reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-1. - Deer hunting prohibited except as provided.

§ 20-15-1. Deer hunting prohibited except as provided.
No person shall hunt, pursue, or shoot, or attempt to hunt, pursue, or shoot, deer in this state except as provided in this chapter. Deer hunting shall be limited to seasons, times, manner of taking, and bag limits established in regulations adopted by the director pursuant to § 20-1-12. The regulations shall be formulated to include the best methods to provide for the safety both of hunters and residents. In any event, the following prohibitions and restrictions shall always apply to deer hunting:
(1)(i)
No firearm deer hunting shall be done within five hundred feet (500′) of any building or dwelling house in use without the specific written permission of the owner or tenant of the dwelling.
(ii)
No archery deer hunting shall be done within two hundred feet (200′) of any building or dwelling house in use without the specific written permission of the owner or tenant of the dwelling unless otherwise established in regulations adopted by the director, or his or her designee, for the purpose of wildlife management;
(2)
Hunting shall only be permitted from one half (½) hour before sunrise to one half (½) hour after sunset;
(3)
No dog shall be employed in any deer-hunting activities;
(4)
No hunting shall be done on any privately owned land without the written permission of the owner of the land;
(5)
Only a shotgun, muzzle-loading rifle, or long bow (straight limb, reflex, recurve, and compound bow) or crossbow and arrow shall be utilized in deer hunting;
(6)
No person shall make, set, or use any trap or snare or salt lick or other device for the purpose of ensnaring, enticing, taking, injuring, or killing a deer;
(7)
No person shall individually, or in conjunction with others, use an artificial light at any time to illuminate, jacklight, locate, attempt to locate, or show up wild birds or mammals, or any other vertebrates, when that person, or persons, have in their actual possession, in the passenger compartment of their vehicle, or in the storage area of a truck or van, unless locked in a case, a crossbow, long bow (straight limb, reflex, recurve, and compound bow) rifle, gun, or pistol; and
(8)
Upon conviction of a violation of any provision of this section or the rules and regulations promulgated under this section and § 20-1-12, in addition to the penalties provided by § 20-1-16, any weapons, guns, lights, or other equipment used in killing or attempting to kill any deer shall be forfeited to the state.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1983, ch. 107, § 3; P.L. 1984, ch. 417, § 2; P.L. 1988, ch. 273, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 225, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 36, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 137, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-2. - Deer permits.

§ 20-15-2. Deer permits.
(a)
No person shall hunt deer within this state unless that person possesses a deer tag. Any resident or nonresident holder of a hunting license or combination license may obtain a shotgun, muzzle-loading rifle, or crossbow, or archery deer tag from the director. The deer permit shall be carried at all times by the person to whom it is issued while hunting for deer. Any person who takes a deer in this state shall immediately affix his or her tag portion of his or her deer permit to the carcass of the taken deer, and, within twenty-four (24) hours of the taking, convey the deer to an environmental police officer or other designee of the department, or to a deer-check station, if one is in operation at the time, for checking. Any dead deer found not having a tag attached to it identifying the owner shall be the property of the state and shall be seized by any environmental police officer who finds or locates the carcass, to be disposed of by direction of the director.
(b) Crossbow permits.
Crossbow permits may be issued by the department to those persons who have a permanent physical impairment due to injury or disease, congenital or acquired, that renders them so severely disabled as to be unable to use a conventional bow and arrow device. Said permits will be issued by the department only after the receipt of a physician’s statement confirming the applicant is impaired as referred to above. All permittees must have taken and successfully completed both hunter education and bow hunter education classes prior to the issuance of a permit.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1984, ch. 417, § 2; P.L. 2004, ch. 36, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 137, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-3. - Permit to landowner to protect property.

