(a) A natural person is entitled to a registered guide-outfitter license if the person
(1) is 21 years of age or older;
(2) has practical field experience in the handling of firearms, hunting, judging trophies, field preparation of meat and trophies, first aid, photography, and related guiding and outfitting activities;
(3) either
(A) has passed the qualification examination prepared by the board under AS 08.54.600 ; or
(B) provides evidence of 25 years of experience as a class-A assistant guide or class-A assistant guide-outfitter;
(4) has passed a certification examination prepared by the board under AS 08.54.600 for at least one game management unit;
(5) has legally hunted big game in the state for part of each of any five years in a manner directly contributing to the person's experience and competency as a guide;
(6) has been licensed as and performed the services of a class-A assistant guide or assistant guide, or of a class-A assistant guide-outfitter or assistant guide-outfitter under former AS 08.54.300 - 08.54.590, in the state for a part of each of three years;
(7) is capable of performing the essential duties associated with guiding and outfitting;
(8) has been favorably recommended in writing by eight big game hunters whose recommendations have been solicited by the department from a list provided by the applicant, including at least two favorable recommendations for each year of any three years during which the person was a class-A assistant guide or assistant guide, or a class-A assistant guide-outfitter or assistant guide-outfitter under former AS 08.54.300 - 08.54.590;
(9) has provided proof of financial responsibility if required by the department under AS 08.54.680 ; and
(10) has applied for a registered guide-outfitter license on a form provided by the department and paid the license application fee and the registered guide-outfitter license fee.
(b) A master guide-outfitter license authorizes a registered guide-outfitter to use the title master guide-outfitter, but is for all other purposes under this chapter a registered guide-outfitter license. A natural person is entitled to receive a renewable master guide-outfitter license if the person
(1) is, at the time of application for a master guide-outfitter license, licensed as a registered guide-outfitter under this section;
(2) has been licensed in this state as a registered guide or a guide-outfitter, under former AS 08.54.010 - 08.54.240, former AS 08.54.300 - 08.54.590, or this chapter, for at least 12 of the last 15 years, including the year immediately preceding the year in which the person applies for a master guide-outfitter license;
(3) submits a list to the department of at least 25 clients for whom the person has personally provided guiding or outfitting services and the person receives a favorable evaluation from 10 of the clients selected from the list by the department; and
(4) applies for a master guide-outfitter license on a form provided by the department and pays the application fee, if any.
(c) A registered guide-outfitter may contract to guide or outfit hunts for big game and may provide transportation services, personally or through an assistant, to big game hunters who are clients of the registered guide-outfitter.
(d) A person who is licensed as a registered guide-outfitter may be employed by another registered guide-outfitter to perform the functions of a registered guide-outfitter or class-A assistant guide in the game management unit for which the person is certified under AS 08.54.600 or of an assistant guide in any game management unit.
(e) A registered guide-outfitter who contracts for a guided hunt shall be
(1) physically present in the field with the client at least once during the contracted hunt; and
(2) in the field and participating in the contracted hunt, unless the hunt is being conducted by a class-A assistant guide or a registered guide-outfitter employed by the contracting registered guide-outfitter.