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Outdoor Legislation

For more information on the North Dakota legislative sessions go to the North Dakota Legislative Branch website.

This listing will be updated throughout each session as bills are introduced and progress.

Legislation List
Bill Identification Status Hearing Date Summary House Vote Senate Vote
SB2225 Failed

Would require an individual to receive permission from the landowner to hunt, trap or pursue game on private land. Currently permission must be received if the land is posted. Failed senate.

17-28
SB2226 Failed

An honorably discharged veteran who must obtain a certificate of completion for a hunter education course may obtain the certificate by completing four hours of online instruction on hunter safety approved by the director. Failed senate.

19-26
SB2227 Failed

A nonresident age 65 or older is entitled to purchase up to two nonresident waterfowl hunting licenses per year, with $100 of the fee for the nonresident's second license must be used for the private land open to sportsmen program. The second license would cost $150. Failed senate.

21-24
HB1170 Failed

This bill relates to criminal forfeitures, forfeiture of property, seizure procedures and forfeiture procedures. A portion of the bill originally replaced the term "property" with "animals, birds or fish" as items that must be turned over to the North Dakota wildlife federation to be sold for the highest price obtainable, but was removed during house proceedings. Passed house. Failed senate.

50-42 0-46
HB1350 Failed

Would waive the nonresident landowner deer hunting license fee for retired veterans. Failed house.

9-81
HB1396 Failed

The director may issue special elk depredation management licenses to landowners in designated areas between highway fourteen on the western border, highway forty - three on the southern border, highway three on the eastern border, and the Canadian border on the northern border, upon payment of the fee requirement for a resident big game license. Failed house.

0-92
HB1077 Failed

Appropriates $83,569,734 to the Game and Fish Department for the biennium beginning July 1, 2017, and ending June 30, 2019. Failed house.

0-88
HB1413 Failed

Would develop a system for hunting license lotteries which gives preference to applicants 70 years of age or older. Failed house.

16-74
SB2056 Failed

Would have allowed a hunter of at least 65 years of age to use a crossbow during any bow hunting season. Failed senate.

13-32
SB2228 Failed

The director shall issue six deer licenses and four spring wild turkey licenses to veterans residing in North Dakota who are selected by a nonprofit organization. Failed senate.

6-39
HB1180 Failed

A law enforcement officer may not halt an operator of a vehicle solely to determine compliance, unless the officer has a reasonable suspicion to believe that there is a violation. This section does not apply to inspections and safety checkpoints for commercial motor vehicles. This would require Game and Fish to have reasonable suspicion for stops for violations of laws relating to wildlife. Amended to eliminate the Game and Fish portion of the bill that would require reasonable suspicion for stops relating to wildlife. Failed house.

41-46
SB2259 Failed

Would allow a nonresident to buy a waterfowl license for $200 that is valid for three periods of four consecutive days. Passed senate. Failed house.

30-63 33-13
HB1268 Failed

Would allow Game and Fish to issue lifetime fishing licenses, and adopt rules necessary to determine eligibility and fees for the licenses. Failed house.

22-67
HB1377 Failed

Would allow an individual to use a mechanized vehicle, spotlight, or artificial light of any size or battery capacity to pursue, shoot, kill, take, or attempt to take a coyote. Failed house.

25-65
SB2282 Failed

An individual over age 65 who receives a muzzleloader license to hunt deer may use a telescopic sight, with a maximum four-power magnification. Passed senate. Failed house. Motion to reconsider failed.

44-47 44-2
SB2155 Failed

Would have allowed an individual to use an airbow during any deer gun season. Failed senate.

10-34
SB2318 Signed

Requires the pheasant hunting season to open no later than October 12.

81-10 46-0
HB1017 Signed

Appropriates $83,277,498 to the Game and Fish Department for the biennium beginning July 1, 2017, and ending June 30, 2019.

72-13 44-1
HB1367 Signed

An operator of a personal watercraft is not required to have an observer on board while towing an individual on water skis, a kneeboard or an inflatable craft if the personal watercraft is equipped with a mirror on each side with an unobstructed field of vision to the rear; allows an individual who is at least 16 years old to windsurf or boardsail without wearing a personal flotation device; prohibits water skiing or surfboarding between one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. Includes emergency clause.

87-5 44-3
HB1025 Signed

Provides a guideline for the Director to allocate big game and turkey hunting licenses to eligible organizations. Includes emergency clause.

84-6 45-0
HB1419 Signed

Gives the director the option to establish a shooting sports grant program, which may be made available to schools, clubs and organized youth groups.

85-3 41-4
HB1150 Signed

Allows a resident of North Dakota who does not want to receive a hunting license issued by lottery to purchase a bonus point for a fee that is the same as the respective license. The fee is allocated to the PLOTS program.

90-0 44-0
SB2239 Signed

Repeals the annual inspection of all watercraft used for hire. Includes emergency clause.

89-2 47-0
HB1204 Signed

Reduces the age from 16 to 12 to qualify for an apprentice hunter validation license; allows youth who turn age 11 before the end of the calendar year to receive a whitetail doe license valid for only the youth hunting season; repeals the eagle language in state law, however, eagles are still protected under federal regulations.

83-2 47-0
SB2284 Signed

A vendor who sells hunting and fishing licenses may add a 3 percent service fee to the total transaction. The service fee does not apply to license purchases or applications made through the Game and Fish Department website.

91-3 46-0
HB1207 Signed

Allows Game and Fish to seize tangible property presumed abandoned on state game refuges, real property leased or managed by the game and fish department, and state game or fish management areas. After 90 days, the director may dispose of seized, unclaimed, tangible property presumed abandoned, or order it be turned over to the North Dakota wildlife federation to be sold for the highest price obtainable. The sale proceeds, after the expenses of the seizure and the sale are deducted, must be remitted to the North Dakota wildlife federation report all poachers fund. A report of the sale, supported by proper vouchers covering all deductions made for expenses, must be filed for the record with the director.

84-4 46-0
SB2308 Signed

Allows a fish house and a coyote snare to be identified by a registration number provided by the Game and Fish Department.

90-2 47-0
HB1281 Withdrawn

The North Dakota legislative assembly encourages Congress to pass federal legislation to return lands and mineral rights underlying Lake Oahe in North Dakota to the state of North Dakota as reimbursement for the costs borne by the state to ensure public safety in relation to protests against the placement of an oil pipeline under the Missouri River. Withdrawn from consideration.