§ 20-15-3. Permit to landowner to protect property.
(a)
Any person owning or occupying any property, and any employee of that person, while on that person’s premises, may kill any deer found destroying any crops, vegetables, or fruit trees, or otherwise causing damage to that property; provided, however, that this person shall not kill any deer unless he or she has obtained a permit from the director to do so. The director, on application, may issue the permit to any responsible owner, or the owner’s employee, provided that no such permit shall be issued until the director has determined that actual damage has been done to crops, vegetables, fruit trees, or other property by any deer, and that no practical alternative to the shooting of the deer is available. This permit shall be issued on an annual basis at a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). Any person taking or wounding a deer under the permit shall report the taking or wounding to a conservation officer or other designee of the director within twenty-four (24) hours of the taking or wounding.
(b)
Hunting shall only be permitted from one half (½) hour before sunrise to one half (½) hour after sunset; provided that the director, subject to terms and conditions to be set forth by regulation, may authorize hunting at other times on farmlands; and further provided, that these farms have experienced severe deer damage to a cash crop or crops, and have attempted unsuccessfully other reasonable means of controlling the damage, including daylight hunting; and provided further, that the director determines whether these farmlands are of sufficient size to support night hunting without endangering the public safety. A night hunting permit may be issued by the director to any responsible owner, or the owner’s employee, provided that no such permit shall be issued until the director has determined that actual damage has been done to crops, vegetables, fruit trees, or other property by any deer, and that no practical alternative to the shooting of the deer is available. This permit shall be issued on an annual basis at a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
(c)
Under the authority of the director, the division of agriculture shall be responsible for administering the provisions of this section as they relate to farmers, and may also be responsible for administering this section as it relates to other landowners.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1997, ch. 260, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 274, § 2; P.L. 2002, ch. 44, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 595, art. 33, § 5.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-4. - Equipment used by archers.

§ 20-15-4. Equipment used by archers.
(a)
No person hunting, pursuing or taking deer by archery shall be equipped with equipment not authorized by regulations promulgated by the department and/or as authorized by subsection (b).
(b)
Possession of archery aid devices for deer hunting with special permit. Any person who has a permanent physical impairment due to injury or disease, congenital or acquired, that renders them so severely disabled as to be unable to use a conventional bow and arrow device, and/or who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older, may legally hunt deer using adaptive equipment and aids. Said permits will be issued by the department only after the receipt of a physician’s statement confirming the applicant is impaired as referred to above.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 2004, ch. 36, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 137, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-5. - Possession of unlawful weapons while hunting.

§ 20-15-5. Possession of unlawful weapons while hunting.
No person shall use, or have in his or her possession, while hunting for deer, pistols, guns, or other firearms, spear guns, crossbows, explosive points, poisonous or barbed points, or any other projectile, propelled by any means, capable of carrying or injecting any incapacitating drug or chemical; provided, however, that a duly licensed person may hunt for deer by shotgun, muzzle-loading rifle, long bow (straight limb, reflex, recurve, or compound bow) or crossbow. Possession of any deer showing evidence that it was taken with a prohibited device shall be a violation of this section. Upon conviction of a violation of any provision of this section, any weapons, guns, or ammunition shall be forfeited to the state.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1984, ch. 417, § 2; P.L. 2004, ch. 36, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 137, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-6. - Prohibition of hunting by local authorities.

§ 20-15-6. Prohibition of hunting by local authorities.
Any city or town council is authorized and empowered to prohibit hunting, possessing, or taking deer within the boundaries of the city or town by ordinance duly enacted.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-7. - Deer colliding with vehicles.

§ 20-15-7. Deer colliding with vehicles.
The owner of any vehicle that has been substantially damaged by collision with a deer shall, within twenty-four (24) hours after the collision, report the accident to a conservation officer. The officer shall investigate, and if he or she finds the damage has been done as alleged, the officer shall give a certificate to the person entitling the person to ownership of the deer carcass to be possessed and consumed only with the immediate family of the owner of the vehicle.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-8. - Report of killing or wounding.

§ 20-15-8. Report of killing or wounding.
Any person who wounds or kills a deer shall make a written report stating the facts relative to the wounding or killing, signed by him or her, to be sent or submitted within twenty-four (24) hours to the department.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-15 - Deer Hunting › Section 20-15-9. - Unlawful possession or sale of deer.

§ 20-15-9. Unlawful possession or sale of deer.
It shall be unlawful for any person to have in his or her possession any deer, or part of a deer, unless the deer has been taken legally under the provisions of this chapter, or has been imported legally from another state or country. It is unlawful for any person, at any time, to sell, or offer for sale, any deer, or part of a deer, excepting non-edible parts such as heads, hides, or skins, except as provided elsewhere in this title. Possession of each deer, or part of a deer, in violation of this section is considered a separate and distinct offense.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-1. - Furbearers protected.

