Section 23-2-101 - Fees; restrictions; nonresident application fee; nonresident licenses; verification of residency required; donation of refunded application fees(a) Any qualified person may purchase a hunting license from the department or its authorized selling agents except as otherwise provided. Purchase of a license entitles the licensee to take any animal, bird or fish provided on the license within Wyoming at the time, in a place, in a manner and in an amount as provided by law and the orders of the commission. At the time of application for a resident license under this section, the applicant shall provide a valid Wyoming driver's license or a copy thereof, or other proof of residency. The commission shall promulgate reasonable rules and regulations stating what proof of residency is required so that only bona fide Wyoming residents, as defined in W.S. 23-1-102(a)(ix), receive resident licenses. For purposes of purchasing a lifetime resident license under subsection (j) of this section, an applicant shall have been a resident as defined in W.S. 23-1-102(a)(ix) continuously for a ten (10) year period immediately preceding the application date.(b) Repealed by Laws 1999, ch. 92, § 2.(c) The resident's or nonresident's license must bear the signature of the landowner, lessee, or agent of the owner on whose private property he is hunting or the legitimate proof as evidence that permission to hunt has been granted.(d) The commission may issue big or trophy game licenses in areas in which all licenses initially authorized were not purchased or in which additional harvest is desired, allowing a licensee to take a big or trophy game animal of such sex or age as designated by the commission. The fee for the license may be reduced by the commission to the level necessary to achieve the desired management objectives, but in no case shall a resident or nonresident license fee be less than the landowner's coupon fee.(e) Resident and nonresident license applicants shall pay an application fee in an amount specified by this subsection upon submission of an application for purchase of any limited quota drawing for big or trophy game license or wild bison license. The resident application fee shall be five dollars ($5.00) and the nonresident application fee shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00). The application fee is in addition to the fees prescribed by subsections (f) and (j) of this section and by W.S. 23-2-107 and shall be payable to the department either directly or through an authorized selling agent of the department. At the beginning of each month, the commission shall set aside all of the fees collected during calendar year 1980 and not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the fees collected thereafter pursuant to this subsection to establish and maintain a working balance of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00), to compensate owners or lessees of property damaged by game animals and game birds.(f) Forty percent (40%) of available nonresident elk licenses, forty percent (40%) of available nonresident deer licenses and forty percent (40%) of available nonresident antelope licenses for any one (1) calendar year shall as established by the commission, be offered to nonresident applicants upon receipt of the fee prescribed by this subsection. Seventy-five (75) of the nonresident deer licenses set aside pursuant to this subsection shall be used for a national bow hunt for deer. The licenses authorized by this subsection shall be offered by drawing to nonresident applicants prior to the drawing for the remaining nonresident licenses issued. The licenses offered under this subsection shall be issued in a manner prescribed by rules and regulations promulgated by the commission. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit any unsuccessful applicant for a nonresident license pursuant to this subsection from submitting an application for any licenses remaining after the drawing during the calendar year in which the application under this subsection was submitted. The following fees shall be collected by the department and are in addition to the nonresident license fee for the appropriate big game species imposed under subsection (j) of this section and the application fee imposed under subsection (e) of this section: (i) Nonresident elk license...... $1,258.00 in addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xix) of this section;(ii) Nonresident deer license.... $826.00 in addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xv) of this section;(iii) Nonresident antelope license..... $874.00 in addition to the license fee imposed under paragraph (j)(xxxi) of this section.(g) In promulgating rules and regulations for the taking of bighorn sheep and moose, the commission shall not discriminate between residents and nonresidents regarding the maturity and horn size of the animals which may be taken. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting the commission from issuing a different number of licenses for residents and nonresidents, from requiring a preference point fee from nonresidents only pursuant to subsection (m) of this section or from issuing reduced price ewe and lamb bighorn sheep licenses as provided in subsection (d) of this section.(h) In addition to other fees under this section, persons applying for a license or tag under this section may pay a voluntary fee of two dollars ($2.00) or any greater amount to fund search and rescue activities in the state. The department shall provide information on the license or tag application form that the applicant may pay the fee under this subsection. Any voluntary fees collected under this subsection shall be deposited in the search and rescue account created by W.S. 19-13-301.