HB 201: Allow specified hunting on landowner's property without a permit

As Introduced

136th General Assembly Regular Session 2025-2026

H. B. No. 201

Representatives Miller, K., Isaacsohn

Cosponsors: Representatives Thomas, D., Hall, T., Claggett, Mullins, Brennan, King, Gross, Williams, Stephens, Daniels, Jones, Newman, Rogers, Klopfenstein

To amend sections 1533.10, 1533.11, and 1533.111 of 1
the Revised Code to allow a resident landowner's 2
parents and grandchildren to hunt on the 3
landowner's property without obtaining a hunting 4
license, deer permit, wild turkey permit, or fur 5
taker permit. 6

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 1533.10, 1533.11, and 1533.111 of 7
the Revised Code be amended to read as follows: 8
Sec. 1533.10. (A) Except as provided in this section or 9
division (A)(2) of section 1533.12 or section 1533.73 or 10
1533.731 of the Revised Code, no person shall hunt any wild bird 11
or wild quadruped without a hunting license. Each day that any 12
person hunts within the state without procuring such a license 13
constitutes a separate offense. 14
(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, 15
division (A) of section 1533.12 of the Revised Code, or in rules 16
adopted under division (B) of that section, each applicant for a 17
hunting license shall pay an annual fee for each annual license 18
in accordance with the following schedule: 19

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

A Hunting license - resident \$18.00
B Hunting license - nonresident that is not a resident of a \$174.00 reciprocal state, ages 18 and older
C Hunting license - nonresident that is a resident of a \$18.00 reciprocal state, ages 18 and older
D Apprentice hunting license - resident \$18.00
E Apprentice hunting license - nonresident that is not a \$174.00 resident of a reciprocal state
F Apprentice hunting license - nonresident that is a \$18.00 resident of a reciprocal state
G Youth hunting license - resident and nonresident \$9.00
H Apprentice youth hunting license - resident \$9.00
I Senior hunting license - resident \$9.00
J Apprentice senior hunting license - resident \$9.00

(2) Apprentice resident hunting licenses, apprentice youth 21
hunting licenses, apprentice senior hunting licenses, and 22
apprentice nonresident hunting licenses are subject to the 23
requirements established under section 1533.102 of the Revised 24
Code and rules adopted under it. 25
(3) As used in division (B)(1) of this section: 26
(a) "Youth" means an applicant who is under the age of 27

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

eighteen years at the time of application for a license. 28

(c) "Reciprocal state" means a state that is a party to an 31
agreement under section 1533.91 of the Revised Code. 32
(C) A resident of this state who owns lands in the state 33
and the owner's parents, children of any $\hat{\alpha}\mathrm{ge}{\underline{{{\tau}}}}$ and grandchildren 34
under eighteen years of age may hunt on the lands without a 35
hunting license. A resident of any other state who owns real 36
property in this state, and the spouse and children living with 37
the property owner, may hunt on that property without a license, 38
provided that the state of residence of the real property owner 39
allows residents of this state owning real property in that 40
state, and the spouse and children living with the property 41
owner, to hunt without a license. If the owner of land in this 42
state is a limited liability company or a limited liability 43
partnership that consists of three or fewer individual members 44
or partners, as applicable, an individual member or partner who 45
is a resident of this state and the member's or partner's 46
parents, children of any $\mathsf{a g e\underline{{\tau}}}$ and grandchildren under eighteen 47
years of age may hunt on the land owned by the limited liability 48
company or limited liability partnership without a hunting 49
license. In addition, if the owner of land in this state is a 50
trust that has a total of three or fewer trustees and 51
beneficiaries, an individual who is a trustee or beneficiary and 52
who is a resident of this state and the individual's parents, 53
children of any $\aeth\eircledast{\underline{{\iota}}}$ and grandchildren under eighteen years of 54
age may hunt on the land owned by the trust without a hunting 55
license. The tenant and children of the tenant, residing on 56
lands in the state, may hunt on them without a hunting license. 57