§ 20-16-1. Furbearers protected.
(a)
No person shall hunt, pursue, shoot, or trap, or attempt so to do, the following furbearing mammals in this state, except in accordance with rules and regulations governing seasons, bag limits, and methods of taking adopted by the director pursuant to § 20-1-12.
(b)
For the purposes of this chapter, “furbearers” shall be considered to include:
(1)
Carnivores (Order
Carnivora
):
(i)
Family
Canidae,
genus
Canis
(coyote); genus
Urocyon
(gray fox); genus
Vulpes
(red fox).
(ii)
Family
Procyonidae,
genus
Procyon
(raccoon).
(iii)
Family
Mustelidae,
genus
Martes
(fisher); genus
Mustela, M. erminea
(ermine),
M. frenata
(longtailed weasel),
M. vison
(mink), genus
Mephitis
(striped skunk), genus
Lutra
(river otter).
(iv)
Family
Felidae,
genus
Lynx
(bobcat).
(2)
Rodents (Order
Rodentia
):
(i)
Family
Castoridae,
genus
Castor
(beaver).
(ii)
Family
Sciuridae,
genus
Sciurus
(gray squirrel).
(iii)
Family
Cricetidae,
genus
Ondatra
(muskrat).
(3)
Marsupials (Order
Marsupialia
): Family
Didelphidae,
genus
Didelphis
(opossum).
(4)
Rabbits and hares (Order
Lagomorpha
): Family
Leporidae,
genus
Sylvilagus
(Eastern and New England cottontail), genus
Lepus
(snowshoe hare).
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-2. - Landowners — Nuisance furbearers.

§ 20-16-2. Landowners — Nuisance furbearers.
Any person owning or leasing and operating any property, and any employee of that person, may, while on that person’s premises, kill and take a furbearer that is worrying, wounding, or killing the domestic animals or livestock on the property, or destroying or mutilating agricultural crops or fruit trees on the property; or otherwise causing clear-and-immediate economic damage to any property belonging to that person; or creating a potential health hazard; provided that, except in the case of rabbits, the carcass of the furbearer shall be presented to the department within twenty-four (24) hours of taking. The animal may then be possessed by the landowner or lessee for the use of the immediate family of the landowner or lessee, and shall not be sold or offered for sale, except by special permission of the director.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1994, ch. 248, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-3. - Possession of ferrets prohibited.

§ 20-16-3. Possession of ferrets prohibited.
No person shall own or have in his or her possession in this state a European ferret, nor shall any person use ferrets in hunting any game in this state. In addition to the penalties provided in § 20-1-16, any person violating the provisions of this section shall forfeit the ferret(s). The director may, upon application, give special permission for ownership and possession of a European ferret.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1983, ch. 107, § 4.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-4. - Raccoon hunting.

§ 20-16-4. Raccoon hunting.
Raccoons may be taken and possessed with the use of a gun, when the taker is accompanied by a dog. No person shall hunt raccoons at night by the use of rifle larger than a twenty-two (22) caliber rim fire long rifle or by the use of shotgun shells carrying shot larger than number four (no. 4) shot or by the use of a light other than a kerosene lantern, exclusive of the pressure type, or a flashlight with more than six (6) cells. No person shall take, or attempt to take, raccoons by use of a light from a motor vehicle.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-5. - Possession of live raccoons.

§ 20-16-5. Possession of live raccoons.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a person from keeping a live raccoon or raccoons for either breeding or other purposes while having in his or her possession a permit or license issued by the department to do so.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-6. - Prohibited methods of taking.

§ 20-16-6. Prohibited methods of taking.
No person shall erect, set, repair, maintain, or tend any snare, or spread any poison, for the purpose of catching or killing any animal, except within buildings located on land owned or occupied by him or her, unless specifically allowed by regulations adopted under § 20-1-12.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-7. - License required for trapping — Marking of traps.

