Title 17 — Game and Fish

A. In this title, unless the context otherwise requires: 1. "Angling" means taking fish by one line and not more than two hooks, by one line and one artificial lure, which may have attached more than one hook, or by one line and not more than two artificial flies or lures. 2. "Ba…

Wildlife, both resident and migratory, native or introduced, found in this state, except fish and bullfrogs impounded in private ponds or tanks or wildlife and birds reared or held in captivity under permit or license from the commission, are property of the state and may be take…

Each county attorney shall prosecute and defend on behalf of the state, in all courts of the county, all actions, criminal or civil, arising under this title in which the state, commission member, or department employee is a party thereof.

All county, city and town peace officers are ex officio special game rangers and are required to carry out the duties of this title.

No person called upon by the state to testify as a witness in any action brought under this title shall be excused or exempted from so testifying or from producing documentary evidence on the ground that the testimony or evidence might incriminate him, but the person shall not th…

A. The laws of the state relating to wildlife shall be administered by the game and fish department. Control of the department is vested in the game and fish commission. The commission shall consist of five members, appointed by the governor pursuant to section 38-211. Not more t…

A. The Arizona game and fish commission appointment recommendation board is established consisting of members appointed by the governor pursuant to this section and section 38-211. The board shall consist of one person who has been a resident of this state for at least five years…

A. The commission shall appoint a director of the Arizona game and fish department, who shall be the chief administrative officer of the game and fish department. The director shall receive compensation as determined pursuant to section 38-611. The director shall be selected on t…

A. The director shall adopt a seal of office which shall be used to authenticate records and copies of records required by law to be made and kept by the department. B. The director and any department employees the director designates in writing may use the seal to authenticate r…

Neither the director nor any employee of the department shall take active part in a political campaign nor use his office to influence in any way an election or the results thereof. Failure to abide by the provisions of this section shall constitute grounds for dismissal of the d…

A. The commission may establish a volunteer organization known as the Arizona game and fish department reserve and prescribe the qualifications for membership. Members of the reserve serve at the pleasure of the director who has general supervision and control of all reserve acti…

Each employee and volunteer who has contact with children or vulnerable adults as part of their regular duties must have a valid fingerprint clearance card issued pursuant to section 41-1758.07 or provide the department documentation of the person's application for a fingerprint …

A. The commission shall: 1. Adopt rules and establish services it deems necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of this title. 2. Establish broad policies and long-range programs for the management, preservation and harvest of wildlife. 3. Establish hunting, trapping a…

The commission, subject to the approval of the governor and the attorney general, is authorized to enter into reciprocal agreements with corresponding state or county agencies of adjoining states pertaining to the establishment of a basis whereby licenses or permits issued by eit…

The commission may purchase, sell, barter, or give away buffalo or buffalo meat provided the same may be given only to public institutions or charitable institutions and monies derived therefrom shall be deposited in the game and fish fund.

The commission shall by order open, close or alter seasons and establish bag and possession limits for wildlife, but a commission order to open a season shall be issued not less than ten days prior to such opening date. The order may apply statewide or to any portion of the state…

The commission shall prescribe seasons, bag limits, possession limits and other regulations pertaining to taking migratory birds in accordance with the migratory bird treaty act and regulations issued thereunder, but the commission may shorten or modify seasons, bag and possessio…

A. It is unlawful to take or injure any bird or harass any bird upon its nest, or remove the nests or eggs of any bird, except as may occur in normal horticultural and agricultural practices and except as authorized by commission order. Nothing in this title shall be construed to…

The commission is authorized to bring suit in the name of the state against any person, corporation, or government agency, to restrain or enjoin the person, corporation, or government agency from discharging or dumping into a stream or body of water in the state any deleterious s…

A. The commission may adopt rules and regulations and issue licenses for the conduct of field trials, shooting preserves, private wildlife farms and zoos, or for the personal use and possession of wildlife so as to safeguard the interests of the wildlife and people of the state. …

A. Any person suffering property damage from wildlife may exercise all reasonable measures to alleviate the damage, except that reasonable measures shall not include injuring or killing game mammals, game birds or wildlife protected by federal law or regulation unless authorized …

A. Wildlife seized under this title may be disposed of in such manner as the commission or the court may prescribe, except that the edible portions shall be given to public institutions or charitable organizations. In consultation with the department of health services and the ch…

A. The commission, in the name of the state, with the approval of the governor may: 1. Acquire by purchase, lease, exchange, gift or condemnation lands for use as fish hatcheries, game farms, firing ranges, reservoir sites or rights of way to fishing waters. 2. Acquire by purchas…

A. The commission, by and with the approval of the governor and state land commissioner, may make contracts with irrigation districts in the name of the state to guarantee the payment of and to pay to the irrigation district the full amount of district assessments or charges agai…

The commission may sell surplus products of federal aid wildlife projects. The proceeds of such sale shall be placed in a special game and fish fund to be known as the federal aid wildlife projects maintenance fund and may be used by the commission for maintenance of federal aid …

