§ 113-272.4.  Collection licenses.

(a) In the interest of the orderly and efficient conservation of wildlife resources, the Wildlife Resources Commission may provide for the licensing of individuals to take any of the wildlife resources of the State under a collection license that may serve in lieu of any other license required in this Article. This license authorizes incidental transportation and possession of the wildlife resources necessary to implement the authorized purposes of the taking, but the Wildlife Resources Commission in its discretion may additionally impose permit requirements under subsection (d) below and G.S. 113-274.

(b) The Wildlife Resources Commission may delegate to the Executive Director the authority to impose time limits during which the license is valid and restrictions as to what may be taken and method of taking and possession, in the interests of conservation objectives. Methods of taking under a collection license need not be restricted to those applicable to ordinary hunting, trapping, or fishing, but the licensee shall observe the restrictions as to taking, transportation, and possession imposed by the Executive Director upon the granting of the license.

(c) When a more limited duration period is not set by the Executive Director, collection licenses are valid from January 1 through December 31 in any year. This license is issued upon payment of ten dollars ($10.00). The Wildlife Resources Commission may adopt rules to utilize replacement costs of wildlife resources to offset the impact of collection or possession activities.

(d) As necessary, the Executive Director may administratively impose on licensees under this section restrictions upon individuals taking, transporting, or possessing under the license which will permit ready identification and control of those involved in the interest of efficient administration of laws pertaining to wildlife resources. Restrictions may include requirements as to record keeping, tagging, marking packages, cages, or containers and exhibition of additional limited-purpose and limited-time permits that may be issued without charge to cover particular activities and other actions that may be administratively required in the reasonable implementation of the objectives of this Subchapter.

(e) If the Executive Director deems it administratively appropriate and convenient to do so, in the interests of simplifying the administration of licensing requirements, the Executive Director may grant particular licensees under this section the privilege of utilizing assistants in taking, transporting, or possessing wildlife resources who themselves are not licensed. Any assistants so taking, transporting, or possessing wildlife resources shall have readily available for inspection a written authorization from the licensee to engage in the activity in question. The written authorization shall contain information administratively required by the Executive Director, and a copy of the authorization must be submitted to the Wildlife Resources Commission before any assistant acts under the authorization. The Executive Director may refuse to issue, refuse to renew, or revoke the privilege conferred in this subsection. If this is done, each individual engaged in taking, transporting, or possessing wildlife resources under this section shall meet all applicable licensing and permit requirements. (1979, c. 830, s. 1; 1987, c. 827, s. 98; 2019-204, s. 6(j).)