Fellow General Assembly Members,
As the leadership of the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus we wanted to ensure that we provided some information that may be helpful to your constituents who may be reaching out to you in regard to hunting licensure. We have recently been contacted by some constituents who have shared their confusion and frustration in regards to fulfilling the hunter safety requirement needed to purchase a hunting license for this year. It is my suggestion that if they meet the requirements for a resident apprentice hunting license that they pursue that option first. The apprentice hunter must be accompanied and directly supervised by a Maryland resident who is at least 18 years old and possesses a valid Maryland non-apprentice hunting license. More information is available through the Department of Natural Resources’ website: https://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/service_hunting_license.aspx.
The second option applies to hunters who held an apprentice license last year, based on the Governor’s executive order from June 19th which extended the expiration date of licenses, they may continue using last year’s hunting licenses. The Governor’s order is effective until the 30th day after the termination of the State of Emergency. The Governor’s order can be found here: https://governor.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2089_001.pdf. Please note there are still federal requirements for some forms of hunting, such as the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp and the HIP Permit purchased through the Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp that require purchasing a stamp, which have not been extended.
The third option is to take the hunter safety class online through another state that does not have a waiting list or require you to travel long distances to take the course. Examples of other states that offer an online class that do not have a residency requirement for taking the course include Idaho, North Carolina, and Nebraska. Once obtaining a certificate of competency in firearms and hunters safety a number will be provided that can then be used to obtain a license in Maryland.
I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to take the online hunter safety course in Maryland as it is very educational with regards to the laws and practices that we discuss regarding hunting in Maryland and how we train Marylanders to use and store firearms safely.
As always, we are encouraging everyone to hunt safely and use all appropriate caution when hunting. We do not want any Marylander to miss the opportunity to hunt with their friends or family due to the unforeseen circumstances caused by this pandemic. We hope this information is helpful to you and your constituents.
