                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

APPRENTICE HUNTING LICENSE; DEFERRAL OF HUNTER EDUCATION (§ 29.1-300.4)

A. There is hereby established an apprentice hunting license. The license shall
be a one-time nonrenewable license that shall be valid for two years from the
date of purchase and shall entitle the licensee to a one-time deferral of
completion of hunter education required under &#xA7; 29.1-300.1. The apprentice
hunting licensee shall not hunt prior to completing hunter education unless
accompanied and directly supervised by an adult over the age of 18 who has, on
his person, a valid Virginia hunting license. For the purposes of this section,
&#8220;accompanied and directly supervised&#8221; occurs when a person over 18
maintains a close visual and verbal contact with, provides adequate direction
to, and can immediately assume control of the firearm from the apprentice
hunter. The cost of the license shall be $10 for a resident and $20 for a
nonresident. The Board may subsequently revise the cost of the license pursuant
to &#xA7; 29.1-103.

B. Possession of a valid apprentice hunting license shall serve in lieu of the
state resident hunting or nonresident hunting license required under
subdivisions 2 and 3 of &#xA7; 29.1-303, respectively. The purchase of any other
hunting licenses shall be at the same cost as specified for residents or
nonresidents in this title or as subsequently revised by the Board pursuant to
subdivision 16 of &#xA7; 29.1-103. The purchase of the apprentice hunting
license shall not qualify the holder to purchase a regular hunting license or
exempt the licensee from compliance with the requirements of this title and any
regulations adopted by the Department. Any previous holder of a state resident
or nonresident hunting license issued under this title shall be prohibited from
the purchase of an apprentice hunting license for himself.

C. Upon completion of hunter education under &#xA7; 29.1-300.1, and unless
otherwise required by law to be supervised, the apprentice hunting licensee may
hunt unsupervised subject to the requirements of applicable state law and
regulations.

D. The Board may adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of this section.

HISTORY: 2008, cc. 18, 416; 2009, c. 9; 2014, c. 244.