(j) Subject to W.S. 23-2-101(f), 23-1-705(e) and the applicable fee under W.S. 23-1-701, the following hunting licenses and tags may be purchased for the fee indicated and subject to the limitations provided:(i) Resident black bear license; one (1) black bear $45.00(ii) Nonresident black bear license; one (1) black bear..........................................$371.00(iii) Resident mountain lion license; one (1) mountain lion........................................$30.00(iv) Nonresident mountain lion license; one (1) mountain lion.......................................$371.00(v) Resident daily game bird/small game license; all game birds except wild turkey.....................$7.00(vi) Nonresident daily game bird/small game license; all game birds except wild turkey...........$20.00(vii) Resident lifetime game bird and small game license; all game birds except wild turkey..........$309.00(viii) Resident lifetime game bird/small game and fishing license; all game birds except wild turkey...............................$494.00(ix) Resident game bird/small game license; all game birds except wild turkey........................$25.00(x) Nonresident game bird/small game license; all game birds except wild turkey....................$72.00(xi) Nonresident youth game bird/small game license; all game birds except wild turkey...........$40.00(xii) Resident archery license............$14.00(xiii) Nonresident archery license........$70.00(xiv) Resident deer license; one (1) deer.$40.00(xv) Nonresident deer license; one (1) deer................................................$372.00(xvi) Resident youth deer license; one (1) deer.................................................$15.00(xvii) Nonresident youth deer license; one (1) deer................................................$110.00(xviii) Resident elk license; one (1) elk.$55.00(xix) Nonresident elk license; one (1) elk, fishing privileges..................................$690.00(xx) Resident youth elk license; one (1) elk..................................................$25.00(xxi) Nonresident youth elk license; one (1) elk, fishing privileges.............................$275.00(xxii) Resident bighorn sheep license; one (1) bighorn sheep.......................................$150.00(xxiii) Nonresident bighorn sheep license; one (1) bighorn sheep....................... $3,000.00(xxiv) Resident mountain goat license; one (1) mountain goat.......................................$150.00(xxv) Nonresident mountain goat license; one (1) mountain goat........................... $2,750.00(xxvi) Resident moose license; one (1) moose...............................................$150.00(xxvii) Nonresident moose license; one (1) moose................................... $2,750.00(xxviii) Resident grizzly bear license; one (1) grizzly bear........................................$600.00(xxix) Nonresident grizzly bear license; one (1) grizzly bear............................ $7,500.00(xxx) Resident antelope license; one (1) antelope.............................................$35.00(xxxi) Nonresident antelope license; one (1) antelope............................................$324.00(xxxii) Resident youth antelope license; one (1) antelope.............................................$15.00(xxxiii) Nonresident youth antelope license; one (1) antelope........................................$110.00(xxxiv) Resident license to capture falcons for falconry purposes....................................$37.00(xxxv) Nonresident license to capture falcons for falconry purposes...............................$247.00(xxxvi) Repealed by Laws 2003, Ch. 144, § 2.(xxxvii) License to hunt with falcon; game birds, small game animals............................$14.00(xxxviii) Resident turkey license.........$14.00(xxxix) Nonresident turkey license........$72.00(xl) Wyoming interstate game tag...........$6.00(xli) Resident game bird license; all game birds except turkey........................................$14.00(xlii) Resident small game license........$14.00(xliii) From and after the date gray wolves are removed from the list of experimental nonessential population, endangered species or threatened species in Wyoming as provided by W.S. 23-1-108: (A) Resident gray wolf license.......$19.00(B) Nonresident gray wolf license...$185.00(xliv) Resident youth archery license......$6.00(xlv) Nonresident youth archery license...$12.00(xlvi) Resident lifetime archery license.$206.00(k) Any resident qualified to purchase a moose or ram bighorn sheep hunting license under subsection (j) of this section may pay a fee of seven dollars ($7.00) in lieu of applying for a moose or ram bighorn sheep hunting license. Payment of the fee for a particular species under this subsection shall authorize the person to accumulate points under W.S. 23-1-703(b) for that year in the same manner as if he had unsuccessfully applied for a hunting license for that species. Payment of the fee shall be made in compliance with application dates.