Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Code Book

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

Code Book

The regulations in this Code Book are hereby adopted by the Arkansas State

Game and Fish Commission under authority of Amendment 35 to the

Constitution of the State of Arkansas. All laws, rules, regulations, or orders in

conﬂict with the regulations in this Code Book are hereby repealed by the

Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission.

As of June 8, 2022

03.00 License Regulations

03.01 License And Permit Requirements

03.02 Fishing License Requirements

03.03 Resident Hunting License Requirements

03.04 Nonresident Hunting License Requirements

03.05 State Migratory Waterfowl Hunting Stamp Requirements

03.06 Nonresident Illegally Possessing Resident License

03.07 Possession Of License Of Another

03.08 Lending License Prohibited

03.09 Counterfeiting License Prohibited

03.10 Acceptable Proof Of License, Permit, Stamp, And Education Certiﬁcate

03.11 Falsifying Information Prohibited

03.12 License Dealer Permit Required To Sell AGFC Licenses

03.13 Charging Unauthorized License Fees Prohibited

03.14 Resident Guide License Requirements

03.15 Nonresident Guide License Requirements

03.16 Hunter Education Certiﬁcate Requirements

03.17 Boater Education Certiﬁcate Requirements

03.18 Guiding While Intoxicated Or Under The Inﬂuence Prohibited

03.01 License And Permit Requirements

It is unlawful to hunt or ﬁsh when and where a license, permit, tag or stamp

is required without having on the person the appropriate license, permit,

tag or stamp. It also is unlawful for any person to fail to comply with the

terms of any Commission-issued license, permit, tag, or stamp (Addendum

D1.01).

PENALTY: Class 1

As of June 8, 2022

03.02 Fishing License Requirements

It is unlawful to ﬁsh in any manner in Arkansas without possessing on the

person the appropriate Arkansas ﬁshing license as provided herein:

Arkansas Resident (16 years of age and older) – Resident Fisheries

Conservation License; Resident 3-Day Trip Fishing License; Lifetime

Resident Combination Sportsman's License and Permit; Resident 65

Plus Lifetime Fishing License (or Resident 65 Plus Lifetime

Combination License); Resident 65 Plus Annual Fishing License (or

Resident 65 Plus Annual Combination License); Disabled Lifetime

Fishing License (or Resident Disabled Lifetime Combination License);

Resident Disabled Fishing 3-Year License (or Resident Disabled

Combination 3-Year License); or Resident Disabled Military Veteran

Lifetime Fishing License (or Resident Disabled Military Veteran

Lifetime Combination License or Resident Disabled Military Veteran

Lifetime Combination License and Permit).

Nonresidents (16 years of age and older) – Non-Resident Annual

Fishing License; Non-Resident 3-Day Trip Fishing License or

Nonresident 14-Day Trip Fishing License.

Persons must possess a valid Commercial Fishing Permit and

Sportﬁshing License (CFS) to purchase tags for commercial tackle or

to operate commercial tackle. A CFS holder may purchase a Helper

Permit, which will allow the permitted helper to operate the CFS

holder’s tackle. Tackle tags may not be purchased with the Helper

Permit. The Helper Permit does not confer sport-ﬁshing rights.

Youths and individuals 65 years of age or older are required to

purchase a Junior/Senior Commercial Fishing Permit.

In lieu of an Arkansas Nonresident Fishing License, Missouri resident

ﬁshing license holders, age 16 or older, are required to purchase a

White River Border Lakes License (Addendum

H1.04), in compliance

with the White River Lakes License Agreement.

EXCEPTION: Persons ﬁshing in put-and-take pay lakes licensed by the

Commission.

PENALTY: Class 1

As of June 8, 2022

03.03 Resident Hunting License Requirements

It is unlawful for a resident to hunt wildlife by any means in Arkansas

without possessing on the person the appropriate Arkansas hunting license

as provided herein:

To hunt alligator, deer, turkey, bear or elk, the hunter must have

physical possession of a valid Arkansas hunting license. A temporary,

internet license or a conﬁrmation/authorization number from a

telephone license order is not valid for hunting these species.

