Section 9-11-44.1

Persons 16 years of age or older required to present certification of completion of approved hunter education course prior to obtaining hunting license; penalty.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person born on or after August 1, 1977, and of 16 years of age or older, or his agent, to procure any annual or trip hunting license provided for in this section unless said person has been issued and exhibits to the issuing agent at the time of purchasing any annual or trip hunting license, a certification of satisfactory completion by said person of a hunter education course approved by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The person shall only be required to exhibit said certification at the time of purchase of his initial license. The exhibition of said certification shall not be required at the time of purchase of subsequent licenses if the person exhibits to the issuing agent at the time of purchase a license which was issued by this state to him in a previous year.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person authorized to issue hunting licenses in this state to issue any annual or trip hunting license provided for in this section to any person born on or after August 1, 1977, or his agent, unless that license agent shall have been provided with a certification of satisfactory completion by said person of a hunter education course approved by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or a license issued by the state to said person in a previous year.

(c) It shall be unlawful for any person born on or after August 1, 1977, of 16 years of age or older to hunt in the State of Alabama pursuant to any Alabama lifetime hunting or Alabama lifetime hunting and fishing license, without said person first obtaining a certification of satisfactory completion by said person of a hunter education course approved by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

(d) It shall be unlawful for any person or his agent to wrongfully or fraudulently obtain said certification.

(e) The Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is hereby authorized to provide by regulation the procedure whereby the department may revoke or cancel any hunting license and/or hunter education certification upon determination that the holder thereof was not entitled to issuance or obtained said license or certification by any fraudulent means. Upon revocation or cancellation, the holder thereof shall surrender the license and/or certification to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

(f) The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, shall prescribe a course of instruction in competency and safety in hunting and in the handling of weapons. The Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries shall also prescribe procedures whereby competent residents of this state shall be certified as hunter education instructors. The Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries shall also have the authority to approve hunter education courses from other jurisdictions.

(g) Any person violating any provision of this section shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

(Acts 1991, No. 91-600, p. 1106, §1.)