29.1-300.1 - Certification of competence in hunter education.
§ 29.1-300.1. Certification of competence in hunter education.
A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section and § 29.1-300.4, nohunting license shall be issued to (i) a person who has never obtained alicense to hunt in any state or country, or (ii) a person who is under theage of sixteen, unless such a person presents to the Board of Game and InlandFisheries or one of its authorized license vendors, a certificate ofcompletion in hunter education issued or authorized by the Board under thehunter education program, or proof that he holds the equivalent certificateobtained from an authorized agency or association of another state or country.
B. Although a resident under the age of twelve is not required to obtain alicense to hunt, any person under the age of twelve, or an individual on hisbehalf, may purchase a Virginia hunting license or a junior lifetime huntinglicense pursuant to § 29.1-302.1, without completing a hunter educationprogram as required in subsection A of this section, provided that no personunder the age of twelve shall hunt unless accompanied and directly supervisedby an adult who has, on his person, a valid Virginia hunting license. Thejunior lifetime hunting license issued to an individual under the age oftwelve shall become invalid on the individual's twelfth birthday and remaininvalid until certification of competence in hunter education is shown asprovided in this section. A lifetime license, indicating the completion ofhunter education or an equivalent certificate, shall be reissued at no costwhen such proof is provided.
The adult shall be responsible for such supervision. For the purposes of thissection, "adult" means the parent or legal guardian of the person under agetwelve, or such person over the age of eighteen designated by the parent orlegal guardian.
"Accompanied and directly supervised" means that the adult is within sightof the person under the age of twelve.
C. This section shall not apply to persons while on horseback hunting foxeswith hounds but without firearms.
(1987, c. 83, § 29-51.1; 1988, cc. 179, 384, 474; 1989, c. 204; 1996, cc.118, 151; 1997, c. 247; 2008, cc. 18, 416.)