Arkansas Residents (16 years of age and older) – Small Game:

Resident Wildlife Conservation License; Resident Sportsman’s

License; Big Game: Resident Wildlife Conservation License (permits

residents to harvest one legal deer during any deer season); Resident

Sportsman's License; Furbearer (Hunting): Any valid hunting

license. Furbearer (Trapping): Any valid hunting license and a

resident trappers permit. All game: Holders of the following licenses

are entitled to hunt all game, except if taking waterfowl an Arkansas

Resident Waterfowl Stamp, Federal Waterfowl Stamp, and Harvest

Information Program (HIP) are required: Resident 65 Plus Lifetime

Sportsman's Hunting License (or 65 Plus Lifetime Combination

License); Resident 65 Plus Annual Hunting License (or Resident 65

Plus Annual Combination License); Resident Disabled Lifetime

Sportsman's Hunting License (or Resident Disabled Lifetime

Combination License) Resident Disabled Hunting 3-Year License (or

Resident Disabled Combination 3-Year License); Resident Disabled

Military Veteran Lifetime Hunting License; or Resident Disabled

Military Veteran Lifetime Combination License. All game: Holders of

the following license are entitled to hunt all game, including

waterfowl with a Federal Waterfowl Stamp and Harvest Information

Program (HIP): Lifetime Resident Combination Sportsman's License

and Permit; or Resident Disabled Military Veteran Lifetime

Combination License and Permit.

EXCEPTIONS:

Residents hunting on a licensed game bird shooting resort in

compliance with regulations (Code

09.06).

In compliance with Code 04.04 and Addendum B1.14.

PENALTY: Class 1

As of June 8, 2022

03.04 Nonresident Hunting License

Requirements

It is unlawful for a nonresident, 16 years of age or older, to hunt wildlife by

any means in Arkansas without possessing on the person the appropriate

Arkansas hunting license as provided herein:

To hunt deer, turkey, bear or elk, the hunter must have physical

possession of a valid Arkansas hunting license. A temporary, internet

license or conﬁrmation/authorization number from a telephone license

order is not valid for hunting these species.

Nonresidents hunting small game only (excluding deer, elk, turkey

and bear). Requirements: Nonresident Annual Small Game License, or

Nonresident 5-Day Small Game License for a period of said license,

and Nonresident Trapper Permit if trapping furbearers. Small game

may also be taken on the Nonresident All Game Licenses. If hunting

waterfowl, an Arkansas Nonresident Waterfowl Stamp, Federal

Waterfowl Stamp and Harvest Information Program (HIP) are

required.

Nonresidents hunting deer, elk and/or wild turkey. Requirements:

Nonresident Annual All Game License (provides holder all applicable

tags for deer, bear and turkey); Nonresident 1-Day All Game License

(provides holder 1 game tag); Non-Resident 3-Day All Game License

(provides holder 2 game tags); or a Nonresident 5-Day All Game

License (provides holder 3 game tags) and a Nonresident Trapper

Permit if trapping furbearers.

Nonresidents hunting bear. Requirements: Nonresident Annual All

Game License.

Nonresidents are ineligible to obtain public land permits through the

permit draw process for hunting elk or alligators.

EXCEPTIONS:

Nonresidents hunting on a licensed game bird shooting resort in

compliance with regulations (Code

09.06).

In compliance with Code 04.04, Addenda B1.14, H1.01, H1.03.

Nonresidents who possess a Resident Lifetime License for either

hunting or combination hunting-and-ﬁshing (Addendum D1.01)

obtained prior to September 1, 2021, while a bona ﬁde Arkansas

resident (Code

01.00-C, RESIDENT) are eligible to obtain public land

permits through the permit draw process for hunting elk or alligators.

PENALTY: Class 2

As of June 8, 2022

03.05 State Migratory Waterfowl Hunting

Stamp Requirements

It is unlawful to hunt migratory waterfowl without having purchasing the

appropriate Arkansas Resident or Nonresident Migratory Waterfowl

Hunting Stamp, as indicated by holding a valid universal license form issued

by the Commission or its representative, coded DSR or DSN (Addendum

D1.01).

EXCEPTIONS:

Youths.

Persons possessing a valid Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Sportsman's

License.

Persons possessing a valid Resident 65 Plus Lifetime Waterfowl

Permit.

In compliance with Code

04.04 and Addenda B1.14, H1.03.

PENALTY: Class 1

03.06 Nonresident Illegally Possessing

Resident License

It is unlawful for any nonresident to possess while hunting, ﬁshing or

guiding any resident license, permit, tag, or stamp issued by the

Commission, or at any time to represent a resident license, permit, tag, or

stamp as his own.

EXCEPTIONS:

Former residents who possess a valid Resident Lifetime License for

hunting, ﬁshing, or combination hunting-and-ﬁshing, or possess a

Resident Lifetime Permit for trout or waterfowl (Addendum

D1.01).

PENALTY: Class 4

03.07 Possession Of License Of Another

It is unlawful while hunting or ﬁshing to possess any license, permit, tag, or

stamp issued by the Commission to any other person, or at any time to

represent the license, permit, tag, or stamp of any other person as his own.

PENALTY: Class 1

As of June 8, 2022

03.08 Lending License Prohibited

It is unlawful to lend to any other person any license, permit, tag, or stamp

issued by the Commission.