(m) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, as part of any preference point program for nonresident antelope, nonresident ram bighorn sheep, nonresident moose, nonresident deer or nonresident elk, the commission may establish a nonrefundable fee to be either withheld from the license fee remitted or submitted separately when application for a license or preference point is made through electronic licensing, and may also establish a fee to be paid in lieu of applying for licenses that are limited in quota. Retention of the established fee or payment of the fee in lieu of applying shall authorize the person to accumulate a preference point for future drawings for licenses that are limited in quota for the applicable species in accordance with rules of the commission. The rules may provide for the loss of all accumulated points for persons failing to apply or to pay the in lieu fee in two (2) consecutive calendar years. The fee for any program under this subsection for antelope, deer or elk shall be established by rule and shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per species. Payment of the fee shall be made in compliance with application dates. Nothing in this subsection authorizes the commission to establish or retain a fee for resident moose or resident ram bighorn sheep license preference points in addition to the fee established by subsection (k) of this section or to establish rules for ram bighorn sheep or moose preference point drawings in conflict with the provisions of W.S. 23-1-703(b). For nonresident ram bighorn sheep and nonresident moose licenses, the commission may establish by rule a nonrefundable preference point fee to be withheld from either the license fee remitted or submitted separately when application for a license or preference point is made through electronic licensing and may establish a fee in lieu of making application in an amount greater than that established under subsection (k) of this section, but neither fee shall exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). Fees established under this subsection may be set at lower amounts for youth license applicants.(n) In addition to other fees under this section, persons applying for a license or tag under this section may pay any whole dollar amount to fund the purchase of access easements by the commission to provide access to public and private lands.(o) For issuing each harvest information permit required under federal law license selling agents and commission employees shall charge the fee authorized by W.S. 23-1-701(b)(iii).(p) In addition to other fees under this section, persons applying for a license or tag under this section may pay any whole dollar amount to support wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system. The department shall provide information on the application form that the applicant may pay the contribution under this subsection. Funds collected under this subsection shall be transmitted to the state treasurer to be credited to the wildlife conservation account created by W.S. 31-2-231(b). The department shall deduct and retain an amount equal to the administrative costs incurred in complying with this subsection.(q) In addition to other fees under this section, persons applying for a license or tag under this section may pay a voluntary fee of two dollars ($2.00) or any greater amount to fund predator control activities in the state. The department shall provide information on the license or tag application form that the applicant may pay the fee under this subsection. Any voluntary fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited in a separate account within the game and fish fund and shall only be expended as determined by the commission for management and control of predator populations and depredating animals. The commission may consider projects that mitigate damage caused to livestock, wildlife and crops by predatory animals, predacious birds and depredating animals or for the protection of human health and safety and may also use these funds for the purposes specified in W.S. 11-6-307 and 23-1-901. As used in this subsection, "depredating animal" means any trophy game animal or furbearing animal that causes damage.(r) An applicant may elect to provide that any fee paid under this section that is refundable if the applicant is unsuccessful, or portions of the fee as provided in this subsection, be retained and deposited by the department in the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account created by W.S. 9-15-103(b) or the game and fish access account created by W.S. 23-1-501(h), as determined by the applicant. The department shall provide information on the application form that the applicant may elect at the time of application to make a contribution to one (1) or both of the accounts specified under this subsection if the applicant is unsuccessful. The department shall allow the applicant to contribute the entire amount of the fee or select a portion of the fee to contribute as specified by the department, not to exceed the amount of the fee. Any administrative expenses incurred by the department for donations into the account created by W.S. 9-15-103(b) shall be reimbursed to the department by the Wyoming wildlife and natural resource trust income account.Amended by Laws 2023, ch. 137,§ 1, eff. 1/1/2024.Amended by Laws 2022 , ch. 78, § 1, eff. 7/1/2022.Amended by Laws 2022 , ch. 43, § 1, eff. 7/1/2022.Amended by Laws 2021 , ch. 149, § 1, eff. 7/1/2021.Amended by Laws 2020 , ch. 61, § 1, eff. 7/1/2020.Amended by Laws 2020 , ch. 48, § 1, eff. 1/1/2021.Amended by Laws 2017 , ch. 159, § 1, eff. 1/1/2018.Amended by Laws 2017 , ch. 41, § 1, eff. 7/1/2017.Amended by Laws 2015 , ch. 27, § 1, eff. 1/1/2016.Amended by Laws 2013 , ch. 23, § 1, eff. 7/1/2013.Amended by Laws 2012 , ch. 3, § 1, eff. 7/1/2012.