§ 20-16-7. License required for trapping — Marking of traps.
No person shall set, maintain, or tend any trap for the purpose of taking, killing, or destroying any furbearing animal without first obtaining a trapping license from the department of environmental management; provided, however, that a resident of this state, or a member of the resident’s immediate family, may set traps without a license on land owned or leased by him or her and on which he or she is actually domiciled. The trapping license shall have the name of the licensee contained thereon, and every trap set by a licensee shall carry upon it a license identification, insignia, or number in any design, size, and form that the director shall designate. No license shall be issued to any nonresident from a state that does not afford to Rhode Island residents trapping privileges.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-8. - Trapping — Steel jawed leghold traps.

§ 20-16-8. Trapping — Steel jawed leghold traps.
(a)
No person shall use, set, place, or maintain or tend any steel-jawed, leghold trap to capture any furbearing mammal or other animal; provided, however, that any person may apply in writing to the director of the department of environmental management for a special permit to use a steel-jawed, leghold trap to be used on his or her property when there exists on his or her property an animal nuisance that cannot be reasonably abated except by the use of the trap.
(b)
If the director determines that this nuisance exists on the property of the applicant that cannot be reasonably abated by means not prohibited by this section, the director may then issue a permit to the applicant, for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days, to use, set, place, maintain, or tend any steel-jawed, leghold traps that the director may deem necessary to eliminate the nuisance.
(c)
Any person violating this section shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) or be imprisoned not exceeding one year, or both, and his or her trapping license and privilege to trap shall be revoked for one year from the date of conviction.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-9. - Setting of traps.

§ 20-16-9. Setting of traps.
No trap shall be set by any person on the enclosed land of another without the written permission of the owner of the land. Every trap shall be placed in a hole, brush pile, stone wall, or other protected place, so situated as to be inaccessible to any domestic animal. No person setting a trap, or traps, shall fail to visit the traps at least once every twenty-four (24) hours. No traps shall be set, staked, or placed where furbearing animals might be found before the opening day and time of the trapping season established pursuant to § 20-1-12; all traps shall be removed by the last day of the season.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-10. - Green pelt as evidence of unlawful taking.

§ 20-16-10. Green pelt as evidence of unlawful taking.
The possession of a green pelt, or any part of a pelt, by any person, except during the open season for the animal and for ten (10) days thereafter, shall be prima facie evidence that the pelt, or part of a pelt, was unlawfully taken and possessed. For the purposes of this section a “green pelt” is defined to mean a pelt that is not dried, cured, or tanned.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-11. - Disturbing traps of another.

§ 20-16-11. Disturbing traps of another.
No person shall disturb, tend, or possess a trap of another, or take a furbearing animal from the traps of another, unless specifically authorized to do so by the owner.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-12. - Report of animals trapped.

§ 20-16-12. Report of animals trapped.
Every holder of a trapping license shall make a report of the number and species of all furbearing animals taken by him or her on forms provided by the department within thirty (30) days of the end of the trapping season and before the expiration of the holder’s license. No renewal of a trapping license shall be granted unless the report has been made.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-13. - Deprivation of trapping privileges on second conviction.

§ 20-16-13. Deprivation of trapping privileges on second conviction.
Any person convicted a second time of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall, in addition to the penalties elsewhere prescribed, be deprived of the privilege of trapping for furbearing animals within this state for three (3) years thereafter under a penalty of thirty (30) days imprisonment for each offense.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-14. - Repealed.

§ 20-16-14. Repealed.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; Repealed by P.L. 2015, ch. 141, art. 20, § 17, effective June 30, 2015.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-15. - Repealed.

§ 20-16-15. Repealed.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; Repealed by P.L. 2015, ch. 141, art. 20, § 17, effective June 30, 2015.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-16. - Digging or smoking out animals — Use of probes.

§ 20-16-16. Digging or smoking out animals — Use of probes.
No person or persons shall remove, or attempt to remove, a live muskrat, raccoon, mink, otter, skunk, or fox from any hole in the ground, from any stone wall, from within any ledge or from under any stone, from any den or house, or from any hole in any log or tree by digging or smoking, or by probing with any wooden, metal, or other device. No person shall set a trap within eight feet (8′) from a muskrat house. The provision of this section may be waived by the director on application by a landowner seeking to protect his or her property from nuisance furbearers.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-17. - Prohibition against hunting or killing otter.

