How much is a lifetime hunting and fishing license in louisiana

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says they have received a large volume of calls regarding the future of their lifetime licenses in the wake of the recent legislative session.

Act 356-HB 691, recently signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, does not eliminate all lifetime licenses from the agency, according to the LDWF.

The LDWF says it instead will consolidate lifetime licenses into three types:

• Resident (including youth 17 and under) – $500
• Resident Lifetime Senior (65 and older) – $100
• Non-Resident Lifetime – $4,000

The new lifetime licenses will streamline and consolidate the old lifetime license structure and will include recreational hunting, fishing, and gear privileges, and the new licenses will go on sale June 1, 2022, according to the LDWF.

The current individual lifetime licenses (e.g. Resident Lifetime Fishing Only [$300] and Resident Lifetime Hunting Only [$300]) that are available through the current license structure will no longer be offered after May 31, 2022.

All current lifetime license holders will keep their existing privileges and they will not be converted into one of the new licenses, according to the LDWF.

For more on the new license structures for hunters, anglers and commercial fishermen, click HERE.

Copyright 2021 KPLC. All rights reserved.

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is implementing a new fee structure for hunting and fishing licenses starting Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

One change that some seem to like is a license will now be valid for 365 days from the date of purchase instead of a July 1 - June 30 timeframe.

However, a change that many people aren’t happy about involves lifetime licenses. Officials said the resident lifetime fishing only ($300) and resident lifetime hunting only ($300) licenses will no longer be available. The new licenses will now cost $500 but will be a combo license for both hunting and fishing, officials added.

LDWF explained those who already have a lifetime fishing license will keep all of their privileges and gain the gear privileges associated with the recreational freshwater license and the recreational saltwater license but the license will not be converted into a hunting/fishing combo license. Those who have a resident lifetime hunting license will also keep their existing privileges but it won’t be converted into a hunting/fishing combo license, according to officials.

CLICK HERE for full details. Continue reading for key changes going into effect.

A few of the key recreational hunting and fishing license changes that will take effect on June 1 are below:

1. Simplified Fishing Gear Fees:
   1. Residential Basic Freshwater Fishing Licenses will include all legal means/gear for catching freshwater species (e.g., hoop nets, seines, slat traps, trammel nets, cast nets with a radius smaller than 8′, 6″, wire nets, pipes, buckets, drums, tires, cans, crawfish traps, crawfish nets)
   2. Residential Saltwater Fishing Licenses will include all legal means/gear for catching saltwater species (e.g., crab traps [up to 10], shrimp trawl up 25 feet, oyster tong)
2. 365-Day Licenses: Recreational licenses purchased on or after June 1, 2022, will be valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. These licenses will no longer follow the July 1-June 30 year.
3. Automatic License Renewal: LDWF is excited to offer an auto-renew option for online license sales. This will allow individuals to store their payment information in the system and elect to have their license(s) renewed automatically every year.
4. Youth Hunting License and Tags: As of June 1, youths (ages 17 and younger) who are actively harvesting deer or turkey, participating in a lottery hunt or trapping are required to have a Youth Hunting license (or a lifetime license). Youths who are spectating (not actively hunting) – or who are hunting game animals besides deer or turkey – are not required to have a license.
5. Deer Hunting License: The Big Game License will no longer exist under the new, consolidated fee structure. Rather, deer hunters will need to obtain a Deer License (in addition to the Basic Hunting License.) The new “Deer License” will include archery and primitive privileges, as well as tags
6. Turkey Hunting License: Previously, a hunter needed to obtain all of the following licenses in order to hunt wild turkey: Basic Hunting, Big Game, and a Louisiana Wild Turkey License. Under the new, consolidated fee structure, the Big Game license will no longer exist. Turkey hunters will only be required to obtain a Basic Hunting License and a Turkey License (includes tags).
7. WMA Access Permit: As of June 1, you will need a permit to visit an LDWF Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for any reason – boating, hiking, bird watching, berry picking, fishing or hunting. The fee for a WMA access permit, which grants access to the 1.5-million acres of land managed by LDWF, is $20/annual (resident/nonresident) or a $5/day (resident/nonresident). All funds generated from the permit fees will be dedicated to managing the WMAs. Youths 17 and under are not required to have a WMA access permit. The Sportsman Paradise license and Lifetime licenses include the WMA access permit.
8. WMA Camping Permit: As of June 1, staying overnight on a designated WMA campground will require a camping permit (in addition to the access permit). The camping permit is $7/night for up to five adults who are camping together and must be displayed at the party’s campsite. All funds generated from the permit fees will be dedicated to managing the WMAs. Youths 17 and under are not required to have a camping permit. A campsite is defined as any tent, RV, camper, vehicle or site occupied within a campground or vessel/houseboat moored adjacent to a campground.
9. Disabled Veterans License: As of June 1, a Disabled Veterans combo license fee will be $4. However, this fee will be covered by donations made to the program through the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation.

CLICK HERE for full details.

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