The Florida Senate

372.7016  Voluntary Authorized Hunter Identification Program.--

(1)  There is created the "Voluntary Authorized Hunter Identification Program" to assist landowners and law enforcement officials in better controlling trespass and illegal or unauthorized hunting. Landowners wishing to participate in the program shall:

(a)  Annually notify the sheriff's office in the county in which the land is situated and the respective area supervisor of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission by letter of their desire to participate in the program, and provide a description of their property which they wish to have in the program by township, range, section, partial section, or other geographical description.

(b)  Provide a means of identifying authorized hunters as provided in subsection (2).

(2)  Any person hunting on private land enrolled in the Voluntary Authorized Hunter Identification Program shall have readily available on the land at all times when hunting on the property written authorization from the owner or his or her authorized representative to be on the land for the purpose of hunting. The written authorization shall be presented on demand to any law enforcement officer, the owner, or the authorized agent of the owner.

(a)  For purposes of this section, the term "hunting" means to be engaged in or reasonably equipped to engage in the pursuit or taking by any means of any animal described in s. 372.001(3) or (4), and the term "written authorization" means a card, letter, or other written instrument which shall include, but need not be limited to, the name of the person or entity owning the property, the name and signature of the person granting the authorization, a description by township, range, section, partial section, or other geographical description of the land to which the authorization applies, and a statement of the time period during which the authorization is valid.

(b)  Failure by any person hunting on private land enrolled in the program to present written authorization to hunt on said land to any law enforcement officer or the owner or representative thereof within 7 days of demand shall be prima facie evidence of violation of s. 810.09(2)(c), punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. However, such evidence may be contradicted or rebutted by other evidence.

History.--s. 2, ch. 97-201; s. 155, ch. 99-245.