§ 20-16-17. Prohibition against hunting or killing otter.
No person shall hunt, trap, take, or kill an otter in this state. Any person violating the provision of this section shall be guilty of a civil violation and be subject to a fine of one hundred dollars ($100) for each offense. Jurisdiction over violations of this section shall be with the traffic tribunal.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 2007, ch. 253, § 5; P.L. 2007, ch. 294, § 5.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-16 - Furbearing Animals › Section 20-16-18. - Unlawful possession or sale of furbearers.

§ 20-16-18. Unlawful possession or sale of furbearers.
It is unlawful for any person to have in his or her possession any furbearer, or any part of a furbearer, unless it has been legally taken under the provisions of this chapter or chapter 17 of this title, or shall have been legally imported from another state or country. It is unlawful for any person at any time to sell, or offer for sale, any cottontail rabbit, varying hare, or gray squirrel, or any part thereof, excepting inedible parts such as heads, feet, hides, skins, or tails.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-1. - Propagation and raising of game birds and animals.

§ 20-17-1. Propagation and raising of game birds and animals.
Any person holding a game propagation permit may engage in the rearing within an enclosure of any wild birds, game quadrupeds, or domestic game, to be disposed of for purposes of propagation under any rules and regulations as shall be made, from time to time, by the director, or, in the case of domestic game, for liberation at field trials or upon game preserves. Artificially propagated domestic game shall be tagged for identification with tags or seals supplied, at cost, to the permittee by the department, before being disposed of by the permittee. Game so tagged may be had in possession, transported, bought, and sold at any season of the year.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-2. - Sale of artificially propagated game.

§ 20-17-2. Sale of artificially propagated game.
(a)
No person shall engage in the commercial raising or selling of wild birds, game quadrupeds, or domestic game birds unless that person possesses a commercial game propagation license issued by the department.
(b)
Game raised under the license may be bought, sold, and had in possession, live, at any season of the year for purposes of propagation.
(c)
Carcasses of artificially propagated game may be sold only by a person who holds, in addition to a commercial propagation license, a license issued by the department authorizing the sale of game carcasses. All game carcasses sold under the license must have attached to the game carcass a tag or seal provided to the licensee by the department, at cost, which tag or seal shall remain intact until the game is used.
(d)
The director may, from time to time, issue any rules and regulations that he or she deems necessary to control the operation of the business of propagation, raising, and sale of game.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-3. - Records of game sales.

§ 20-17-3. Records of game sales.
All persons selling artificially propagated or reared game and domestic game birds shall keep accurate records of the sales that shall be available for inspection by agents of the department upon request.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-4. - Counterfeiting or misuse of tags or seals.

§ 20-17-4. Counterfeiting or misuse of tags or seals.
No person shall counterfeit any tag or seal issued by the department in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, and no tag or seal issued shall be affixed to the carcass of any game other than domestic game.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-5. - Labeling of domestic game birds and animals for shipment by common carrier.

§ 20-17-5. Labeling of domestic game birds and animals for shipment by common carrier.
Common carriers may receive and transport at any time carcasses of domestic game birds and animals tagged as provided in §§ 20-17-1 and 20-17-2, but to every package containing the carcasses shall be affixed a tag or label upon which shall be plainly printed or written the name, address, and number of the license of the person to whom the license was issued; the name or names of the person or persons to whom the package is to be transported; the number and kind of carcasses contained in the package; and the signed statement that the package contains domestic game.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1989, ch. 542, § 34.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-6. - Retail sale of game birds and animals.

§ 20-17-6. Retail sale of game birds and animals.
Any keeper of a hotel, a restaurant, a boarding house, and club or a retail dealer in meat may sell domestic game birds and animals, properly tagged or sealed as provided in §§ 20-17-1 and 20-17-2, to a patron or customer for actual consumption and no license for the sale shall be required of the person, keeper, dealer, or club.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1989, ch. 542, § 34.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-7. - License for importation of frozen game birds and animals.

§ 20-17-7. License for importation of frozen game birds and animals.
No person, firm, corporation, or agent thereof shall import any frozen game from outside the state without having first obtained a license to do so from the director and the proper number of tags for each carcass to be imported and sold; provided, that any frozen game taken under a nonresident license in another state, and so identified with the hunter’s name, address, state in which taken, and nonresident license number may be imported into Rhode Island without additional permits.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-8. - Revocation of license.

