Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68A-15.005 - Quota Permits; Antlerless Deer Permits; Special-Opportunity Permits

(1) At times specified in paragraph (1)(a), a quota permit or special-opportunity permit, in addition to other required licenses and permits shall be required for any person while hunting on land owned, leased or managed by the Commission.

(a) The maximum number of quota and special-opportunity permits shall be established by order of the Executive Director. Estimated game density, estimated carrying capacity of available habitat and management objectives will be considered in determining the number of quota permits to be issued.

(b) Permits shall be in the hunter's possession and shall be displayed upon request by any Commission employee.

(c) A positive form of identification is required when using a nontransferable permit, except for youth less than 16 years of age.

(d) No person shall sell, purchase or offer to purchase any quota permit, guest permit, special-opportunity permit, or antlerless deer permit.

(2) Quota Permits - Quota permits shall be issued for the following hunt types as described below and as designated by order of the Executive Director. A quota permit holder may take the bag limit of wildlife during the hunt designated on the quota permit as established by Commission rule.

(a) Quota Hunt Types:

1. General Gun

2. Archery

3. Muzzleloading Gun

4. Wild Hog

5. Youth

6. Family

7. Spring Turkey

8. Track

9. Airboat

10. Mobility-impaired

11. Quail

12. Youth Turkey Hunt

(b) Quota Permit Exemptions.

1. Those persons exempt from license or permit requirements by Section 379.353(1) and (2)(a), (c) or (o), F.S., are also exempt from obtaining a quota permit for all hunts except those designated as "no exemptions" in the Executive Order as specified in subsection (1).

2. When a youth under 16 years of age participates in a hunt that allows exempt hunters to hunt without a permit, the supervisor, required by Section 790.22, F.S., may be a non-hunting supervisor without a quota permit.

3. One person 18 years of age or older acting as a supervisor, as required by Section 790.22, F.S., who does not have a quota permit, may accompany a youth under 16 who holds a valid quota permit, and may take wildlife but must share the bag limit of a single person with the accompanying hunter.

4. On those hunts specified as "no exemptions," one youth under 16 years of age who does not have a quota permit may accompany a person 18 years of age or older who holds a valid quota permit and participate in the hunt but must share the bag limit of a single person with the accompanying hunter.

5. One person 21 years of age or older acting as a supervisor as required by Section 379.3581(2)(b), F.S., who does not have a quota permit may accompany a mentor license holder who holds a valid quota permit and may take wildlife but must share the bag limit of a single person with the accompanying hunter.

6. One mentor license holder who does not have a quota permit may accompany a quota permit holder 21 years of age or older and may participate in the hunt but must share the bag limit of a single person with the accompanying hunter.

7. On all mobility-impaired hunts, one non-hunting unlicensed assistant may accompany a mobility-impaired hunter with a valid quota permit and participate in the hunt, provided the assistant may not take wildlife with a gun, unless otherwise provided by area specific regulation. The non-hunting assistant is in addition to one guest permit holder as specified in Rule 68A-15.005, F.A.C.

8. Unless otherwise provided by area-specific rule, on those hunts specified as family hunts, one or two youth per quota permit, under 16 years of age but not younger than 8 years of age, may hunt as provided in Section 790.22, F.S., under the supervision and in the presence of one adult not younger than 18 years of age; the adult may only hunt when in the presence of at least one youth under 16 years of age but not younger than 8 years of age; and each hunter may take a daily bag limit but no additional hunters are allowed.

9. Persons exempt from obtaining a quota permit for a hunt may bring an assistant or supervisor that may participate in the hunt, provided the assistant or supervisor has required licenses and permits (except for a quota permit) and shall not take wildlife with a gun.

(c) Quota Permit Transferability.

1. Quota permits shall be nontransferable, except that permits issued for Holton Creek WMA and the general gun permits issued for Blackwater Dog Hunt Area may be transferred, subject to the following restrictions:

a. Transferable quota permits issued to a disabled hunter may only be transferred to another disabled hunter.

b. Transferable quota permits issued to a youth under 16 years of age may only be transferred to another youth under 16 years of age.

c. Transferable quota permits issued to a person 65 years of age or older may only be transferred to another person 65 years of age or older or to a youth under 16 years of age.

2. Quota permits issued to track vehicles and airboats are nontransferable and only valid for the vehicle or vessel designated on the permit except as provided by specific area regulations.

(d) Guest Permits.

1. Applicants issued a quota permit for nontransferable archery, muzzleloading gun, general gun, wild hog, mobility-impaired or spring turkey quota hunts may complete a FWC guest permit and take a guest hunter, provided that:

a. Only one guest permit may be used by each quota permit holder per day of the hunt.

b. Guest permits shall be nontransferable.

c. A guest permit must be completed for each guest hunter that participates in the hunt.

2. On areas where zone tags are required, the guest hunter must hunt in the same zone as the quota permit holder.

3. Persons who obtain a daily permit at a check station shall not be eligible to take guest hunters.

4. Quota permit holders may only bring one additional person as a guest hunter at any time.

5. Exempt hunters participating in a hunt that allows quota permit exemptions are not considered to be a quota permit holder's guest hunter at any time.

