From staff reports OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Wildlife License Modernization Act was signed March 26 by Gov. Kevin Stitt. The new law streamlines and simplifies hunting and fishing licenses, and will provide funding for the Wildlife Conservation Department primarily by adjusting license costs to regional averages.
The act becomes effective July 1. It’s been more than 20 years since any notable changes were made to the state’s fishing and hunting licenses and fee structure. This modernization plan reduces the array of licenses previously required for many activities and adjusts license fees to maintain a stable funding source for future conservation of fish and wildlife in Oklahoma.
“As an avid outdoorsman and a lifetime hunting and fishing license holder, I’m proud to sign the Wildlife License Modernization Act,” Stitt said. “We’re going to give Oklahoma hunters a streamlined licensing system. This bill gets government out of the way by combining multiple licenses, cutting red tape, and modernizing the process.”
The legislation was sponsored by state Sen. David Bullard (R-Durant) and state Rep. Ty Burns (R-Watchorn).
“After more than 20 years we have finally simplified our hunting and fishing licenses and given residents more for their money,” Bullard said. “We also were able to get out-of-state licenses up to the regional average. This is a big step forward for Oklahoma outdoorsmen.”
“For the past four years we have been working on this piece of legislation during my tenure as chairman of the Wildlife Committee,” Burns said. “Oklahoma's fees and license prices have been lower than those of surrounding states, putting pressure on state hunters and resources. With the approval of this legislation, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will receive much-needed funding to carry out its duties and provide a pay raise for game wardens.”
Some highlights in the act:
• Consolidation of more than 50 hunting and fishing licenses into 15.
• Defining all “youth” as anyone younger than 18, resident and nonresident alike.
• Creation of a single “youth super license” that will take the place of approximately 15 different types of youth hunting licenses.
• Providing resident deer hunters one license for all deer they are allowed to harvest in a season, which previously was offered only to nonresidents.
• Increasing license costs for nonresidents hunting deer and waterfowl in Oklahoma.
• Adding the black bear hunting license to the privileges granted with the lifetime hunting and lifetime combination licenses.
“Restructuring Oklahoma’s cumbersome and outdated licensing structure has been the No. 1 priority the past several years for the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission,” said Wade Free, interim director of the Wildlife Conservation Department.
The act adjusts license costs to reflect the current cost of wildlife conservation activities more realistically. ODWC has struggled to maintain operations during this time with no appreciable increase in license fees and stagnant revenues.
By restructuring into fewer licenses and assigning more realistic prices, the act is expected to generate as much as $10 million in additional revenue to fund fish and wildlife conservation in Oklahoma. The funding will enhance fish and wildlife habitat improvements, address infrastructure and deferred maintenance needs, and can be used to access federal Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration funds at a rate of $3 for every state license dollar. The Wildlife Department is a user-funded agency that is solely supported by hunting and fishing license sales and receives no state tax appropriations.
The new law also brings Oklahoma’s fees more in line with those of other surrounding states. In some cases, the license cost will increase and in others the cost will decrease.
For example, a resident deer archery hunter who wanted to harvest all six deer allowed for last year’s season had to have a $32 annual hunting license and a $20 deer license for each animal taken, at a total cost of $152. Under the new fee structure, that same hunter will now pay a total of $72 (annual hunting license $36, and full-limit deer archery season license $36).