§ 20-17-8. Revocation of license.
Any license or permit granted by the director, as provided in this chapter, may be by him or her revoked, for cause, at any time, and if any person to whom the license or permit has been issued shall be convicted of a violation of the conservation law in relation to fish and game, the director may not only revoke the license or permit of that person but thereafter no similar license or permit shall be issued to that person for a period of three (3) years.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-9. - Importation of live fish and game.

§ 20-17-9. Importation of live fish and game.
The director may, by regulation, prohibit or otherwise regulate the importation of any live fish, birds, or animals from any other state, or from a foreign country, that is not regulated by the department of health under chapter 18 of title 4.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-10. - Possession by dealers or restaurants of wildlife not authorized for sale.

§ 20-17-10. Possession by dealers or restaurants of wildlife not authorized for sale.
No person, firm, corporation, or association dealing in poultry, meats, fish, groceries, or other provision, or any other business that requires, or has, an ice box or cold storage or freezing vault, of any description, for use in connection with his or her, their or its business, and no hotel, club, public house, restaurant, or victualer’s house shall purchase or possess any bird or animal, the sale of which is prohibited, without first obtaining a permit from the director.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-17 - Artificial Propagation of Game › Section 20-17-11. - Forfeiture of unlawfully possessed animals.

§ 20-17-11. Forfeiture of unlawfully possessed animals.
All wild birds and wild animals seized under the provision of this title, that were taken, possessed, or kept in violation of the law, shall be forfeited to the state in the manner provided by law, and disposed of by the director at his or her discretion.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-18 - Wildlife Management Areas › Section 20-18-1. - Acquisition or control of land for protecting wildlife.

§ 20-18-1. Acquisition or control of land for protecting wildlife.
The director may, in the name and for the use of the state, and subject to the approval of the state properties committee, acquire by gift, lease, purchase, or easement, land within the state for the purpose of protecting, conserving, cultivating, or propagating any species of wildlife, plant, or animal. The director may, with the consent of the owner of the land, control any land suitable with character and situation for those purposes. Any land so acquired or controlled by the department of environmental management shall be posted conspicuously and designated as a state park or management area.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-18 - Wildlife Management Areas › Section 20-18-2. - Hunting on land leased or controlled by the department.

§ 20-18-2. Hunting on land leased or controlled by the department.
It is unlawful for any person at any time to hunt, trap, pursue, take, or kill, or attempt so to do, or in any manner molest or destroy, any wild bird, or the nest or eggs of wild birds, or any wild animal, on land leased or controlled by the department under the authority of § 20-18-1, except that the director may, in his or her discretion, and with any limitations the director may deem advisable, authorize, in writing, any deputy and/or the owner or occupant of the land, to hunt, pursue, take, or kill any wild bird or animal detrimental to its species or other species, to agriculture or other plant life, or to humans. This authority is revocable at the pleasure of the director.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-18 - Wildlife Management Areas › Section 20-18-3. - Hunting on public lands.

§ 20-18-3. Hunting on public lands.
It is unlawful for any person to hunt, trap, pursue, take, or kill, or attempt so to do, or in any manner molest or destroy, any wild birds, or the nests or eggs of wild birds, or any wild animal, within the exterior boundaries of any state management area, or park, or land held by any entity in trust for public use, except that the authorities or persons having the control and charge of the lands may in their discretion, with limitations they may deem advisable, and consistent with the laws and rules and regulations of the state relating to seasons, bag and size limits, and manner of taking, authorize persons to hunt, take, or kill within the boundaries any wild birds or animals that are not now protected by law. Authorization is given by written permit, and the permit is revocable at the pleasure of the authorities or persons granting it. The provisions of this section may be enforced by the officials and persons having charge of these lands, and by environmental police officers of the department of environmental management.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 2017, ch. 79, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 94, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-18.1 - Nongame Wildlife Fund › Section 20-18.1-1. - Declaration of intent.

