The Florida Senate

¹372.561  Recreational licenses, permits, and authorization numbers to take wild animal life, freshwater aquatic life, and marine life; issuance; costs; reporting.--

(1)  This section applies to all recreational licenses and permits and to any authorization numbers issued by the commission for the use of such recreational licenses or permits.

(2)  The commission shall establish forms for the issuance of recreational licenses and permits.

(3)  The commission shall issue a license, permit, or authorization number to take wild animal life, freshwater aquatic life, or marine life when an applicant provides proof that she or he is entitled to such license, permit, or authorization number. Each applicant for a recreational license, permit, or authorization number shall provide her or his social security number on the application form. Disclosure of social security numbers obtained through this requirement shall be limited to the purposes of administration of the Title IV-D program for child support enforcement, use by the commission, and as otherwise provided by law.

(4)  Licenses and permits to take wild animal life, freshwater aquatic life, or marine life may be sold by the commission, by any tax collector in the state, or by any subagent authorized under s. 372.574

(5)  In addition to any license or permit fee, the sum of $1.50 shall be charged for each license or management area permit to cover the cost of issuing such license or permit.

(6)(a)1.  For each type of hunting or freshwater fishing license sold and for each type of sportsman's license sold, a tax collector may retain $1.

2.  For each management area permit sold, a tax collector may retain $1.

3.  For each type of saltwater fishing tag or license sold, including combination saltwater fishing and freshwater fishing licenses, or combination saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, and hunting licenses, a tax collector may retain $1.50.

(b)  Tax collectors shall remit license and permit moneys, along with a report of funds collected and other required documentation, to the commission weekly.

(c)  Tax collectors shall maintain records of all licenses and permits sold, voided, stolen, or lost.

1.  The tax collector is responsible to the commission for the fees for all licenses and permits sold and for the value of all licenses and permits reported as lost.

2.  The tax collector shall report stolen licenses and permits to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

3.  The tax collector shall submit a written report and a copy of the law enforcement agency's report to the commission within 5 days after discovering a theft.

4.  The tax collector is responsible for the fees for all licenses and permits sold or lost by a subagent appointed pursuant to s. 372.574

(7)  The commission is authorized to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this section.

History.--s. 18, ch. 72-404; s. 2, ch. 85-235; s. 6, ch. 86-158; s. 2, ch. 87-261; s. 44, ch. 89-175; s. 11, ch. 90-243; s. 1, ch. 91-58; s. 3, ch. 91-78; s. 16, ch. 93-268; s. 574, ch. 95-148; s. 12, ch. 96-300; s. 15, ch. 98-397; s. 160, ch. 99-13; s. 36, ch. 2000-362; ss. 13, 14, ch. 2002-46.

¹Note.--Section 14, ch. 2002-46, amended s. 372.561, effective July 1, 2003, to read:

372.561  Recreational licenses, permits, and authorization numbers to take wild animal life, freshwater aquatic life, and marine life; issuance; costs; reporting.--

(1)  This section applies to all recreational licenses and permits and to any authorization numbers issued by the commission for the use of such recreational licenses or permits.

(2)  The commission shall establish forms for the issuance of recreational licenses and permits.

(3)  The commission shall issue a license, permit, or authorization number to take wild animal life, freshwater aquatic life, or marine life when an applicant provides proof that she or he is entitled to such license, permit, or authorization number. Each applicant for a recreational license, permit, or authorization number shall provide her or his social security number on the application form. Disclosure of social security numbers obtained through this requirement shall be limited to the purposes of administration of the Title IV-D program for child support enforcement, use by the commission, and as otherwise provided by law.

(4)  Licenses and permits to take wild animal life, freshwater aquatic life, or marine life may be sold by the commission, by any tax collector in the state, or by any subagent authorized under s. 372.574

(5)  In addition to any license or permit fee, the sum of $1.50 shall be charged for each license or management area permit, except for replacement licenses, to cover the cost of issuing such license or permit.

(6)(a)  The fee established pursuant to subsection (5) shall be distributed as follows:

1.  For each hunting license and freshwater fishing license sold by a tax collector, including the combination freshwater fishing and hunting license, the sportsman's license, and the gold sportsman's license, a tax collector may retain $1.00.

2.  For each management area permit sold by a tax collector, a tax collector may retain $1.00.

3.  For each saltwater fishing tag and saltwater fishing license sold by a tax collector, including the combination saltwater fishing and freshwater fishing license and the combination saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, and hunting license, a tax collector may retain $1.50.

4.  For licenses and management area permits sold by subagents, a tax collector may retain 50 cents for each license sold in the tax collector's county.

5.  Any and all remaining fees shall be deposited in the State Game Trust Fund and shall be used to support an automated license system and administration of the license program.

(b)  Tax collectors shall remit license and permit revenue to the commission weekly.

(7)(a)  The sum of $10 shall be charged for each replacement lifetime license and $2 for all other replacement licenses and permits. A tax collector may retain $1.00 for each replacement license.

(b)  Fees collected from the issuance of replacement licenses shall be deposited in the State Game Trust Fund.

(8)  The commission is authorized to adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement the provisions of this section.