6. A completed guest permit shall be in the guest hunter's possession, except youth under 16 years of age, a youth supervisor, mentor license holders, and supervisors for mentor license holders are not required to possess a guest permit.

7. All guest hunters must enter and exit the area with the quota permit holder, share the same vehicle as the quota permit holder, and cannot hunt on the area unless the quota permit holder is present on the area.

8. The guests and quota permit holder must share a single bag limit of deer, quail or wild turkey, as specified under area specific rules. The quota permit holder shall be responsible for both parties complying with the bag limit.

(e) Application, Selection, and Issuance of Quota Permits; Application for Preference only.

1. Applicant Requirements.

a. All applicants, unless exempt from license or permit requirements by subsection 379.353(1) or paragraph 379.353(2)(a), (c), or (n) F.S., must have a valid Management Area Permit, or a license or permit that includes a Management Area Permit, in order to apply for a quota permit.

b. Applicants for Track and Airboat Quota permits must also provide proof of a current track vehicle registration or airboat vessel registration.

c. Applicants for the Youth Quota Hunts must be at least eight years old by the first day of the earliest hunt date and less than 16 years old on the last day of the latest hunt date that they apply for.

d. Applicants for the Mobility-impaired Quota Hunts must be certified mobility-impaired as established by Rule 68A-9.008, F.A.C.

e. Applicants for the Family Quota Hunts must be at least eighteen years old by the first day of the earliest hunt date for which they apply.

f. Applicants for the Youth Turkey Hunt must be less than 16 years old on the last day of the latest hunt date that they apply for.

2. Phase I - Application; Selection; Issuance.

a. Selection Process - Quota permits for each hunt type shall be selected by random drawing from the applications submitted during the Phase I application period based on the highest number of accumulated preference points.

b. For a given quota hunt type, applications may be submitted for specific hunts or a preference point. All applicants not issued a quota permit in Phase I, including those who apply for a preference point only, shall receive one preference point annually for that specific quota hunt type. Preference points shall accumulate by quota hunt type.

c. The ranking of a group application shall be based on the member of the group with the lowest number of preference points.

d. Applicants who were awarded a nontransferable quota permit in Phase I may return the permit to the Commission's Office of Licensing and Permitting for re-issuance and to have preference points re-instated if applicable. In order to have the original preference points re-instated, the returned permit must be received at least 10 days prior to the first hunt date listed on the permit. Individuals who return a quota permit they obtained in Phase I are prohibited from applying for a permit for that same hunt in Phase IV reissues.

e. Applicants who fail to apply during the Phase I application period for five consecutive years will forfeit all preference points for that quota hunt type.

f. Only one application may be submitted per applicant for each quota hunt type during Phase I, except that airboat and track applicants may submit an application for each track or airboat registered to the applicant.

g. Only one quota permit may be issued per applicant during Phase I for each quota hunt type.

h. An applicant that receives a track quota permit during Phase I is not eligible to receive an airboat quota permit during Phase I.

i. No more than ten percent of the spring turkey quota permits for each specific hunt will be issued to non-residents, provided that at least one permit for each specific hunt may be available to non-residents in the event that the ten percent calculation results in a number less than one.

3. Phase II - Application; Selection; Issuance.

a. Selection Process - Quota permits remaining un-issued after the Phase I random drawing will be issued by random drawing during Phase II.

b. An applicant that is issued a quota permit in Phase I cannot apply for the same quota hunt type in Phase II, except mobility-impaired.

c. Only one application per applicant may be submitted and only one quota permit per applicant may be issued for each quota hunt type during Phase II.

d. An applicant that is issued a track quota permit in Phase I or II is not eligible to receive an airboat quota permit during Phase II.

e. Nontransferable quota permits issued in Phase II and returned to the Commission's Office of Licensing and Permitting at least 10 days prior to the first hunt date listed on the permit shall be reissued.

4. Phase III - Application; Selection; Issuance.

a. Quota permits, remaining un-issued after Phase II will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis during Phase III.

b. No applicant shall be eligible to receive more than one quota permit per hunt number per annual hunting season, including permits that were issued during phases I and II.

c. Applicants shall be limited to five (5) quota permits per quota hunt type per annual hunting season, including permits issued in Phase I and Phase II.

d. Nontransferable quota permits issued in Phase III and returned to the Commission's Office of Licensing and Permitting at least 10 days prior to the first hunt date listed on the permit shall be reissued.

5. Phase IV - Re-issuance of Quota permits - quota permits returned to the Commission at least 10 days prior to the first hunt date listed on the permit will be re-issued by random drawing held on a weekly basis. Returned quota permits that remain unissued following each weekly random drawing will be re-issued on a first-come, first-serve basis. Re-issued quota permits that are returned to the Commission's Office of Licensing and Permitting at least 10 days prior to the first hunt date listed on the permit will also be reissued using the same process described herein. No applicant is eligible to receive more than one quota permit per hunt number per annual hunting season, including permits that were issued during phases I, II, and III. Applicants are limited to five (5) quota permits per quota hunt type per annual hunting season, including permits issued in phases I, II, and III.

