Article 2.5. Hunter’s Safety of California Fish And Game Code >> Division 4. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 2.5.

It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to ensure the health and safety of its citizens engaged in activities requiring the use of hunting implements. The Legislature finds and declares that individuals who engage in hunting should possess an adequate understanding of hunter safety practices, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship. It is also the intent of the Legislature that persons so engaged be mindful of their responsibilities to others, toward wildlife, and toward their natural environment. The department shall take all steps necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.

(a) No hunting license may be issued to any person unless he or she presents to the person authorized to issue that license any of the following:
  (1) Evidence that he or she has held a hunting license issued by this state in a prior year.
  (2) Evidence that he or she holds a current hunting license, or a hunting license issued in either of the two previous hunting years by another state or province.
  (3) A certificate of completion of a course in hunter education, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship, as provided in this article. A hunter education instruction validation stamp shall be permanently affixed to certificates of completion that have been issued before January 1, 2008.
  (4) A certificate of successful completion of a hunter education course in another state or province.
  (5) Evidence of completion of a course in hunter education, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship, which the commission may, by regulation, require.
  (b) The evidence required in subdivision (a) shall be forwarded to the department.
  (c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any person purchasing a hunting license under paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 3031. However, that license shall not qualify as evidence required in subdivision (a) of this section.

(a) The department shall provide for a course of instruction in hunter education, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship, and for this purpose may cooperate with any reputable association or organization having as one of its objectives the promotion of hunter safety, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship.
  (b) The department may designate as a hunter education instructor any person found by it to be competent to give instruction in the courses required in this article.
  (c) A hunter education instructor shall issue a certificate of completion as provided by the department to a person who completes a course of instruction in hunter safety, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship.
  (d) The department shall prescribe a minimum level of skill and knowledge to be required of all hunter education instructors, and may limit the number of students per instructor in all required classes.
  (e) The department may revoke the certificate of an instructor when, in the opinion of the department, it is in the best interest of the state to do so.
  (f) In order to recruit and retain hunter education instructors, the department shall offer special hunting opportunities to qualified hunter education instructors by providing a limited number of existing tags and other hunting opportunities. The department may provide these tags and hunting opportunities through any of the following methods:
  (1) The private lands management program described in Article 5 (commencing with Section 3400) of Chapter 2.
  (2) The Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) program described in Article 3 (commencing with Section 1570) of Chapter 5 of Division 2.
  (3) Entering into cooperative agreements with federal, state, and local agencies that hold title to, or administer, lands or waters.
  (4) Entering into cooperative agreements with landowners or tenants seeking depredation permits for game mammals as described in Section 4188.
  (5) Authorizing a maximum of 15 tags from the annual tag quota, as determined by the department.
  (g) The department shall determine eligibility criteria for hunter education instructors seeking the hunting opportunities offered pursuant to subdivision (f). The department shall offer hunting opportunities to eligible hunter education instructors only by random drawing.
  (h) The department may adopt regulations to implement this section.

A person receiving instruction from a hunter education instructor shall not be charged a fee for the service provided by the instructor, but may be charged a fee to cover the costs incurred by the instructor in teaching the class. A record of these costs shall be kept for inspection by the department. Costs may include, but are not limited to, range fees, ammunition, and transportation of students.

In the case of loss or destruction of a certificate, a duplicate certificate may be issued by the instructor who issued the original certificate, or, by an instructor of the sponsoring organization having adequate records to establish successful completion of the prescribed course, or by the department if verified by adequate records to establish successful completion of the prescribed course. An administrative fee of three dollars ($3) shall be charged for the issuance of a duplicate certificate, for the hunting license year commencing on July 1, 1990, and, for the following years as adjusted pursuant to Section 713.

The department shall furnish information on hunter safety, principles of conservation, and sportsmanship that shall be distributed free of charge to persons designated as hunter education instructors for instructional purposes.