North Dakota Code 20.1-03-04 – When licenses to hunt, fish, or trap not required of residents
Subject to the provisions of this title:
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 20.1-03-04
- Department: means the game and fish department. See North Dakota Code 20.1-01-02
- Director: means the director of the department. See North Dakota Code 20.1-01-02
- Fur-bearers: includes mink, muskrats, weasels, wolverines, otters, martens, fishers, kit or swift foxes, beavers, raccoons, badgers, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, lynx, mountain lions, black bears, and red or gray foxes. See North Dakota Code 20.1-01-02
- Private fish hatchery: means a body of water, whether natural or artificial, and any other facilities used, maintained, or operated by any private person, firm, corporation, or limited liability company for the propagation and production of fish for sale or planting in other waters. See North Dakota Code 20.1-01-02
- Resident: means any person who has actually lived within this state or maintained that person's residence therein for at least six months immediately preceding the date that residence is to be determined. See North Dakota Code 20.1-01-02
- Small game: includes all game birds and tree squirrels. See North Dakota Code 20.1-01-02
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- United States: includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Waterfowl: includes all varieties of geese, brant, swans, ducks, rails, and coots. See North Dakota Code 20.1-01-02
1. Any resident, or any member of the resident’s family residing customarily with the resident, may hunt small game, fish, or trap during the open season without a license upon land owned or leased by the resident.
2. Residents or nonresidents under the age of sixteen years may fish without a fishing license.
3. Residents may fish at a private fish hatchery without a resident fishing license.
4. Life skills and transition center patients, North Dakota youth correctional center students, school for the deaf students, North Dakota vision services – school for the blind students, state hospital patients, clients of regional human service centers under direct therapeutic care, and residents of facilities licensed by the department of health and human services may fish without a resident fishing license. Patients of these institutions must be identified. The department shall issue authority to each institution.
5. Residents may fish without a resident fishing license on free fishing days. The date of these free fishing days may be set by proclamation by the governor.
6. Residents under age sixteen may take fur-bearers without a fur-bearer license.
7. Residents under age sixteen may take small game or waterfowl without a small game license.
8. Residents who are enrolled as students or serving as certified instructors during official aquatics education program events of the game and fish department may be granted free fishing privileges by discretion of the director.
9. Upon presentation of valid leave papers and a valid North Dakota operator’s license, a resident who is on leave and is on active duty as a member of the United States armed forces or the United States merchant marine may hunt small game, fish, or trap during the open season without a license.