An Act Concerning Certain Hunting License Fees and Antlerless Deer Permits
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0356
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: CEBRA, JACKSON, RICHARDSON, ROBINSON, SYKES, WHEELER
Amends: 12 MRSA §10853, 12 MRSA §11152

Legislative Document 
No. 356 
H.P.286 
House of Representatives, January 25, 2007 
An Act Concerning Certain Hunting License Fees and Antlerless 
Deer Permits 
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative CEBRA of Naples. 
11/~'frJ.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: JACKSON of Allagash, McLEOD of Lee, RICHARDSON 
of Carmel, RICHARDSON of Greenville, ROBINSON of Raymond, SYKES of Harrison, 
WHEELER of Kittery. 
Printed on recycled paper 
'. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§l, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
1. Residents over 70 years of age. A complimentary license to hunt, trap or fish, 
including an archery hunting license under section 11109, subsection 7, a pheasant 
hunting pennit under section 11156, a muzzle-loading hunting license under section 
11109, subsection 4, a migratory waterfowl penn it under section 11157 and a bear 
hunting penn it under section 11151 must be~ issued to a resident who is 70 years of age 
or older upon applieation to the eommissioner remains valid for the remainder of the life 
of the license or penn it holder as long as the license or penn it holder continues to satisfy 
the residency requirements set out in section 10001, subsection 53 and the license or 
permit is not revoked or suspended. 
A. 
A resident 'Nho applies for a eomplimentary lieense Hnder this seetion at any 
time during the ealendar year of that resident's 70th birthd~' must be issued a lieense 
Hpon applieation, regardless of the aetual date during that ealendar )'ear in whieh that 
resident attains 70 )'ears of age. l', guide lieense may be renewed without eharge for 
a resident 'Nho is 70 years of age or older upon applieation to the eommissioner. The 
applieation must be aeeompanied by a birth eertifieate or other eertified eyidenee of 
the applieant's date of birth and resideney. 
B. 
Beginning January 1, 2006, the department may not issue a eomplimentaf)' 
lieense to a resident over 70 years of age. A eomplimentaf)' lieense issHed to a 
resident oyer 70 years of age prior to Januaf)' 1, 2006 is yalid as long as the lieense 
holder satisfies the resideney reqHirements set Olit in seetion 10001, sHbseetiofl 53. 
C. 
A eomplimentary lieeflse issued Hnder this sHbseetion remains yalid for the 
remainder of the life of the lieense holder, as long as the lieense holder eontinHes to 
satisfy the resideney requiremeflts set out in seetion 10001, subseetion 53 and the 
lieense is not reyoked or suspended. 
Sec.2. 12 MRSA §10853, sub-§I-B is enacted to read: 
I-B. Residents 65 years of age or older. A resident who is 65 years of age or older 
who has purchased a Maine hunting license for 10 years or more may apply to the 
commissioner for one or more of the following complimentary licenses or permits: a 
license to hunt with a firearm; an archery hunting license under section 11109, subsection 
7; a pheasant hunting permit under section 11156; a muzzle-loading hunting permit under 
section 11109, subsection 4; a migratory waterfowl permit under section 11157; a bear 
hunting permit under section 11151; an antlerless deer hunting permit under section 
11152; and a wild turkey hunting permit under section 11155. The commissioner shall 
issue the license or permit requested under this subsection if the commissioner determines 
that the applicant meets the requirements of this subsection and is not otherwise ineligible 
to hold that permit or license. 
A. 
A resident who applies for a complimentary license or permit under this 
subsection at any time during the calendar year of that resident's 65th birthday may 
be issued that license or permit regardless of the actual date during that calendar year 
Page I - 123LR0628(Ol)-1 
in which the resident attains 65 years of age. The application must be accompanied 
by a birth certificate or other certified evidence of the applicant's date of birth, proof 
of residency and satisfactory proof that the applicant has purchased a Maine hunting 
license for 10 years or more. 
B. Complimentary licenses and permits issued under this subsection remain valid for 
the remainder of the life of the license or permit holder as long as that person 
continues to satisfy the residency requirements set out in section 10001, subsection 
and the license or permit is not revoked or suspended. 
Sec. 3. 12 MRS A §10853, sub-§6-A is enacted to read: 
6-A. Veterans honorably discharged. An honorably discharged resident veteran 
who has purchased a Maine hunting license for 10 years or more may apply to the 
commissioner for one or more of the following complimentary licenses and permits: a 
license to hunt with a firearm; an archery hunting license under section 11109, subsection 
7; a pheasant hunting permit under section 11156; a muzzle-loading hunting permit under 
section 11109, subsection 4; a migratory waterfowl permit under section 11157; a bear 
hunting permit under section 11151; and a wild turkey hunting permit under section 
11155. The commissioner shall issue a license or permit requested under this subsection 
if the commissioner determines that the applicant meets the· requirements of this 
subsection and is not otherwise ineligible to hold that permit or license. 
A. Each application must be accompanied by satisfactory evidence that the applicant 
meets the requirements of this subsection. 
For the purposes of this subsection, 
"resident veteran" means a person who is a resident as defined in section 10001, 
subsection 53 and served in the United States Armed Forces. 
B. A permit or license issued under this subsection remains valid for the life of the 
permit or license holder as long as the permit or license holder continues to satisfy the 
residency requirement in section 10001, subsection 53 and the permit or license is not 
revoked or suspended. 
Sec. 4. 12 MRS A §11109, sub-§3, ~A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. III, §4, 
is further amended to read: 
A. 
A resident junior hunting license, for a person 10 years of age or older and under 
years of age, is $7. For a person under 16 years of age who is purchasing this 
license at the same time as that person's parent or legal guardian is purchasing 
another hunting license under this section, the fee is $5. 
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §11152, sub-§8 is enacted to read: 
8. Purchase of unallocated antlerless deer permits. An antlerless deer permit 
system adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section must include a provision 
that a person who applied for and is eligible to receive a permit under this section but did 
not receive a permit through the permit system may, if permits are available, purchase a 
permit that was not originally allocated through the permit system for that year. The fee 
for the permit is $100. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides complimentary hunting licenses and permits to residents 65 years 
of age or older and honorably discharged veterans if they have purchased a Maine 
hunting license for at least 10 years. It provides that a person who applied for but did not 
receive an antlerless deer permit through the lottery system may purchase an antlerless 
deer permit that was not otherwise allocated through the lottery system for a fee of $1 00. 
This bill also lowers the fee for a junior resident hunting license from $7 to $5 if a person 
under 16 years of age purchases the license at the same time that person's parent or 
guardian purchases a hunting license. It also removes antiquated language regarding 
complimentary licenses for residents over 70 years of age.