(a) In addition to any hunting, trapping, or fishing license that may be required pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.1B(a), individuals engaging in specially regulated activities must have the appropriate special activity license and stamp prescribed in this section before engaging in the regulated activity.

(b) The special activity licenses and stamp issued by the Wildlife Resources Commission are as follows:

(1) Resident Big Game Hunting License – $13.00. This license shall be issued only to an individual resident of the State and entitles the holder to take big game by all lawful methods and during all open seasons.

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(1a) Nonresident Bear Hunting License – $225.00. This license is valid for use only by an individual within the State and must be procured before taking any bear within the State. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a nonresident individual may not take any bear within the State without procuring this license; provided, that neither those persons who have a nonresident lifetime sportsman combination license purchased prior to May 24, 1994, nor those persons who have obtained a lifetime license established by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.1D(b)(9) shall have to purchase this license. This license expires June 30.

(1b) Bear Management Stamp – $10.00. This electronically generated stamp must be procured before taking any bear within the State. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a resident or nonresident individual may not take any bear within the State without procuring this stamp; provided, that those persons who have purchased a lifetime license established by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.1D(b), 113-270.2(c)(2), or 113-351(c)(3) prior to July 1, 2014, those persons who have obtained a lifetime license established by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.1D(b)(9), and those persons exempt from the license requirements as set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-276(c), N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-276(d), and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-276(n) shall obtain this stamp free of charge. All of the revenue generated by this stamp shall be dedicated to black bear research and management. This stamp expires June 30.

(2) Nonresident Big Game Hunting License. This license shall be issued only to an individual nonresident of the State and entitles the holder to take big game by all lawful methods and during all open seasons. The nonresident big game hunting licenses issued by the Wildlife Resources Commission are:

a. Season License – $100.00.

b. Ten-Day License – $80.00. This license is only valid for the 10 consecutive dates indicated on the license.

(2a) Bonus Antlerless Deer License – $10.00. This license shall be issued to an individual resident or nonresident of the State who holds a valid North Carolina big game hunting license or an individual resident who is exempt from the hunting license requirement in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-276(c) and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-276(d) and entitles the holder to take two antlerless deer during seasons and by methods authorized by the Wildlife Resources Commission. This license expires June 30.

(2b) Bonus CWD Deer License. – This license may be issued to an individual resident or nonresident of the State who holds a valid North Carolina hunting license that entitles the licensee to take big game, or an individual resident who is exempt from the hunting license requirement in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-276(c) and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-276(d) and entitles the holder to take two deer of either sex in an area identified by the Wildlife Resources Commission for special management action due to the presence of or potential for Chronic Wasting Disease during seasons and by methods authorized by the Wildlife Resources Commission. This license expires June 30.

(3) Game Land License – $15.00. The Wildlife Resources Commission may, pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-264(a), designate in its rules activities on game lands that require purchase of this license and may charge additional fees for use of specially developed facilities.

(4) Falconry License – $10.00. This license shall be issued to an individual resident or nonresident of the State and must be procured before:

a. Taking, importing, transporting, or possessing a raptor; or

b. Taking wildlife by means of falconry.

In addition to a falconry license, license holders 16 years of age and older must also possess a hunting license as set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.1C, 113-270.1D, and 113-270.2 when taking wildlife by means of falconry. The Wildlife Resources Commission may issue classes of falconry licenses necessary to participate in the federal/State permit system, require necessary examinations before issuing licenses or permits to engage in various authorized activities related to possession and maintenance of raptors and the sport of falconry, and regulate licenses as required by governing federal law and rules. To defray the costs of administering required examinations, the Wildlife Resources Commission may charge reasonable fees upon giving them. To meet minimum federal standards plus other State standards in the interests of conservation of wildlife resources, the Wildlife Resources Commission may impose all necessary controls, including those set out in the sections pertaining to collection licenses and captivity licenses, and may issue permits and require reports, but no collection license or captivity license is needed in addition to the falconry license.

(5) Migratory Waterfowl Hunting License – $13.00. This license shall be issued to an individual resident or nonresident of the State and entitles the holder to take migratory waterfowl in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The Wildlife Resources Commission may implement this license requirement through the sale of an official waterfowl stamp which may be a facsimile, in an appropriate size, of the waterfowl conservation print authorized by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.2B. An amount not less than one-half of the annual proceeds from the sale of this license shall be used by the Commission for cooperative waterfowl habitat improvement projects through contracts with local waterfowl interests, with the remainder of the proceeds to be used by the Commission in its statewide programs for the conservation of waterfowl.

(6) Resident American Alligator License – $250.00. This license shall be issued to an individual resident of the State and entitles the holder to take American alligator during the open alligator season by methods authorized by the Wildlife Resources Commission. This license expires June 30.

(7) Nonresident American Alligator License – $500.00. This license shall be issued to an individual nonresident of the State and entitles the holder to take American alligator during the open alligator season by methods authorized by the Wildlife Resources Commission. This license expires June 30.

(8) Resident Elk License – $500.00. This license shall be issued to an individual resident of the State and entitles the holder to take elk during the open elk season by methods authorized by the Wildlife Resources Commission. This license expires June 30.

(9) Nonresident Elk License – $1,000. This license shall be issued to an individual nonresident of the State and entitles the holder to take elk during the open elk season by methods authorized by the Wildlife Resources Commission. This license expires June 30.

(c) Any individual who kills any species of big game must report the kill to the Wildlife Resources Commission. The Commission may by rule prescribe the method of making the report, prescribe its contents, and require positive identification of the carcass of the kill, by tagging or otherwise. The Wildlife Resources Commission may administratively provide for the annual issuance of big game tags or other identification for big game authorized by this section to holders of lifetime sportsman licenses and lifetime comprehensive hunting licenses.

(d) Any individual who possesses any of the lifetime sportsman licenses established by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.1D(b) may engage in specially regulated activities without the licenses required by subdivisions (1), (2), (3), and (5) of subsection (b) of this section. Any individual possessing an annual sportsman license established by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.1D(a) or a lifetime or annual comprehensive hunting license established by G.S.113-270.2(c)(2) or (5) may engage in specially regulated activities without the licenses required by subdivisions (1), (3), and (5) of subsection (b) of this section.

(e) When the Wildlife Resources Commission establishes a primitive weapons season pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-291.2(a), all of the combination hunting and fishing licenses established in G.S.113-270.1C, sportsman licenses established in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.1D, and hunting licenses established in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-270.2(c)(1), (2), (3), (5), and (6) entitle the holder to participate. For purposes of this section, “primitive weapons” include bow and arrow, muzzle-loading firearm, and any other primitive weapon specified in the rules of the Wildlife Resources Commission. (1969, c. 1042, s. 7; 1973, c. 1097, s. 1; 1975, c. 171; c. 197, ss. 5, 7; c. 673, s. 1; 1977, c. 746, s. 1; 1979, c. 830, s. 1; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1178, ss. 2, 5; 1981, c. 482, s. 7; c. 620, s. 1; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1201, s. 2; 1983, c. 140, ss. 2-3; 1987, c. 156, ss. 3-5; c. 452, ss. 2, 3; c. 745, s. 2; c. 827, s. 98; 1991, c. 671, s. 1; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 557, s. 2; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 684, s. 3; 1999-339, s. 6; 2001-91, s. 3; 2006-226, s. 21; 2009-214, s. 1; 2011-369, s. 3; 2013-283, s. 4; 2014-100, s. 14.25(a); 2018-82, s. 2; 2018-90, s. 2; 2019-204, s. 6(e); 2023-69, s. 2.2(a).)