§9-11-44. Resident license - Hunting.

(a) Any person who is age 16 years or older, but who has not reached 65 years of age, who has resided in Alabama continuously for a period of not less than 90 days next preceding, and who is not serving as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States of America during any period of time in which the United States of America is in a state of war, as declared by an act of Congress, shall procure an annual resident all-game hunting license before the person is entitled to hunt in this state by filing an application with the person in any county of the state duly authorized to issue the license, stating his or her name, age, place of residence, post office address, and after paying to the person issuing the license a license fee of twenty-three dollars ($23), plus an issuance fee of one dollar ($1), which fees shall be subject to adjustment as provided for in Section 9-11-68. Any Alabama resident age 16 through 64 years, in lieu of purchasing the resident all-game hunting license may procure an annual resident small game hunting license to hunt all legal game in this state except deer and turkey. The license fee shall be fifteen dollars ($15), plus an issuance fee of one dollar ($1), which fees shall be subject to adjustment as provided for in Section 9-11-68. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a member of the United States military stationed in Alabama on active duty, and his or her spouse and their dependents who reside with them, shall be deemed to be Alabama residents for the purposes of procuring these licenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, effective with the license year beginning September 1, 2013, U.S. military veterans otherwise meeting the requirements of this section who are certified by the U.S. Veterans' Administration as 50 percent or more physically disabled shall be entitled to purchase an alternative resident hunting license to be known as the Physically Disabled Military Veteran's Appreciation Hunting License for one-half of the cost of the annual resident all-game hunting license plus the applicable issuance fee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, effective with the license year beginning September 1, 2014, U.S. military veterans otherwise meeting the requirements of this section who are certified by the U.S. Veterans' Administration as 100 percent, service-connected, permanently and totally disabled shall be entitled to purchase an alternative resident hunting license to be known as the 100 Percent Disabled Military Veteran's Appreciation Hunting License for a license fee of two dollars ($2), plus the applicable issuance fee, which fees shall be subject to adjustment as provided for in Section 9-11-68. Persons obtaining the resident all-game hunting license or the resident small game hunting license shall also be entitled to all of the privileges of the wildlife heritage license.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any resident 64 years of age procuring a state resident hunting license pursuant to this section shall be issued the license on a lifetime basis. License fees from the sale of a lifetime license pursuant to this subsection to a resident age 64 years shall be deposited to the credit of the Alabama Game and Fish Endowment Fund within the Game and Fish Fund.

(c) All persons making application for an annual state hunting license as provided in this section shall present a valid Alabama driver license or, in the case of nondrivers, proof of permanent residence. All licenses required by this section shall bear the Alabama driver license number of the licensee, except in the case of nondrivers and active duty military personnel stationed in Alabama and their spouses and dependents who reside with them, and all licenses shall bear proof of residence as required by the Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources. Active duty military personnel stationed in Alabama and their spouses and dependents who reside with them shall provide military orders that assign them to Alabama. Every person who obtains an annual hunting license without presenting a valid Alabama driver license or, in the case of nondrivers, proof of permanent residence, or who provides any false information in the process of procuring the license, shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor punishable as provided by law.

(d) The licenses required by this section shall not apply to any resident or resident member of his or her immediate family who hunts on lands owned by him or her, nor shall it include any tenant or member of his or her immediate family who hunts on lands leased or rented by the tenant and who resides on the lands, nor any resident of this state on active military duty who is in this state on leave and who has proof of that status in his or her possession.

(e) All persons under the age of 16 years shall be exempted from the requirement of procuring the licenses. Any resident of this state 65 years of age and older shall be exempted from the requirement of procuring a hunting license as provided for in this section, provided that the resident has on his or her person while hunting, proof of age, or, in the case of nondrivers, proof of permanent Alabama residence and age.

(f) The licenses shall not be transferable, and it shall be unlawful to borrow, lend, or alter any license, or for any license-issuing officer to falsify any license at the time of issuing the license. A violation of this subsection shall constitute a Class B misdemeanor punishable as provided by law.

(g) There shall be provided on the license form for the licenses provided for in this section a check-off option whereby the licensee may voluntarily choose to donate an additional one dollar ($1) to the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries for the purpose of research on wildlife and wildlife habitat as approved by the Advisory Board of Conservation and Natural Resources.

(Acts 1971, No. 1515, p. 2629, §1; Acts 1975, No. 1171, p. 2301, §1; Acts 1979, No. 79-804, p. 1482, §1; Acts 1982, No. 82-407, p. 619, §1; Acts 1988, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 88-805, p. 242, §1; Act 2000-735, p. 1604, §1; Act 2004-449, p. 794, §1; Act 2007-418, p. 874, §1; Act 2013-248, p. 607, §1; Act 2014-417, §1.)