SB3537 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB104 17072 BDA 30487 b

104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
SB3537

Introduced 2/5/2026, by Sen. Chapin Rose

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

515 ILCS 5/20-45

from Ch. 56, par. 20-45

Amends the Fish and Aquatic Life Code. Provides that the fee for a license for a resident of the State for sport fishing devices or spearing devices is $14.50 for individuals 18 to 64 years old (rather than $14.50 for individuals 16 to 64 years old). Provides that no fee for a license or a 3-year license shall be charged to residents under 18 years old or residents 65 years old or older (rather than one-half of the fee shall be charged to residents 65 years old or older). Deletes provisions regarding fees for residents 75 years old or older. Further provides that no fee for lifetime licenses shall be charged to residents 65 years old or older.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning fish.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Fish and Aquatic Life Code is amended by changing Section 20-45 as follows:

(515 ILCS 5/20-45) (from Ch. 56, par. 20-45)

Sec. 20-45. License fees for residents. Fees for licenses for residents of the State of Illinois shall be as follows:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, for sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, the fee is $14.50 for individuals 18 16 to 64 years old, one-half of the current fishing license fee for individuals age 65 or older, and, commencing with the 2012 license year, one-half of the current fishing license fee for resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or mobilization by the President of the United States as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces. Veterans must provide to the Department acceptable verification of their service. The Department shall establish by administrative rule the procedure by which such verification of service shall be made to the Department for the purpose of issuing fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee. No fee under this subsection (a) shall be charged to residents under 18 years old or residents 65 years old or older.

(a-3) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, for sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110, residents of this State may obtain a 3-year fishing license. The fee for a 3-year fishing license is 3 times the annual fee. No fee under this subsection (a-3) shall be charged to residents under 18 years old or residents 65 years old or older. For residents age 65 or older, the fee is one half of the fee charged for a 3-year fishing license. For resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or mobilization by the President of the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for a 3-year fishing license. Veterans must provide to the Department, per administrative rule, verification of their service. The Department shall establish what constitutes suitable verification of service for the purpose of issuing 3-year fishing licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee.

(a-5) (Blank). The fee for all sport fishing licenses shall be $1 for an annual license and 3 times the annual fee for a 3-year license for residents over 75 years of age.

(b) All residents before using any commercial fishing device shall obtain a commercial fishing license, the fee for which shall be $60, and a resident fishing license, the fee for which is $14.50. Each and every commercial device used shall be licensed by a resident commercial fisherman as follows:

(1) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction thereof, of seine the fee is $18. For each minnow seine, minnow trap, or net for commercial purposes the fee is $20.

(2) For each device to fish with a 100 hook trot line device, basket trap, hoop net, or dip net the fee is $3.

(3) When used in the waters of Lake Michigan, for the first 2000 lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of gill net the fee is $10; and for each 1000 additional lineal feet, or fraction thereof, the fee is $10. These fees shall apply to all gill nets in use in the water or on drying reels on the shore.

(4) For each 100 lineal yards, or fraction thereof, of gill net or trammel net the fee is $18.

(c) Residents of this State may obtain a sportsmen's combination license that shall entitle the holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as residents holding a license as described in subsection (a) of this Section and to the same hunting privileges as residents holding a license to hunt all species as described in Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No sportsmen's combination license shall be issued to any individual who would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting license separately. The sportsmen's combination license fee shall be $25.50. For residents age 65 or older, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for a sportsmen's combination license. For resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or mobilization by the President of the United States as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces, the fee, commencing with the 2012 license year, is one-half of the fee charged for a sportsmen's combination license. Veterans must provide to the Department acceptable verification of their service. The Department shall establish by administrative rule the procedure by which such verification of service shall be made to the Department for the purpose of issuing sportsmen's combination licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee.

(c-5) Residents of this State may obtain a 3-year sportsmen's combination license that shall entitle the holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as residents holding a license as described in subsection (a-3) and to the same hunting privileges as residents holding a license to hunt all species as described in Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. A 3-year sportsmen's combination license shall not be issued to any individual who would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting license separately. The 3-year sportsmen's combination license fee shall be 3 times the annual fee. For residents age 65 or older, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for a 3-year sportsmen's combination license. For resident veterans of the United States Armed Forces after returning from service abroad or mobilization by the President of the United States, the fee is one-half of the fee charged for a 3-year sportsmen's combination license. Veterans must provide to the Department, per administrative rule, verification of their service. The Department shall establish what constitutes suitable verification of service for the purpose of issuing 3-year sportsmen's combination licenses to resident veterans at a reduced fee.

