary and appropriate to carry out such enforcement. Any employee of the Department of the Interior authorized by the Secretary of the Interior to enforce the provisions of this section may, without warrant, arrest any person committing in his presence or view a violation of this section or of any regulation issued hereunder and take such person immediately for examination or trial before an officer or court of competent jurisdiction; may execute any warrant or other process issued by an officer or court of competent jurisdiction for the enforcement of the provisions of this section; and may, with or without a warrant, as authorized by law, search any place. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with State fish and wildlife agencies or other appropriate State authorities to facilitate enforcement of this section, and by such agreements to delegate such enforcement authority to State law enforcement personnel as he deems appropriate for effective enforcement of this section. Any judge of any court established under the laws of the United States, and any United States magistrate judge may, within his respective jurisdiction, upon proper oath or affirmation showing probable cause, issue warrants in all such cases.
(e)All birds, fish, or other animals shot or captured contrary to the provisions of this section, or of any regulation issued hereunder, and all guns, aircraft, and other equipment used to aid in the shooting, attempting to shoot, capturing, or harassing of any bird, fish, or other animal in violation of this section or of any regulation issued hereunder shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States.
(f)All provisions of law relating to the seizure, forfeiture, and condemnation of a vessel for violation of the customs laws, the disposition of such vessel or the proceeds from the sale thereof, and the remission or mitigation of such forfeitures, shall apply to the seizures and forfeitures incurred, or alleged to have been incurred, under the provisions of this section, insofar as such provisions of law are applicable and not inconsistent with the provisions of this section; except that all powers, rights, and duties conferred or imposed by the customs laws upon any officer or employee of the Treasury Department shall, for the purposes of this section, be exercised or performed by the Secretary of the Interior or by such persons as he may designate.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1972—Subsecs. (d) to (f). Pub. L. 92–502 added subsecs. (d) to (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“United States magistrate judge” substituted for “United States magistrate” in subsec. (d) pursuant to section 321 of Pub. L. 101–650, set out as a note under section 631 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 92–159, § 3, Nov. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 481, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by the first section of this Act [enacting this section] shall take effect as of the thirtieth day after the date of enactment of such section [Nov. 18, 1971]; except that, in any case in which a State is not authorized to issue any permit referred to in the

Amendments

made by such first section, such

Amendments

shall take effect in any such State as of the thirtieth day after the expiration of the next regular session of the legislature of such State which begins on or after the date of enactment of this Act.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 742j–1

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73