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

(D) The chief of the division of wildlife may issue a 58
small game hunting license expiring three days from the 59
effective date of the license to a nonresident of the state, the 60
fee for which is thirty-nine dollars. No person shall take or 61
possess deer, wild turkeys, fur-bearing animals, ducks, geese, 62
brant, or any nongame animal while possessing only a small game 63
hunting license. 64
A small game hunting license or an apprentice nonresident 65
hunting license does not authorize the taking or possessing of 66
ducks, geese, or brant without having obtained, in addition to 67
the small game hunting license or the apprentice nonresident 68
hunting license, a wetlands habitat stamp as provided in section 69
1533.112 of the Revised Code. A small game hunting license or an 70
apprentice nonresident hunting license does not authorize the 71
taking or possessing of deer, wild turkeys, or fur-bearing 72
animals. A nonresident of the state who wishes to take or 73
possess deer, wild turkeys, or fur-bearing animals in this state 74
shall procure, respectively, a deer or wild turkey permit as 75
provided in section 1533.11 of the Revised Code or a fur taker 76
permit as provided in section 1533.111 of the Revised Code in 77
addition to a nonresident hunting license, an apprentice 78
nonresident hunting license, a special youth hunting license, or 79
an apprentice youth hunting license, as applicable, as provided 80
in this section. 81
(E) No person shall procure or attempt to procure a 82
hunting license by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or any 83
false statement. 84
(F)(1) This section does not authorize the taking and 85
possessing of deer or wild turkeys without first having 86
obtained, in addition to the hunting license required by this 87

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

section, a deer or wild turkey permit as provided in section 88
1533.11 of the Revised Code or the taking and possessing of 89
ducks, geese, or brant without first having obtained, in 90
addition to the hunting license required by this section, a 91
wetlands habitat stamp as provided in section 1533.112 of the 92
Revised Code. 93
(2) This section does not authorize the hunting or 94
trapping of fur-bearing animals without first having obtained, 95
in addition to a hunting license required by this section, a fur 96
taker permit as provided in section 1533.111 of the Revised 97
Code. 98
(G)(1) No hunting license shall be issued unless it is 99
accompanied by a written explanation of the law in section 100
1533.17 of the Revised Code and the penalty for its violation, 101
including a description of terms of imprisonment and fines that 102
may be imposed. 103
(2) No hunting license, other than an apprentice hunting 104
license, shall be issued unless the applicant presents to the 105
agent authorized to issue the license a previously held hunting 106
license or evidence of having held such a license in content and 107
manner approved by the chief, a certificate of completion issued 108
upon completion of a hunter education and conservation course 109
approved by the chief, or evidence of equivalent training in 110
content and manner approved by the chief. A previously held 111
apprentice hunting license does not satisfy the requirement 112
concerning the presentation of a previously held hunting license 113
or evidence of it. 114
(3) No person shall issue a hunting license, except an 115
apprentice hunting license, to any person who fails to present 116
the evidence required by this section. No person shall purchase 117

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

or obtain a hunting license, other than an apprentice hunting 118
license, without presenting to the issuing agent the evidence 119
required by this section. Issuance of a hunting license in 120
violation of the requirements of this section is an offense by 121
both the purchaser of the illegally obtained hunting license and 122
the clerk or agent who issued the hunting license. Any hunting 123
license issued in violation of this section is void. 124
(H) The chief, with approval of the wildlife council, 125
shall adopt rules prescribing a hunter education and 126
conservation course for first-time hunting license buyers, other 127
than buyers of apprentice hunting licenses, and for volunteer 128
instructors. The course shall consist of subjects including, but 129
not limited to, hunter safety and health, use of hunting 130
implements, hunting tradition and ethics, the hunter and 131
conservation, the law in section 1533.17 of the Revised Code 132
along with the penalty for its violation, including a 133
description of terms of imprisonment and fines that may be 134
imposed, and other law relating to hunting. Authorized personnel 135
of the division or volunteer instructors approved by the chief 136
shall conduct such courses with such frequency and at such 137
locations throughout the state as to reasonably meet the needs 138
of license applicants. The chief shall issue a certificate of 139
completion to each person who successfully completes the course 140
and passes an examination prescribed by the chief. 141
Sec. 1533.11. (A)(1) Except as provided in this section or 142
section 1533.731 of the Revised Code, no person shall hunt deer 143
on lands of another without first obtaining an annual deer 144
permit. Except as provided in this section, no person shall hunt 145
wild turkeys on lands of another without first obtaining an 146
annual wild turkey permit. A deer or wild turkey permit is valid 147
during the hunting license year in which the permit is 148

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

purchased. Except as provided in rules adopted under division 149
(B) of section 1533.12 of the Revised Code, each applicant for a 150
deer or wild turkey permit shall pay an annual fee for each 151
permit in accordance with the following schedule: 152
153