PENALTY: Class 1

03.09 Counterfeiting License Prohibited

It is unlawful for any person to counterfeit, backdate, or alter any

license, permit, tag, stamp, or hunter education or boater education

certiﬁcate issued by the Commission.

It is unlawful for any person knowingly to possess, sell, or oﬀer for

sale any counterfeited, backdated, or altered license, permit, tag, or

stamp issued or purportedly issued by the Commission.

PENALTY: Class 4

As of June 8, 2022

03.10 Acceptable Proof Of License, Permit,

Stamp, And Education Certiﬁcate

When any Commission regulation requires a person to carry a

Commission-issued license, permit, stamp, or hunter education or

boater certiﬁcate “on the person,” possession of any of the following

will be suﬀicient to establish compliance:

a physical or an electronic copy of said Commission-issued

license, permit, stamp, or hunter education or boater

educationcertiﬁcate; or

a Commission-issued Conservation Card that is linked to the

required license, permit, stamp, or huntereducation or boater

education certiﬁcate.

For purposes of this regulation, “electronic copy” shall mean an

electronic image produced on a person's own cellular phone or other

type of portable electronic device that clearly displays and accurately

reproduces all of the information found on a Commission-issued

license, permit, stamp, or hunter education or boater education

certiﬁcate.

For a state migratory waterfowl hunting stamp, an electronic copy of

a person’s Commission-issued hunting license coded DSR or DSN, or a

Commission-issued Conservation Card linked to same, will be

suﬀicient to establish compliance with Code 03.05

For Federal Migratory Bird Hunting E-Stamp, an electronic copy of a

person's Commission-issued hunting license coded FDE, or a

Commission-issued Conservation Card linked to same, will be

suﬀicient to establish compliance with Code

03.10 for up to 45 days

from the date of purchase of the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting E-

Stamp.

For a Snow, Blue, or Ross's Goose Registration Permit, the following

will be suﬀicient to establish compliance with Code

04.04:

an electronic copy of a person's Commission-issued hunting

license coded with the Snow, Blue, or Ross's Goose Registration

Permit number;

separate electronic copies of both a person's Commission-issued

hunting license and a person's Commission-issued Snow, Blue,

or Ross's Goose Registration Permit;or

a Commission-issued Conservation Card linked to one of the

previous options.

The presentment of proof of an electronic copy of a Commission-

issued license, permit, stamp, or hunter education or boater education

certiﬁcate does not:

Authorize a search of any other content of an electronic device

without a search warrant or probable cause; or

Expand or restrict the authority of a wildlife law enforcement

oﬀicer to conduct a search or investigation.

As of June 8, 2022

EXCEPTIONS:

Neither a Commission-issued Conservation Card nor electronic proof

of tags shall be suﬀicient to establish compliance with any

Commission regulation requiring a person to carry a Commission-

issued tag “on the person.”

Neither a Commission-issued Conservation Card nor electronic proof

of a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp coded DFS shall be

suﬀicient to establish compliance with Code

10.03. A Federal

Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp coded DFS must be possessed on the

person in its original form and signed before harvesting waterfowl.

See Code

10.03.

Neither a Commission-issued Conservation Card nor electronic proof

of a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting E-Stamp coded FDE shall be

suﬀicient to establish compliance with Code

10.03 beyond 45 days

from the date of purchase. After 45 days from the date of purchase,

the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp must be possessed on the

person in its original form and signed to continue harvesting

waterfowl. See Code

10.03.

Neither a Commission-issued Conservation Card nor electronic proof

shall be suﬀicient to establish compliance with Chapter

09.00 or Code

10.02.

03.11 Falsifying Information Prohibited

It is unlawful to furnish, record or provide any false information on

any form, license, stamp, tag, permit, aﬀidavit, or application,

electronic or otherwise, furnished to or used by the Commission.

It is unlawful to obtain by false application any license, permit, tag,

stamp, or hunter or boater education certiﬁcate issued by the

Commission.

It is unlawful for an AGFC License Dealer knowingly to accept or

input into the AGFC License System any false information.

PENALTY: Class 4

As of June 8, 2022

03.12 License Dealer Permit Required To Sell

AGFC Licenses

It is unlawful to sell or oﬀer for sale any license, permit, tag, or stamp

issued by the Commission without ﬁrst obtaining a valid AGFC

License Dealer Permit from the Chief Fiscal Oﬀicer of the Commission

(Addendum

D1.02). Permits shall be nontransferable and may be

issued only to natural persons or business entities licensed to do

business in the state(s) and locality(ies) where the license dealer will

sell licenses, permits, tags, or stamps issued by the Commission.

