North Carolina Out-of-State Licenses for Georgia Residents

[GP Burdell]

I was looking at hunting in North Carolina this season but in looking at the NC regs, it appears that Georgia residents have to pay a significant premium for a non-resident license. The standard non-resident license is only $80. But Georgia residents have to pay $100 for the basic license plus an additional $195 for a big game license (what NC calls a privilege license) for a total of $295. I called NC for an explanation and the lady could only say that residents for Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee have to pay more than other states.

Does anyone have any insights on why?

 

[NCHillbilly]

I was looking at hunting in North Carolina this season but in looking at the NC regs, it appears that Georgia residents have to pay a significant premium for a non-resident license. The standard non-resident license is only $80. But Georgia residents have to pay $100 for the basic license plus an additional $195 for a big game license (what NC calls a privilege license) for a total of $295. I called NC for an explanation and the lady could only say that residents for Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee have to pay more than other states.

Does anyone have any insights on why?

Probably because those states charge us NC residents through the nose to go there and hunt. I own land and pay taxes in SC, and it still costs me nearly $300 to deer hunt on my own land, and that's before I also have to pay $80 more for two buck tags and a doe tag.

 

[GP Burdell]

I’m in the same situation in NC. Own a bunch of land that costs me a lot of taxes and then have to pay extra to hunt my own land.

 

[lagrangedave]

$101 in Pennsylvania. I'm going scouting when this heat wave bleaves.

 

[Milkman]

I was looking at hunting in North Carolina this season but in looking at the NC regs, it appears that Georgia residents have to pay a significant premium for a non-resident license. The standard non-resident license is only $80. But Georgia residents have to pay $100 for the basic license plus an additional $195 for a big game license (what NC calls a privilege license) for a total of $295. I called NC for an explanation and the lady could only say that residents for Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee have to pay more than other states.

Does anyone have any insights on why?

Do they have a provision for 3 day or similar. Maybe buy as needed if they do

 

[Mexican Squealer]

What Hillbilly said...I pay through the roof to hunt my own SC property.

 

[lampern]

GA residents are charged what NC residents pay to hunt in GA at least for deer

 

[NCHillbilly]

GA residents are charged what NC residents pay to hunt in GA at least for deer

Actually, looks like it would cost me $325 to hunt deer in GA: $100 hunting license and $225 big game license. So at $295, you're still hunting in NC for $30 less that it would cost me to hunt in GA.

 

[NCHillbilly]

$101 in Pennsylvania. I'm going scouting when this heat wave bleaves.

Except in PA, they have a one-week rifle season, and you can only kill one buck, plus one doe if you buy the extra antlerless deer license.

 

[lampern]

Actually, looks like it would cost me $325 to hunt deer in GA: $100 hunting license and $225 big game license. So at $295, you're still hunting in NC for $30 less that it would cost me to hunt in GA.

I wonder if NC accounted for the recent GA license increase?

 

[NCHillbilly]

Probably not yet.

 

[patcavscout]

Out of state license rates are ridiculous everywhere. I too paid almost $300 to SC just to not get a single deer. The reasoning behind this is somehow legislatures and DNRs think that in state residents licenses are somehow subsidized by their tax dollars. This is of course ** because as pointed out above, property owners already pay taxes on their properties. Also, conservation is barely funded by general funds from income taxes. It's the result of earmarked funds that come from licenses, permits, and excise taxes. All high license fees do it limit the pool of eligible purchasers. Want to get more hunters, lower the prohibitive cost to entry. It's pretty simple economics, not that government is known for its acumen of this subject.

I'm a wisconsin resident living in Georgia, I get an instate license though because of the way the law exempts certain people with military affiliations. An obvious violation of Equal Protection Clause found in the 14th Amendment. But hey, why start following the constitution now? But I own property here, and I guarantee I pay more in taxes then someone who works a minimum wage job and gets to hunt for the "subsidized price" Some states out West though have Landowner Tags. Some people think this is unfair but those people can go pound sand. If life was fair I wouldn't get raked over the coals for working harder and being more successful than others.


It won't change anytime in the near future though. At least not until people stop defending high license fees with crummy arguments like "BuT LicenSeS FunD CoNVersAtion so EyE DonT MInD!"

 

[lampern]

Adult non resident hunters pay a lot because youth non res pay a lot less in most cases

If youth were charged full price?

 

[119bowhunter]

Licenses prices are ridiculous everywhere, but food for thought...NC does still offer lifetime licenses for non-residents...a bit steep at $1200 but if you plan on hunting in the state for more than a few years it would pay for itself and that's for a sportsman license which includes fishing, etc. I have my lifetime licenses for North Carolina that my parents bought me before I turned 1 and I will remain forever grateful to them for that.

Now on the other hand, if I get drawn for my Georgia quota hunt that I've applied for this fall it's going to cost me $210 for a 3 day hunting license, also very steep but what else can you do? I don't see things getting any better in the future as hunter numbers continue to decline and wildlife agencies are forced to squeeze the ones left for the license dollars needed to operate.

 

[C.Killmaster]

It won't change anytime in the near future though. At least not until people stop defending high license fees with crummy arguments like "BuT LicenSeS FunD CoNVersAtion so EyE DonT MInD!"

Non-residents pay more because wildlife doesn't belong to them, wildlife belongs to the residents of the state. You have no constitutional right to the wildlife in another state.

 

[Aztec]

Where would Georgia deer hunting be if it not for other states sending deer to Georgia C> Killmaster?

 

[Mexican Squealer]

My only rub is that I pay more in property taxes than most residents and still must buy a non resident license (in SC). Pretty sure it’s the same if you own land in GA but live out of state? Rediculous. I understand if you are a non-resident with no skin in the game but paying high taxes year end and year out should allow you to get a resident license rate in my opinion.

 

[Aztec]

The truth is non-resident license fees account for a good amount of funds for DNR. Money that they cannot jerk out of the residents

 

[NCHillbilly]

My only rub is that I pay more in property taxes than most residents and still must buy a non resident license (in SC). Pretty sure it’s the same if you own land in GA but live out of state? Rediculous. I understand if you are a non-resident with no skin in the game but paying high taxes year end and year out should allow you to get a resident license rate in my opinion.

I'm with you. After paying property taxes in SC and the $305 per year to deer hunt on my land, I also pay $50 a year for a non-resident catfish jugging permit, $35 for a freshwater fishing license, $35 for a saltwater fishing license, and $76 for a non-resident WMA license, for deer hunting and dove shoots.

 

[patcavscout]

Non-residents pay more because wildlife doesn't belong to them, wildlife belongs to the residents of the state. You have no constitutional right to the wildlife in another state.

Wildlife doesn't belong to the state. It is held in use for the public in accordance with the public trust doctrine found in common law. This is a concept that is long standing prior to the Constitution's ratification. The Constitution doesn't lay out a right to wildlife only for residents of a state where the wildlife is found in. Wildlife roams. The states merely have authority to manage wildlife within its boundaries. This still has to occur in accordance with the interstate commerce clause.