Hunting License Question

[Mike Orton]

A friend and I were recently talking about hunting licenses.  This guy is a New York Resident and has been issued a permanent hunting license in the State of New York several years ago.  Now all he needs to do is purchase his big game tags and he's good to go each year.

If he leaves the state, establishes residence elsewhere, his permanent hunting license is still good, even though he would then be a non-resident.

He posed the question to me about the various western states, if they too had a permanent hunting license similar to New York.  I do not know the answer to that question.

He thought he'd heard that Kansas also had a permanent license program also.

We got to thinking about "establishing residence" in some of the western states that might have a permanent hunting license.

Anyone have any insight on the Permenent Hunting License issue?

 

[Moooseran]

I have a Life Time Hunting License for Indiana. All I do is make a temporary info tag and I'm good to go.

The State stopped selling them. I think to many hunters were moving out of state and still coming back to hunt.

[WDP]

We have them here in Arizona also.

[Brian Krebs]

That is an interesting question.

In California some time ago; there was a person denied state benefits because they had not been a resident of the state long enough.

 The person fought it in court; and it went to the supreme court as I recall; because there was a national rant about the court saying that once you declare yourself a resident of a state; you are eligible for that states benefits; and that Californias requirement of a length of time was unconstitutional.

 I remember it was the talk of the talk shows until one day when a guy called in and asked if the ruling applied to tuition for students who had lived in states and declared themselves citizens there ( in the situtation decribed the person was in graduate school in Maryland and had paid out of state tuition fees for 5 years -even though after starting school there he had lived there continuously).

 It was like someone shut the conversation down that same day. I got the impression that the guy from Maryland had made a point; and that the media had been shut down about talking about it.

 Indeed; if a person can declare himself a resident of a state; and then be eligible for state benefits; then why would a person that lives in a state for years while going to school; still have to pay out of state tuition fees.

 And then too: why could a person not declare himself to be a resident of a state; and then get to buy a hunting license on that day? Here in Idaho; you are required to live here over 6 months in order to be considered a resident..

 I believe the very idea of the broader application of the court decision has silenced the subject.

 There are a lot of people normally refered to as 'snowbirds'; that live in Alaska and other northern states in the summer; and then live the other half of the year in warmer southern states. I believe they have to choose which state is their official state of residency; and prove it by having a drivers license in that state.

 What was your question again ???

[Ryan Rothhaar]

You're about 10 years late on the "establishing residency" idea.  The Wildlife Departments in the states offering lifetime licences are getting pretty sophisticated at weeding out the cheaters (as they well should).  Kansas repealed a bunch of lifetime licenses a few years ago based upon the way the licenses were obtained.....getting a PO box or renting a house for a few months with no plans to ever really live there bought you a repealed license.  The whole idea of lifetime resident licenses are based on LEGITIMATE residency.  Its real easy for the state the license is purchased in under false pretenses to obtain income tax information...pretty hard to pass the "red face test" if you pay income taxes 500 miles away from the state you hold "residency" in.

R

[Aeronut]

I bought mine in 1983 when Kansas came out with them.  Since that time they have doubled the price of them.

Dennis

[JL]

Ryan nailed it. If you don't pay state taxes in that state (income,sales,ect) you are a non-resident. Some states do have lifetime licence's for non-residents but your going to pay dearly for them. Hunting licence fee's have exploded lately, both resident and non-resident alike and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down any time soon.

JL

[Mike Orton]

Thanks to all who commented.  TG is a great source of info as always.

Thanks even to you Ryan for the reference to the Cheaters issue.  Appreciate that sentiment...

[John/Alaska]

You can get a hunting/trapping/fishing combo in Alaska for free if you are an Alaska resident and remain so and atleast 60 years of age. The state water fowl stamp is also free or not required if you hold the "old farts" license. Most of our big game tags are also free.

[JL]

The only state that I could find that offer's a lifetime license is VA for $505 plus yearly stamps (Sounds like a bargin!). All the other state's that I checked (including WV) doesn't offer the lifetime option to non residents. Anyone know of other states that offer lifetime license's for out of state folks?

JL

[Winterhawk1960]

In West Virginia we can (have and will) purchase our grandchildren, who'm all reside here (now anyways) their lifetime hunting/fishing and trout stamp for $500. The kicker is that they have to be purchased BEFORE the child turns 2 years old. We have already purchased the one that is 3 years old now his, and will purchase the grandaughter hers before this August, and the other grandson his before next August. Here, you need a license from the time you turn 15 up until the age of 65. It costs my wife and I about $45.00 a year for the same thing. A quick mathmatical comparison say's that our grandchildren can hunt and fish our state, whether they remain residents or not in the future for about $10.00 a year. Of course the gamble is that they might not find an interest in such things...BUT.....if they spend much time around Pa-Paw & Ma-Maw.....which they will, they will get at least the rest of my wife's and my lifetimes worth of exposure. I wish they would have had such a thing when I was a tad-pole.

Winterhawk1960

[Richard in OK]

Oklahoma offers lifetime hunting, fishing, and combination licenses. The combination costs about $750, but once you turn 60 you can get it for $250. You still need to purchase the state trout stamp and the federal waterfowl stamp (and a trapping license). The lifetime license gives you all big game, turkey, etc. tags, and you can still use it if you move out of state.

Richard

[Biggie Hoffman]

Georgia has a Lifetime License for residents. Price depending on your age.

Doesn't cover any federal stamps.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Mike

I'm not attacking you personally...sorry if it came off that way.  I use the word "you" in the general sense, not personal.  If you are talking about "establishing residency" in a wink, wink, nudge, nudge kind of way then I'm just saying the loopholes are filled.  That's one reason Indiana and some other states have lost the LL, a lot of abuse.  When many of the states first wrote the laws they were easy to get around.

As far as residency goes I know that in high demand states in the midwest, like IL, IA, and KS the qualifications for residence for a HUNTING LICENSE can differ greatly from the qualifications for other purposes.  For instance in Iowa you can hold a driver's license, and even register to vote in the state, and still not qualify to buy a resident license unless you meet some other qualifications.

R

[Brian Krebs]

Ryan - excuse me : but ~I~ was the one picking on Mike! He is barely 5 foot tall; has really long blond hair; and being from California...deserves being picked on.   :p    

[gregg dudley]

Alabama residents used to be able to purchase a lifetime license for the same price I was buying an annual out-of-state license for.  I do not know what they are charging now for either.  

A lot of states in the south have lifetime license considerations for grandchildren of residents, but I do not know of any that allow you to buy a non-res lifetime license.