In addition to complying with Commission regulations, license dealers

shall comply with the terms and conditions of the AGFC License

Dealer Application, the AGFC License Dealer Agreement, and the

AGFC License Dealer Permit.

EXCEPTION: An AGFC License Dealer Permit shall not be required in

order for the Commission to sell or oﬀer for sale licenses, permits, tags, or

stamps issued by the Commission.

PENALTY: Class 3

03.13 Charging Unauthorized License Fees

Prohibited

It is unlawful for a license dealer to directly or indirectly charge,

collect, or receive for any Commission-issued license, permit, tag,

stamp, or other privilege an amount less than or in excess of the price

established by the Commission for such Commission-issued license,

permit, tag, stamp, or privilege.

For the purposes of this code section, an excess cost, price, or charge

includes but is not limited to a cash fee, convenience fee, credit card

usage fee, service charge, surcharge, sales tax, or the requirement to

rent or purchase goods or services as a condition of purchasing a

Commissionissued license, permit, tag, stamp, or other privilege. For

purposes of this code section, a deﬁcient cost, price, or charge

includes, but is not limited to, a discount on face value, a rebate or a

discount for goods or services oﬀered by the license dealer in

exchange for the purchase of a Commission-issued license, permit,

tag, stamp, or other privilege.

License dealers who violate this Code

03.13 shall have their permits

suspended as set forth in Addendum D1.03.

PENALTY: Class 3

As of June 8, 2022

03.14 Resident Guide License Requirements

It is unlawful for any resident to guide, aid or assist another person, for pay

or other consideration, in the taking of any species of wildlife by any means

in Arkansas without possessing on the person the appropriate Arkansas

guide license as provided herein:

To guide, aid or assist another person, for pay or other consideration,

in hunting in Arkansas, the guide must have physical possession of a

valid Arkansas Resident Guide License/Hunting.

To guide, aid or assist another person, for pay or other consideration,

in hunting on WMAs, the guide must also have physical possession of

a valid Arkansas Resident Special Guide License.

To guide, aid or assist another person, for pay or other consideration,

in ﬁshing in Arkansas, the guide must have physical possession of a

valid Arkansas Resident Guide License/Fishing.

PENALTY: Class 2

03.15 Nonresident Guide License

Requirements

It is unlawful for any nonresident to guide, aid or assist another person, for

pay or other consideration, in the taking of any species of wildlife by any

means in Arkansas without possessing on the person the appropriate

Arkansas guide license as provided herein:

To guide, aidor assist another person, for pay or other consideration,

in hunting on land not owned or leased by the Commission, the guide

must have physical possession of a valid Arkansas Nonresident Guide

License forHunting.

To guide, aidor assist another person, for pay or other consideration,

in ﬁshing in Arkansas, the guide must have physical possession of a

valid Arkansas Nonresident Guide License forFishing.

It also is unlawful for any nonresident to exercise the rights of the

Resident Special Guide License.

PENALTY: Class 3

As of June 8, 2022

03.16 Hunter Education Certiﬁcate

Requirements

It is unlawful for persons born after 1968 to hunt wildlife without having on

the person a valid Arkansas hunter education certiﬁcate.

EXCEPTIONS:

Youths hunting under direct supervision of an adult at least 21 years

of age.

Persons possessing a valid hunting license/permit displaying the

dealer imprinted code DHE (Code

01.00-C). Requirements for a

person to be eligible to hunt with DHE-coded licenses/permits are as

follows:

Be at least 16 years of age and born after 1968 and not

huntereducation certiﬁed.

Be in the immediate presence of an adult hunter who is at least

21 years of age and possesses valid hunter education

certiﬁcation, or who was born before 1969.

Not eligible if convicted of prior violation of this regulation.

Any person who has successfully completed a hunter education course

approved by another state or province and has the valid hunter

education certiﬁcate on his or herperson.

PENALTY: Class 1

03.17 Boater Education Certiﬁcate

Requirements

It is unlawful for any person with a birth date after 1985 to operate a

motorboat or a personal watercraft without having on the person a valid

Arkansas boater education certiﬁcate.

EXCEPTION:Any person who has successfully completed a boater

education training course approved by the National Association of State

Boating Administrators and has on his or her person a valid boating

education certiﬁcate issued by another state.

PENALTY: Class 1

As of June 8, 2022

03.18 Guiding While Intoxicated Or Under The

Inﬂuence Prohibited

It is unlawful for a holder of any Arkansas guide license to be guiding

another person while the licensed guide is intoxicated or under the

inﬂuence of any narcotic drug, barbiturate, or marijuana.

PENALTY: Class 3; Suspension of guide and hunting/ﬁshing licenses as set

forth in Codes

01.00-L, 01.00-K.

As of June 8, 2022