SECTIONS 3049-3054 - California Statutes

FISH AND GAME CODE

SECTION 3049-3054

3049. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article
to ensure the health and safety of its citizens engaged in activities
requiring the use of hunting implements.
The Legislature finds and declares that individuals who engage in
hunting should possess an adequate understanding of hunter safety
practices, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship.
It is also the intent of the Legislature that persons so engaged
be mindful of their responsibilities to others, toward wildlife, and
toward their natural environment. The department shall take all steps
necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.

3050. (a) No hunting license may be issued to any person unless he
or she presents to the person authorized to issue that license any of
the following:
(1) Evidence that he or she has held a hunting license issued by
this state in a prior year.
(2) Evidence that he or she holds a current hunting license, or a
hunting license issued in either of the two previous hunting years by
another state or province.
(3) A certificate of completion of a course in hunter education,
principles of conservation, and sportsmanship, as provided in this
article. A hunter education instruction validation stamp shall be
permanently affixed to certificates of completion that have been
issued before January 1, 2008.
(4) A certificate of successful completion of a hunter education
course in another state or province.
(5) Evidence of completion of a course in hunter education,
principles of conservation, and sportsmanship, which the commission
may, by regulation, require.
(b) The evidence required in subdivision (a) shall be forwarded to
the department with the license agent's report of hunting license
sales as required pursuant to Section 1055.5.
(c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any person purchasing a
hunting license under paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section
3031. However, that license shall not qualify as evidence required in
subdivision (a) of this section.

3051. (a) The department shall provide for a course of instruction
in hunter education, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship,
and for this purpose may cooperate with any reputable association or
organization having as one of its objectives the promotion of hunter
safety, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship.
(b) The department may designate as a hunter education instructor
any person found by it to be competent to give instruction in the
courses required in this article. A person so appointed shall give
that course of instruction, and, upon completion thereof, shall issue
to the person instructed a certificate of completion as provided by
the department in hunter safety, principles of conservation, and
sportsmanship.
(c) The department shall prescribe a minimum level of skill and
knowledge to be required of all hunter education instructors, and may
limit the number of students per instructor in all required classes.
(d) The department may revoke the certificate of any instructor
when, in the opinion of the department, it is in the best interest of
the state to do so.
(e) (1) In order to recruit and retain hunter education
instructors, the department shall offer special hunting opportunities
to qualified hunter education instructors by providing a limited
number of existing tags and other hunting opportunities. The
department may provide these tags and hunting opportunities through
any of the following methods:
(A) The private lands management program described in Article 5
(commencing with Section 3400) of Chapter 2.
(B) The Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement
(SHARE) program described in Article 3 (commencing with Section 1570)
of Chapter 5 of Division 2.
(C) Entering into cooperative agreements with federal, state, and
local agencies that hold title to, or administer, lands or waters.
(D) Entering into cooperative agreements with landowners or
tenants seeking depredation permits for game mammals as described in
Section 4188.
(E) Authorizing a maximum of 15 tags from the annual tag quota, as
determined by the department.
(2) The department shall determine eligibility criteria for hunter
education instructors seeking hunting opportunities offered pursuant
to this subdivision. The department shall select hunter education
instructors who meet these criteria for opportunities pursuant to
this subdivision only by random drawing.
(f) The department may adopt regulations to implement this
section.

3052. No fee shall be charged for the instructor's service,
however, a fee to cover the cost of giving such instructions may be
charged each person participating and receiving such instructions. A
record of such expenses shall be kept for inspection by the
department. Such expenses may include, but not be limited to, such
items as range fees, ammunition and transportation of students.

3053. In the case of loss or destruction of a certificate, a
duplicate certificate may be issued by the instructor who issued the
original certificate, or, by an instructor of the sponsoring
organization having adequate records to establish successful
completion of the prescribed course, or by the department if verified
by adequate records to establish successful completion of the
prescribed course. An administrative fee of three dollars ($3) shall
be charged for the issuance of a duplicate certificate, for the
hunting license year commencing on July 1, 1990, and, for the
following years as adjusted pursuant to Section 713.

3054. The department shall furnish information on hunter safety,
principles of conservation, and sportsmanship that shall be
distributed free of charge to persons designated as hunter education
instructors for instructional purposes.