Title 27

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, hold, or possess any wildlife in captivity for the purpose of display or exhibition to the public without first procuring a valid wildlife exhibition permit as provided in Code Section 27-2-23. No such permit shall be issued by the…

(a)(1) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘‘film production’’ means the creation of film, video, or digital projects in this state, including, but not limited to, the creation of feature films, documentaries, series, pilots, movies for television, advertisements, music vid…

It shall be unlawful for any person to liberate any wildlife within this state or to liberate domestic fish except into private ponds except under permit from the department; provided, however, that pen raised quail may be released for purposes of training pointing, flushing, and…

It shall be unlawful for any person operating a grocery store, hotel, market, cold storage house, restaurant, or other commercial facility to receive for storage or to store any wildlife or parts thereof without first obtaining a wildlife storage permit from the department and wi…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of propagating quail for food, restocking, propagation, or other commercial purposes unless the quail are pen raised quail and unless the person has obtained a commercial quail breeder permit as provided in Code Se…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to trap, take, transport, or possess raptors for falconry purposes unless such person possesses, in addition to any licenses and permits otherwise required by this title, a valid falconry permit as provided in Code Section 27-2-23. (b) It s…

The department shall be authorized to issue to a person who cultivates crops, who is immediately responsible for their cultivation, or who is the principal owner of the crops a permit to kill deer which have caused or are reasonably certain to cause damage to crops which were pla…

It shall be unlawful to import any wildlife other than fish, pen raised duck, pen raised turkey, and pen raised quail without obtaining, at no cost, a wildlife importation permit from the department. The department shall only issue such a permit when it has determined that the is…

(a) Hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses shall be issued and sold by the department on forms containing such information as may be prescribed by the department. As used in this Code section, the term ‘‘license’’ shall include all permits, licenses, or stamps issued by the depa…

(a) 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. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person required to obtain a hunting license as provided in Code …

It shall be unlawful for any person required to obtain a fishing license as provided in Code Section 27-2-1 to fish in the salt waters of this state without participating in the Saltwater Information Program. Participation in such program shall require the completion of a screeni…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to conduct a field or retriever trial without first obtaining a permit, at no cost, from the department. In trials conducted with such a permit, the species of wildlife specified on the permit may be set or pursued by dogs, but such wildlif…

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, hold, or possess in captivity any sick or injured wildlife, except fish, without first obtaining, at no charge, a wildlife rehabilitation permit from the department; provided, however, that such permit shall only be issued to persons d…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to trap and sell live fox without first procuring a commercial trapping license provided for in Code Section 27-2-23. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title to the contrary, live fox may be taken from the wild only during trappin…

Fees for licenses, permits, tags, and stamps required by this title shall be as follows: (1) Hunting licenses: (A) Resident hunting license Annual $ 15.00 (B) Nonresident hunting license Annual 100.00 (C) Nonresident hunting license One-day 20.00 (D) Resident big game license Ann…

(a) In addition to the fur dealers’ licenses provided for in Code Section 27-2-23, the department shall issue a raccoon fur seller’s license for an annual fee of $5.00. A person to whom a raccoon fur seller’s license has been issued shall be authorized to sell the raw, undressed …

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the occupation of salt water fishing guide without holding a valid annual salt water fishing guide license pursuant to the provisions of this Code section. (b)(1) A salt water fishing guide who possesses a valid United States C…

All applications to the department for any license or permit, or license and permit, provided by this title shall designate an address in Georgia where the applicant can be personally served with legal process, or shall contain an appointment of an agent in Georgia for acceptance…

(a) Upon a determination by the commissioner that a person has violated this title or any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant thereto, the commissioner may revoke, suspend, deny, or refuse to renew any license or permit, or both, required by this title which is held by or has…

(a) The General Assembly has heretofore found and declared that hunting is a privilege to be exercised only in accordance with the law granting such privilege. The General Assembly now specifically finds and declares that while the act of hunting is an enjoyable and beneficial fo…

The commissioner shall have the power to suspend any license required by this title when such license holder is not in compliance with a court order for child support as provided in Code Section 19-6-28.1. The commissioner shall also have the power to deny the application for iss…

(a) The board is authorized to provide by rule or regulation the procedure whereby the department may, pursuant to Code Section 27-2-25, revoke or cancel any license, certificate, stamp, card, or permit upon determination that the holder thereof was not entitled to issuance or ob…