§ 20-18.1-1. Declaration of intent.
Whereas the state of Rhode Island recognizes that a diversified, stable, clean, and aesthetically satisfying natural environment is essential to the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Rhode Island; and
Whereas such an environment contributes significantly to economic and social development and progress and is also of high value for educational, scientific, recreational, and other purposes; and
Whereas it is further recognized that the continued existence of this natural environment within Rhode Island is dependent upon the maintenance of a high order of diversity of life forms within that environment and is equally dependent upon the maintenance of sufficient and suitable natural habitat in which a diverse fauna and flora can reproduce, find food, shelter, and clean soil, water, and air and carry out those functions essential to sustain their existences; and
Whereas it is recognized that in addition to appropriate habitat, diversity and numbers of species and individuals in native faunal and floral populations is the key to maintaining a healthy, stable, and productive natural environment within which the citizens of Rhode Island can function; and
Whereas it is acknowledged that Rhode Island has a distinctive natural community of living things worthy of protection for its own sake and for the use and benefits of its people; and
Whereas it is further recognized that the existence of many individual species of animals and plants within Rhode Island has been, and may continue to be, threatened by the intentional and unintentional activities of humans in the course of their daily affairs:
It is hereby declared to be the intent of the state of Rhode Island, to provide a means by which “nongame wildlife” research and management may be financed through a voluntary checkoff of a portion of an income tax refund owed to a taxpayer by the state. It is also intended that funds generated by the checkoff be supplemental to any funds that would otherwise be available for the above purposes, and that the funds be used only for “nongame wildlife” research and management.
History of Section.
P.L. 1986, ch. 437, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-18.1 - Nongame Wildlife Fund › Section 20-18.1-2. - Definitions.

§ 20-18.1-2. Definitions.
As used in this chapter the following terms shall, where the context permits, be construed as follows:
(1)
“Director” means the director of the department of environmental management, or any subordinate, or subordinates, to whom the director has delegated the powers and duties vested in him or her by this chapter.
(2)
“Nongame wildlife” means, generally, any member of the animal kingdom that is a species that is neither harvested or domesticated by humans in Rhode Island. It also means any member of the plant kingdom that grows in this state in a wild or unmanaged situation without cultivation, fertilization, or other agricultural practice required to sustain it. The director, in addition to his or her other powers, has the power to promulgate lists of the names of specific animals and plants that are excluded from the category of nongame wildlife, in accordance with these criteria.
History of Section.
P.L. 1986, ch. 437, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-18.1 - Nongame Wildlife Fund › Section 20-18.1-3. - Nongame wildlife — Uses of the fund.

§ 20-18.1-3. Nongame wildlife — Uses of the fund.
(a)
Sums collected as a result of the taxpayer checkoff as provided for in § 44-30-2.2 shall be deposited as general revenues. The director is authorized to accept any grant, devise, bequest, donation, gift, or assignment of money, bonds, or other valuable securities for deposit as general revenues.
(b)
The moneys appropriated under this chapter are to be used solely to research, manage, protect, inventory, and establish a body of ecological information pertaining to nongame wildlife species. When appropriate, these uses may include habitat acquisition; educational programs; personnel needs; enforcement of laws pertaining specifically to nongame wildlife; planning, writing, and implementation of management programs; utilization of funds from other sources; and cooperation with other public and private programs with similar or parallel objectives. The moneys shall not be used for animal control programs, nor for any program or activity related directly to game or domestic animals.
(c)
Moneys deposited may be carried over from one fiscal year to the next.
History of Section.
P.L. 1986, ch. 437, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 370, art. 40, § 55.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-19 - Field Trials and Shooting Preserves › Section 20-19-1. - Field trials.

§ 20-19-1. Field trials.
No person shall conduct a field trial, at which domestic game birds may be taken by shooting, within this state, unless a license has been obtained from the director.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1992, ch. 27, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-19 - Field Trials and Shooting Preserves › Section 20-19-2. - Shooting preserves.

§ 20-19-2. Shooting preserves.
No person shall operate a shooting preserve unless a license has been obtained from the director. Domestic game birds may be released and taken by shooting at shooting preserves. The following requirements must be followed in shooting preserves:
(1)
The shooting area is a single body of land not less than one hundred twenty (120) acres in size, and is accurately described in the application;
(2)
The licensee shall keep an accurate record of all domestic game held by him or her, how, when, and where acquired, how many released and when released, how many taken on the area, by whom, and when, and shall provide this information to the department when required;
(3)
The licensee shall attach to each domestic game bird killed on the area a band furnished by the department for which the licensee shall pay the cost of purchase or manufacture;
(4)
Domestic game birds taken on a shooting preserve may be possessed and transported in any number but only when bearing the prescribed band; and
(5)
Every person hunting or taking domestic game birds on a shooting preserve has a valid Rhode Island hunting license or a special license permitting the taking of domestic game on shooting preserves only.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3; P.L. 1992, ch. 27, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-19 - Field Trials and Shooting Preserves › Section 20-19-3. - Use of domestic game birds.

