Sec. 26-31. Instruction in handling and use of hunting weapons. Required education course for reinstatement of suspended license.
Sec. 26-31. Instruction in handling and use of hunting weapons. Required education course for reinstatement of suspended license. (a) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall formulate conservation courses of instruction in safe trapping, hunting and archery practices and the handling and use of traps and hunting
implements, including bow and arrow, for such persons as are applying for a license to
hunt with firearms or to hunt with bow and arrow or trap for the first time and for
minors who fall within the provisions of section 26-38, and shall designate one or more
competent persons or organizations to give such instruction. Any person or organization
so designated shall give such instruction to any person requesting the same and shall,
upon the successful completion thereof, recommend to the commissioner issuance of a
certificate of completion to such person. Successful completion of such instruction for
hunting license applicants shall include, but not be limited to, achieving a passing grade
on an examination formulated by the commissioner, which shall include correctly stating
in writing, or reciting orally, the regulations for hunting in proximity to buildings occupied by persons or domestic animals or used for storage of flammable or combustible
materials and the regulations for shooting towards persons, buildings or animals. Any
such person or organization may charge any person taking the course of instruction in
trapping a reasonable fee, established by regulation adopted by the commissioner in
accordance with chapter 54, to cover the cost of supplies, materials and equipment
necessary for such course of instruction. No fee shall be charged for a course of instruction in hunting or archery.
(b) No firearms hunting, archery hunting or trapping license shall be issued to any
person unless he presents proof in the form of a license or certified copy thereof that he
has held a similar resident license to hunt with firearms or with bow and arrow or to
trap within five years from the date of application in any state or country or possession
thereof, or unless he presents to the town clerk a certificate of completion issued under
subsection (a) of this section or an equivalent, as deemed by the commissioner, of such
certificate. Each town clerk shall transmit all such certificates presented to him to the
Commissioner of Environmental Protection in connection with his report to the commissioner under section 26-36.
(c) Any person who obtains a firearms hunting, archery hunting or trapping license
by giving false information or by presenting a fraudulent certificate shall be fined not
less than twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars and such license, or any
such subsequent license procured by such person on the basis of any fraudulent statement
or act in procuring such original license, shall be revoked and shall not be reissued for
one year from the date of such revocation.
(d) Any certified conservation education-firearms safety instructor while giving
such instruction and any person scheduled to receive such instruction may possess and
transport shotguns and rifles on Sunday and on said day may discharge such firearms
on any state-owned property with prior approval of the agency controlling such property
and on any privately-owned property with the permission of the owner, the provisions
of section 26-73 to the contrary notwithstanding.
(e) There is annually appropriated to the Department of Environmental Protection
from the General Fund the sum of fifty thousand dollars to be used by said department
for the purchase of supplies and materials and necessary personal services in carrying
out the provisions of this section.
(f) Any person who has been refused a certificate of completion under the provisions
of subsection (a) of this section may appeal from such refusal to the commissioner, who
shall make the final determination on issuance of such certificate to the applicant.
(g) Any holder of a hunting license which has been suspended under section 26-61, for a hunting safety violation as identified by the commissioner in the Hunting and
Trapping Guide published annually by the Department of Environmental Protection
or any holder of such a license which has been suspended under section 26-62 shall
successfully complete a remedial hunter education course formulated by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and show proof that the hunter has successfully
completed a conservation education-firearms safety course or its equivalent, as deemed
by the commissioner, prior to any reinstatement of such license.
(1955, S. 2473d, 2474d; 1957 P.A. 638, S. 1; 1961, P.A. 133, S. 1; 415; 1963, P.A. 329, S. 3; 1967, P.A. 244, S. 3;
1971, P.A. 872, S. 230; P.A. 81-298, S. 4-7, 9; P.A. 82-366, S. 4; P.A. 85-22; P.A. 87-25; P.A. 91-378, S. 2; P.A. 97-250,
S. 7; P.A. 00-142, S. 2.)
History: 1961 acts required course of instruction for minors "who fall within the provisions of section 26-38" and
allowed instructors to charge $1 for course where previously no charge was permitted under Subsec. (a); 1963 act required
course of instruction for first-time applicants for trapping license, made changes to reflect change to hunting and trapping
license from separate license for each activity and clarified nature of combination license; 1967 act added reference to
licenses for hunting only; 1971 act replaced references to board of fisheries and game with references to environmental
protection commissioner and department; P.A. 81-298 mandated courses of instruction in safe trapping and archery and
authorized persons or organizations to charge a reasonable fee for instruction in trapping only, deleting provision which
had allowed $1 per person charge for hunting course in Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (b) to require that license applicant
must have held license to hunt with firearms within 5, rather than 10, years from date of application, amended Subsec. (e)
by adding reference to trapping license, by imposing firearms restriction on a combination license which commissioner
may require to be noted on a license and by deleting phrase which had made provisions inapplicable to use of bow and
arrow in hunting, and increased appropriation in Subsec. (g) to implement the provisions of the section from $2,500 to
$50,000; P.A. 82-366 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize persons giving instruction to recommend issuance of a certificate
of competency by the commissioner of environmental protection where before the instructor himself issued such certificates,
amended Subsec. (b) to allow equivalent courses as a prerequisite for a certificate of competency and deleted Subsec. (d)
which had required the town clerk to note any restrictions on hunting and fishing licenses, relettering remaining Subsecs.
accordingly; P.A. 85-22 replaced general requirement that person seeking license "to hunt or to trap" have held license
"to hunt with firearms" with specific requirement that person seeking license for firearms hunting, archery hunting or
trapping have held a similar resident license within 5 years; P.A. 87-25 amended Subsec. (b) by requiring proof of having
held a license, eliminated Subsec. (e) concerning special insurance for conservation education-firearms safety instructors
and deleted provision in former Subsec. (e) re appropriation to defray insurance costs, relettering the remaining Subsecs.
accordingly, and substituted references to certificates of completion for references to certificates of competency; P.A. 91-378 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for certain requirements for passage of the examination required for a hunting license;
P.A. 97-250 added new Subsec. (g) re completion of remedial education course prior to reinstatement of suspended license;
P.A. 00-142 amended Subsec. (g) to require showing of proof of completion of a conservation education-firearms safety
course prior to reinstatement of suspended license.