(3) Special-Opportunity Permits: Special-opportunity permits shall be issued for the following hunt types as described below and as designated by order of the Executive Director. A special-opportunity permit holder may participate in the designated hunt and take the bag limit of wildlife as established by Commission rule.

(a) Special-Opportunity Hunt Types.

1. Fall

2. Hog

3. Spring Turkey

4. Quail

5. Dove Club

6. Daily Dove

(b) Exemptions.

1. No person is exempt from paying the non-refundable, special-opportunity application fees.

2. Persons with a lifetime hunting or lifetime sportsmen's license issued prior to July 1, 1998 are exempt from paying the special-opportunity permit fees.

(c) Transferability.

Special-opportunity permits shall be transferable from residents to residents, from nonresidents to residents, and from nonresidents to nonresidents only, except that dove club permits are nontransferable. Special-opportunity permits issued to persons exempt from paying the special opportunity permit fees, as specified in subparagraph (3)(b)2., shall be transferable only to another person that is exempt from paying special-opportunity permit fees.

(d) Application for, selection of, and issuance of special-opportunity Permits.

1. Special-Opportunity permits for fall hunts, hog hunts, quail hunts and spring turkey hunts shall be issued by a random drawing from applications submitted during the application period.

2. Special-Opportunity permit fees for applicants chosen in the random drawing must be paid by the deadline indicated on the invoice. Selected applicants who fail to pay the fees by the deadline forfeit their permit to the next applicant selected for that specific hunt.

3. Applicants may submit more than one application for each special-opportunity hunt.

4. Permits will be limited to one special-opportunity permit per person, per hunt.

5. No more than ten percent of the Special-Opportunity permits for each specific hunt shall be issued to non-residents provided that at least one permit may be available to non-residents in the event that the ten percent calculation results in a number less than one.

(4) Antlerless deer permits.

(a) Antlerless deer permits may be issued for specified hunts by order of the Executive Director. Estimated deer density, estimated carrying capacity of available habitat and management objectives will be considered in determining the number of antlerless deer permits to be issued.

(b) An antlerless deer permit allows the harvest of one (1) antlerless deer in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission.

(c) Antlerless deer permits are only valid for the dates and hunt specified on the permit.

(d) Antlerless deer permits shall be transferable.

(e) Application, selection, and issuance of antlerless deer permits.

1. Antlerless deer permits for quota hunts will be issued by random drawing from applications submitted during the Phase I application period from those applicants that indicated they wanted to be included in the antlerless deer drawing and were, unless exempt, awarded a quota permit for a hunt approved for antlerless deer permits.

2. Antlerless deer permits for special-opportunity and recreational use areas will be issued by random drawing from applicants who purchased a special-opportunity permit or recreational use permit for a hunt approved for antlerless deer permits.

(5) Replacement Permits.

(a) A replacement permit may be issued to the holder of a nontransferable permit following loss, destruction or non-receipt of mail.

(b) A replacement permit may be issued to the holder of a transferable permit following loss, destruction or non-receipt of mail upon submission of a written statement to the Office of Licensing and Permitting, attesting to the circumstances leading to the loss or destruction of the original permit. No person shall be eligible for more than one replacement transferable permit per season, per hunt type.

(c) Antlerless deer permits may not be replaced.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68A-15.005

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const.

New 8-1-79, Amended 5-19-80, 6-22-80, 12-29-80, 6-4-81, 8-4-81, 6-21-82, 7-29-82, 7-1-83, 7-5-84, 7-1-85, 9-19-85, Formerly 39-15.05, Amended 5-7-86, 6-10-86, 5-10-87, 6-8-87, 10-8-87, 4-13-88, 6-7-88, 7-1-89, 7-1-90, 9-1-90, 7-1-91, 7-2-91, 7-1-92, 8-23-92, 7-1-93, 7-1-94, 3-30-95, 6-20-95, 8-15-95, 4-1-96, 6-27-96, 9-15-96, 10-20-96, 6-1-97, 8-7-97, 11-23-97, 7-1-98, 7-2-98, 8-11-98, 12-28-98, 5-13-99, Formerly 39-15.005, Amended 12-9-99, 4-30-00, 7-1-01, 8-1-01, 11-1-01, 5-13-02, 10-16-02, 5-1-03, 7-1-03, 9-29-03, 7-1-04, 7-2-04, 8-1-04, 5-1-05, 5-1-06, 6-1-06, 5-1-07, 7-1-08, 5-1-09, 6-1-10, 8-25-10, 7-1-11, 4-9-13, Amended by Florida Register Volume 41, Number 135, July 14, 2015 effective 7/29/2015, Amended by Florida Register Volume 43, Number 050, March 14, 2017 effective 7/1/2017, Amended by Florida Register Volume 49, Number 050, March 14, 2023 effective 7/1/2023, Amended by Florida Register Volume 50, Number 065, April 2, 2024 effective 7/1/2024, Amended by Florida Register Volume 51, Number 063, April 1, 2025 effective 5/1/2025.