A. A hunting and fishing bulletin shall be available through all license dealers and at such places as the commission may designate. B. Notices or signboards shall be of a size not less than eight by eleven inches and as many of the notices or signboards shall be posted as the co…

The commission may: 1. Offer training courses on a voluntary basis to all persons as prescribed by rule. 2. Require any person whose hunting, fishing or guide license has been revoked or suspended to show a certificate of completion of a training course as a condition to issuance…

A. In this section and section 17-247, "game and fish facilities" has the same meaning as prescribed in section 17-281. B. For the purpose of acquiring and financing game and fish facilities and with the approval of the joint legislative budget committee the commission may: 1. En…

Installment purchase agreements entered into under section 17-246: 1. Shall include an interest component in the payments to be made pursuant to the agreement. 2. May provide for annual, monthly or other payment periods. 3. May provide that payments be made in advance, at the sta…

A. The commission shall submit to the attorney general any initial installment purchase agreement after all actions for the authorization of the installment purchase agreement have been taken by the commission and the department. The attorney general shall examine into and pass u…

The commission may contract with the state department of corrections or ARCOR enterprises for the use of inmate labor, including juveniles, in constructing, operating or maintaining game and fish facilities.

A. If a wildlife disease is suspected or documented in freeranging or captive wildlife, the director may issue orders that are necessary to minimize or eliminate the threat from the disease. The director may also order or direct an employee of the department to: 1. After notifica…

A. The commission shall not adopt or enforce any rule that prohibits the lawful possession or use of a firearm silencer or muffler, including for the taking of wildlife or while hunting. B. This section does not limit the authority of the commission to prescribe the type and cali…

B. Wildlife species location information is not subject to disclosure or inspection under title 39, chapter 1, article 2 for wildlife species location information on private property or when the department determines that disclosure or inspection of the information may cause harm…

1. Within three miles of state trust land or private property. 2. Without a full DNA profile on each Mexican gray wolf that is released, translocated or cross-fostered. B. The department shall report to the commission at every commission meeting the following information: 1. Any …

In this article, unless the context otherwise requires, "aquatic invasive species": 1. Means any aquatic species that is not native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction or presence in this state may cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human heal…

A. The director may establish and maintain an aquatic invasive species program. B. The director may issue orders: 1. Establishing a list of aquatic invasive species for this state. 2. Establishing a list of waters or locations where aquatic invasive species are present and take s…

Except as authorized by the commission, a person shall not: 1. Possess, import, ship or transport into or within this state, or cause to be imported, shipped or transported into or within this state, an aquatic invasive species. 2. Notwithstanding section 17-255.04, subsection A,…

A. Except as otherwise provided by this section, a person who violates this article is subject to a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars. B. A person who knowingly violates section 17-255.02, paragraph 2 or 4 is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor. In addition, the com…

A. This article does not apply to the owner or operator of: 1. Any system of canals, laterals or pipes, any related or ancillary facilities, fixed equipment and structures related to the delivery of water and any discharges from the system. 2. Any water treatment or distribution …

On or before the fifth day of each month the department shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, the monies received from section 28-1177, from licenses, from the sale of goods or services at locations other than at shooting ranges that the commission owns and opera…

A. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 35-193, there is established a permanent game and fish revolving fund in an amount not to exceed thirty thousand dollars for use in making cash outlays for postage, C.O.D. packages, travel or other minor disbursements which are proper …

A. When the commission is of the opinion that the actual amount of funds held by the commission is in excess of the amount necessary to meet the immediate demands, the commission may authorize the investment of such funds, unless prohibited by federal and state rules and regulati…

The department may expend monies for membership dues in organizations dealing directly with fish and game management.

The legislature shall, in its general appropriation measure and in accordance with the budget laws of the state, make an appropriation for the operation of the commission and department, the appropriation to be payable from game and fish funds.

A. The game and fish in-lieu fee program restoration endowment trust fund is established to be used to fulfill the department's obligations as an in-lieu fee sponsor pursuant to sections 401 and 404 of the clean water act. The commission shall administer the trust fund as trustee…

Notwithstanding sections 41-2535 and 41-2572, the commission may build, alter, repair, improve or demolish a structure or other improvement by employees or force account if the project cost does not exceed thirty-five thousand dollars. This exemption does not apply to an office o…

A. There is established a land and water conservation and recreation development fund. The monies of such fund may be used by the commission to pay for recreation benefits in connection with fish and wildlife restoration projects. The monies of such fund may be used to match othe…

A. A game, non-game, fish and endangered species fund is established to be used by the commission for game, non-game, fish and endangered species purposes. Monies in the fund are subject to annual legislative appropriation pursuant to section 35-143.01. B. Monies received by this…

The game and fish publications revolving fund is established consisting of monies received from the sale of publications pursuant to section 17-231, subsection B, paragraph 9. The monies in the fund are appropriated to the department to produce and distribute department publicati…