1 2

A Deer permit – resident \$30.00
B Deer permit – nonresident \$74.00
C Youth deer permit – resident and nonresident \$15.00
D Senior deer permit – resident \$11.00
E Wild turkey permit – resident \$30.00
F Wild turkey permit – nonresident \$37.00
G Youth wild turkey permit – resident and nonresident \$15.00
H Senior wild turkey permit – resident \$11.00
(2) As used in division (A)(1) of this section: 154
(a) "Youth" means an applicant who is under the age of 155
eighteen years at the time of application for a permit. 156
(b) "Senior" means an applicant who is sixty-six years of 157
age or older at the time of application for a permit. 158
(3) The money received shall be paid into the state 159
treasury to the credit of the wildlife fund, created in section 160
1531.17 of the Revised Code, exclusively for the use of the 161
division of wildlife in the acquisition and development of land 162
for deer or wild turkey management, for investigating deer or 163

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

wild turkey problems, and for the stocking, management, and 164
protection of deer or wild turkey. 165
(4) Every person, while hunting deer or wild turkey on 166
lands of another, shall carry the person's deer or wild turkey 167
permit and exhibit it to any enforcement officer so requesting. 168
Failure to so carry and exhibit such a permit constitutes an 169
offense under this section. 170

(5) The chief of the division of wildlife shall adopt any 1 additional rules the chief considers necessary to carry out this section and section 1533.10 of the Revised Code.

(6) An owner who is a resident of this state or an owner 174
who is exempt from obtaining a hunting license under section 175
1533.10 of the Revised Code and the parents, children, and 176
grandchildren of the owner of lands in this state may hunt deer 177
or wild turkey thereon without a deer or wild turkey permit. If 178
the owner of land in this state is a limited liability company 179
or a limited liability partnership that consists of three or 180
fewer individual members or partners, as applicable, an 181
individual member or partner who is a resident of this state and 182
the member's or partner's parents, children of any age , and 183
grandchildren may hunt deer or wild turkey on the land owned by 184
the limited liability company or limited liability partnership 185
without a deer or wild turkey permit. In addition, if the owner 186
of land in this state is a trust that has a total of three or 187
fewer trustees and beneficiaries, an individual who is a trustee 188
or beneficiary and who is a resident of this state and the 189
individual's parents, children of any age , and grandchildren 190
may hunt deer or wild turkey on the land owned by the trust 191
without a deer or wild turkey permit. The tenant and children of 192
the tenant may hunt deer or wild turkey on lands where they 193

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

eside without a deer or wild turkey permit. 194
(B) A deer or wild turkey permit is not transferable. No 195
person shall carry a deer or wild turkey permit issued in the 196
name of another person. 197
(C) The wildlife refunds fund is hereby created in the 198
state treasury. The fund shall consist of money received from 199
application fees for deer permits that are not issued. Money in 200
the fund shall be used to make refunds of such application fees. 201
(D) If the division establishes a system for the 202
electronic submission of information regarding deer or wild 203
turkey that are taken, the division shall allow the owner and 204
the children of the owner of lands in this state to use the 205
owner's name or address for purposes of submitting that 206
information electronically via that system. 207
Sec. 1533.111. (A) Except as provided in this section or 208
division (A)(2) of section 1533.12 of the Revised Code, no 209
person shall hunt or trap fur-bearing animals on land of another 210
without first obtaining some type of an annual fur taker permit. 211
(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in rules adopted under 212
division (B) of section 1533.12 of the Revised Code, each 213
applicant for a fur taker permit or an apprentice fur taker 214
permit shall pay an annual fee for each annual permit in 215
accordance with the following schedule: 216
217
A Fur taker permit \$14.00
B Apprentice fur taker permit \$14.00

H. B. No. 201 Page 10 As Introduced

C Senior fur taker permit – resident only \$7.00
D Apprentice senior fur taker permit – resident only \$7.00
E Special youth fur taker permit \$7.00
F Apprentice youth fur taker permit \$7.00
(2) As used in division (B)(1) of this section: 218
(a) "Youth" means an applicant who is under the age of 219
eighteen years at the time of application for a permit. 220
(b) "Senior" means an applicant who is sixty-six years of 221
age or older at the time of application for a permit. 222
(C) Each type of fur taker permit is valid during the 223
hunting license year in which the permit is purchased. The money 224
received shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of 225
the fund established in section 1533.15 of the Revised Code. 226
Apprentice fur taker permits and apprentice youth fur taker 227
permits are subject to the requirements established under 228
section 1533.102 of the Revised Code and rules adopted pursuant 229
to it. 230
(D)(1) No person shall issue a fur taker permit to an 231
applicant unless it is accompanied by a written explanation of 232
the law in section 1533.17 of the Revised Code and the penalty 233
for its violation, including a description of terms of 234
imprisonment and fines that may be imposed. 235
(2) No person shall issue a fur taker permit, other than 236
an apprentice fur taker permit or an apprentice youth fur taker 237
permit, to an applicant unless the applicant presents to the 238
agent authorized to issue a fur taker permit a previously held 239