§ 20-19-3. Use of domestic game birds.
Only domestic game birds may be utilized by persons conducting a field trial or operating a shooting preserve subject to the provisions of this chapter.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-19 - Field Trials and Shooting Preserves › Section 20-19-4. - Laws inapplicable to field trials and shooting preserves.

§ 20-19-4. Laws inapplicable to field trials and shooting preserves.
The provisions of § 4-1-5 and chapter 13 of this title shall not be construed to apply to shooting preserves; to field trials upon liberated, domestic game birds; or to the possession, releasing, or shooting of liberated domestic game birds at field trials or upon shooting preserves licensed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
History of Section.
P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 3.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-23 - Reciprocal Enforcement of Fishing Laws › Section 20-23-1. - Repealed.

§ 20-23-1. Repealed.
History of Section.
P.L. 1945, ch. 1611, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 20-23-1; Repealed by P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 2, effective January 1, 1982.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-36 - Preservation of Marine Fisheries Resources › Section 20-36-1. - Repealed.

§ 20-36-1. Repealed.
History of Section.
P.L. 1972, ch. 64, § 1; Repealed by P.L. 1981, ch. 197, § 2, effective January 1, 1982. For provisions relating to the marine fisheries council, see § 20-3-1 et seq.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-37 - Endangered Species of Animals and Plants › Section 20-37-1. - Statement of policy.

§ 20-37-1. Statement of policy.
It is the policy of this state to contribute to the maintenance of a high-quality environment within the state and elsewhere for the benefit of the safety, health, and welfare of its citizens by forbidding the importation, sale, offering for sale, transportation, storage, traffic, ownership, or other possession or use of any dead or live animal or plant or any part of the skin, other tissues, or body, whether raw, manufactured, processed, or preserved, of any species of animal or plant considered by the United States Secretaries of the Interior or Commerce to be under the provisions of the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 26, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 173, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-37 - Endangered Species of Animals and Plants › Section 20-37-2. - Definitions.

§ 20-37-2. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1)
“Animal” and “plant” means any living or dead organism, or organisms, other than bacteria, or viruses or any part of such organism regardless of its age, condition, location, or proximity to other parts or tissues of the same or similar organisms;
(2)
“Director” means the director of the Rhode Island department of environmental management;
(3)
“Endangered species” means any animal or plant so declared by the United States Secretaries of the Interior or Commerce under the provisions of the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq., or any animal or plant so declared by the director of the Rhode Island department of environmental management pursuant to chapter 34 of title 42; and
(4)
“Person” means any individual, firm, company, corporation, business, manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, warehouse operator, transporter, importer, exporter, state or municipal agency, club, or any other group, organization, or individual.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 26, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 173, § 1; P.L. 1980, ch. 218, § 1.
2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 20 - Fish and Wildlife › Chapter 20-37 - Endangered Species of Animals and Plants › Section 20-37-3. - Special permit.

§ 20-37-3. Special permit.
No person shall buy, sell, offer for sale, store, transport, import, export, or otherwise traffic in any animal or plant, or any part of any animal or plant, whether living, dead, processed, manufactured, preserved, or raw if the animal or plant has been declared to be an endangered species by either the United States Secretaries of the Interior or Commerce or the director of the Rhode Island department of environmental management. The only exception to these prohibitions shall be for purposes of scientific research or educational display either of which must be done by or under the formal supervision of a legitimate college or university and then only upon the issuance of a special permit for each individual excepted species. The permit may be issued by the director of environmental management. The permit will be denied by the director if, in his or her opinion, issuance of the permit would not be entirely justified or entirely in the best interests of preservation and protection of the species involved. Under no circumstances will a permit be granted for exception if commercial considerations are involved in any way.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 26, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 173, § 1.