In addition to the authority granted in Code Sections 27-2-4 and 27-2-25 to revoke, suspend, deny, or refuse to renew any license or permit, or both, the commissioner or board, or the commissioner and board, may impose a reasonable penalty, with the written consent of the affecte…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person who is required to have on his person any license, permit, or stamp issued under this title to refuse the inspection of such license, permit, or stamp upon demand by a conservation ranger or deputy conservation ranger. It shall also be unla…

Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the commissioner may designate not more than three days, which need not be consecutive, in each calendar year as free fishing days during which residents may, without obtaining a fishing license, exercise the privileges of a ho…

(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided, all hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, including without limitation commercial fishing and commercial fishing boat licenses issued pursuant to Code Section 27-2-8, shall be effective from April 1 to March 31 of the following ye…

(a) The requirements in this title for procuring any paid license or permit for noncommercial hunting and fishing privileges, except for harvesting alligators, shall be satisfied by a resident or nonresident who procures a sportsman’s license; provided, however, that the departme…

(a) The General Assembly recognizes that lifetime sportsman’s license purchasers expect and are entitled to assurance that funds for such licenses will be used throughout their life expectancy to provide quality hunting and fishing experiences. Therefore, the General Assembly dec…

(a) The department is authorized to issue wildlife control permits authorizing the permittee to trap, transport and release, or kill wildlife and feral hogs where such action is otherwise prohibited by law or regulation: (1) When the department determines that there is a substant…

(a) The department shall issue a discounted hunting and fishing license, which shall entitle a resident to hunt and fish in this state without the payment of fees described in Code Section 27-2-23, to each resident who is permanently and totally disabled. For purposes of this Cod…

No fishing license shall be required for any Florida resident who is more than 65 years of age, to the extent that a reciprocal provision exists under Florida law for any Georgia resident who is more than 65 years of age. Florida residents exempted from the requirement of obtaini…

The department is authorized to issue a courtesy nonresident fishing license, without fee, to any person who is not a resident of this state who is a paralyzed or disabled veteran and who is participating in an organized fishing tournament in this state which is sponsored and con…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘‘terminal illness’’ means an incurable or irreversible condition with a corresponding life expectancy that does not exceed 12 months. (b) The commissioner is authorized to issue special authorization to hunt big game or alligators to an…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘‘mobility impaired person’’ means any person who has been verified by a doctor of medicine currently licensed to practice by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, the State Board of Examiners in Osteopathy, or an equivalent body of anoth…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) ‘‘Outdoor mentee’’ means any resident to whom the department has never issued both a hunting and fishing license, or an outdoor passport, under this chapter. (2) ‘‘Outdoor mentor’’ means any individual who is 18 years of age or olde…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person born on or after January 1, 1961, to procure a hunting license or to hunt by means of weapons in this state unless that person has been issued a certificate or other evidence the department deems acceptable which indicates satisfactory comp…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person who has attained the age of 16 years to fish for or possess mountain trout or to fish in any waters designated as trout waters or trout streams pursuant to Code Section 27-4-51 unless such person has in his or her possession a trout license…

(a) The department is authorized to make and enter into agreements, from time to time, with the proper authorities of the States of Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee whereby a citizen of the State of Georgia who owns farm lands in such adjoining stat…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in commercial fishing with a boat or vessel in the salt waters of this state without first obtaining a valid commercial fishing boat license for the boat or vessel. The owner or operator of the boat or vessel shall present in writ…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of taxidermy or provide taxidermy services to anyone other than himself unless he has first been issued a taxidermist license by the department as provided in Code Section 27-2-23. Such license shall authorize the …

The Wildlife Violator Compact is enacted into law and entered into by the State of Georgia with any and all states legally joining therein in accordance with its terms. The compact is substantially as follows: ‘‘WILDLIFE VIOLATOR COMPACT ARTICLE I FINDINGS, DECLARATION OF POLICY,…

The Board of Natural Resources shall make and publish in print or electronically such rules and regulations, not inconsistent with law, as it deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this article. (Code 1981, § 27-2-41, enacted by Ga. L. 2002, p. 1179, § 1; Ga. L. 2010, p. 83…

It shall be unlawful for any person whose license, privilege, or right to hunt, fish, trap, possess, or transport wildlife, having been suspended or revoked pursuant to this article, to exercise that right or privilege within this state or to purchase or possess such a license wh…