(d) For 24 hours of fishing by sport fishing devices as defined in Section 10-95 or by spearing devices as defined in Section 10-110 the fee is $5. This license does not exempt the licensee from the requirement for a salmon or inland trout stamp. The licenses provided for by this subsection are not required for residents of the State of Illinois who have obtained the license provided for in subsection (a) or (a-3) of this Section.

(e) All residents before using any commercial mussel device shall obtain a commercial mussel license, the fee for which shall be $50.

(f) Residents of this State, upon establishing residency as required by the Department, may obtain a lifetime hunting or fishing license or lifetime sportsmen's combination license which shall entitle the holder to the same non-commercial fishing privileges as residents holding a license as described in subsection paragraph (a) of this Section and to the same hunting privileges as residents holding a license to hunt all species as described in Section 3.1 of the Wildlife Code. No lifetime sportsmen's combination license shall be issued to or retained by any individual who would be ineligible for either the fishing or hunting license separately, either upon issuance, or in any year a violation would subject an individual to have either or both fishing or hunting privileges rescinded. The lifetime hunting and fishing license fees shall be as follows:

(1) Lifetime fishing: 30 x the current fishing license fee.

(2) Lifetime hunting: 30 x the current hunting license fee.

(3) Lifetime sportsmen's combination license: 30 x the current sportsmen's combination license fee.

Lifetime licenses shall not be refundable. A $10 fee shall be charged for reissuing any lifetime license. The Department may establish rules and regulations for the issuance and use of lifetime licenses and may suspend or revoke any lifetime license issued under this Section for violations of those rules or regulations or other provisions under this Code or the Wildlife Code, or a violation of the United States Code that involves the taking, possessing, killing, harvesting, transportation, selling, exporting, or importing any fish or aquatic life protected by this Code or the taking, possessing, killing, harvesting, transportation, selling, exporting, or importing any fauna protected by the Wildlife Code when any part of the United States Code violation occurred in Illinois. Individuals under 16 years of age who possess a lifetime hunting or sportsmen's combination license shall have in their possession, while in the field, a certificate of competency as required under Section 3.2 of the Wildlife Code. Any lifetime license issued under this Section shall not exempt individuals from obtaining additional stamps or permits required under the provisions of this Code or the Wildlife Code. Individuals required to purchase additional stamps shall sign the stamps and have them in their possession while fishing or hunting with a lifetime license. All fees received from the issuance of lifetime licenses shall be deposited in the Fish and Wildlife Endowment Fund. No fee under this subsection (f) shall be charged to residents 65 years old or older.

Except for licenses issued under subsection (e) of this Section, all licenses provided for in this Section shall expire on March 31 of each year, except that the license provided for in subsection (d) of this Section shall expire 24 hours after the effective date and time listed on the face of the license. Licenses issued under subsection (a-3) or (c-5) shall expire on March 31 of the 2nd year after the year in which the license is issued.

The Department shall by administrative rule provide for the automatic renewal of a fishing license upon the request of the applicant.

All individuals required to have and failing to have the license provided for in subsection (a), (a-3), or (d) of this Section shall be fined according to the provisions of Section 20-35 of this Code.

All individuals required to have and failing to have the licenses provided for in subsections (b) and (e) of this Section shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

(g) For the purposes of this Section, "acceptable verification" means official documentation from the Department of Defense or the appropriate Major Command showing mobilization dates or service abroad dates, including: (i) a DD-214, (ii) a letter from the Illinois Department of Military Affairs for members of the Illinois National Guard, (iii) a letter from the Regional Reserve Command for members of the Armed Forces Reserve, (iv) a letter from the Major Command covering Illinois for active duty members, (v) personnel records for mobilized State employees, and (vi) any other documentation that the Department, by administrative rule, deems acceptable to establish dates of mobilization or service abroad.

For the purposes of this Section, the term "service abroad" means active duty service outside of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and includes all active duty service in territories and possessions of the United States.

(Source: P.A. 102-780, eff. 5-13-22; 102-837, eff. 5-13-22; 103-154, eff. 6-30-23; 103-456, eff. 1-1-24; revised 7-3-25.)