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

hunting license or trapping or fur taker permit or evidence of 240
having held such a license or permit in content and manner 241
approved by the chief of the division of wildlife, a certificate 242
of completion issued upon completion of a trapper education 243
course approved by the chief, or evidence of equivalent training 244
in content and manner approved by the chief. A previously held 245
apprentice hunting license, apprentice fur taker permit, or 246
apprentice youth fur taker permit does not satisfy the 247
requirement concerning the presentation of a previously held 248
hunting license or fur taker permit or evidence of such a 249
license or permit. 250
(3) No person shall issue a fur taker permit, other than 251
an apprentice fur taker permit or an apprentice youth fur taker 252
permit, to any person who fails to present the evidence required 253
by this section. No person shall purchase or obtain a fur taker 254
permit, other than an apprentice fur taker permit or an 255
apprentice youth fur taker permit, without presenting to the 256
issuing agent the evidence required by this section. Issuance of 257
a fur taker permit in violation of the requirements of this 258
section is an offense by both the purchaser of the illegally 259
obtained permit and the clerk or agent who issued the permit. 260
Any fur taker permit issued in violation of this section is 261
void. 262
(E) The chief, with approval of the wildlife council, 263
shall adopt rules prescribing a trapper education course for 264
first-time fur taker permit buyers, other than buyers of 265
apprentice fur taker permits or apprentice youth fur taker 266
permits, and for volunteer instructors. The course shall consist 267
of subjects that include, but are not limited to, trapping 268
techniques, animal habits and identification, trapping tradition 269
and ethics, the trapper and conservation, the law in section 270

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

1533.17 of the Revised Code along with the penalty for its 271
violation, including a description of terms of imprisonment and 272
fines that may be imposed, and other law relating to trapping. 273
Authorized personnel of the division of wildlife or volunteer 274
instructors approved by the chief shall conduct the courses with 275
such frequency and at such locations throughout the state as to 276
reasonably meet the needs of permit applicants. The chief shall 277
issue a certificate of completion to each person who 278
successfully completes the course and passes an examination 279
prescribed by the chief. 280
(F) Every person, while hunting or trapping fur-bearing 281
animals on lands of another, shall carry the person's fur taker 282
permit with the person's signature written on the permit. 283
Failure to carry such a signed permit constitutes an offense 284
under this section. The chief shall adopt any additional rules 285
the chief considers necessary to carry out this section. 286
(G) An owner who is a resident of this state or an owner 287
who is exempt from obtaining a hunting license under section 288
1533.10 of the Revised Code and the parents, children of any 289
age, and grandchildren under eighteen years of age of the owner 290
of lands in this state may hunt or trap fur-bearing animals 291
thereon without a fur taker permit. If the owner of land in this 292
state is a limited liability company or a limited liability 293
partnership that consists of three or fewer individual members 294
or partners, as applicable, an individual member or partner who 295
is a resident of this state and the member's or partner's 296
parents, children of any age, and grandchildren under eighteen 297
years of age may hunt or trap fur-bearing animals on the land 298
owned by the limited liability company or limited liability 299
partnership without a fur taker permit. In addition, if the 300
owner of land in this state is a trust that has a total of three 301

H. B. No. 201 As Introduced

or fewer trustees and beneficiaries, an individual who is a 302
trustee or beneficiary and who is a resident of this state and 303
the individual's parents, children of any age, and grandchildren 304
under eighteen years of age may hunt or trap fur-bearing animals 305
on the land owned by the trust without a fur taker permit. The 306
tenant and children of the tenant may hunt or trap fur-bearing 307
animals on lands where they reside without a fur taker permit. 308
(H) A fur taker permit is not transferable. No person 309
shall carry a fur taker permit issued in the name of another 310
person. 311
(I) A fur taker permit entitles a nonresident to take from 312
this state fur-bearing animals taken and possessed by the 313
nonresident as provided by law or division rule. 314
Section 2. That existing sections 1533.10, 1533.11, and 315
1533.111 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed. 316