Eligibility for free and reduced-fee deer and wild turkey
hunting licenses, which are hereafter referred to as free licenses, is defined
in Iowa Code section
483A.24,
rule
571-98.5 (483A) and rule
571-106.12 (481A). The electronic licensing system for Iowa (ELSI) will not issue free
licenses to persons who have not registered their eligibility with ELSI.
(1)
Farm unit. As provided
in 571-subrule 106.12(6), all the land under the lawful control of the
landowner or tenant is considered one farm unit no matter how it is subdivided
for business purposes. No one may be registered as eligible for free licenses
on more than one farm unit. Registering on one parcel of land within the farm
unit will allow the landowner, tenant or family member to hunt on all land in
the farm unit.
(2)
Who may
obtain free licenses. One member of the landowner family (the
landowner or an eligible family member) may obtain a free any-deer license.
Members of the landowner family may divide the free antlerless-deer-only
licenses for which the family is eligible among themselves in any way they
choose. If there is a tenant on the same property, one member of the tenant
family (the tenant or an eligible family member) may also obtain a free
any-deer license. Members of the tenant family may divide the free
antlerless-deer-only licenses for which they may be eligible among themselves
in any way they choose. One member of the landowner family and one member of
the tenant family may each obtain one free spring turkey hunting license and
one free fall turkey hunting license.
(3)
Method of registration.
A landowner or tenant may register in one of the following ways:
a.
Landowners. Persons who
own at least one parcel of qualifying land may register on the Internet through
ELSI or by mailing or faxing an affidavit obtained from DNR. The online system
is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An online registrant may
immediately obtain a free license once the registration process is complete. A
person who registers through the mail or by fax may have to wait up to ten
business days after the form is received by DNR to obtain a free
license.
b.
Tenants.
A person who qualifies as a tenant but does not own any qualifying
land may register on the Internet through ELSI or by mailing or faxing an
affidavit obtained from DNR. A tenant may have to wait up to ten business days
after the affidavit is received by DNR before obtaining a free
license.
(4)
Information verifying eligibility. In order to register, a
landowner, tenant or qualifying family member must have a customer record in
ELSI, i.e., have already purchased a license through ELSI. A person without an
ELSI customer record must call the ELSI telephone ordering system to establish
a customer record before registering. When registering, landowners, tenants and
family members will be required to provide their ELSI customer number or their
Iowa driver's license number or social security number and their date of birth
to identify their ELSI customer record.
a.
Landowners. A landowner shall provide the parcel
identification number (PIN) from the landowner's current property tax statement
for one parcel of qualifying land owned by the landowner and the number of the
county where the land is located. Qualifying family members shall be registered
to the same parcel of qualifying land as the landowner.
b.
Partnerships, corporations or
other forms of joint land ownership. Each owner of a jointly owned
farm unit and the owner's qualifying family members who wish to receive free
licenses for that farm unit shall register with the same county number and PIN.
Only one joint owner or family member may obtain the one any-deer license
available for the farm unit. The other joint owner(s) and family members may
divide any other free licenses to which they are entitled among themselves in
any way they choose.
c.
Tenants. A tenant shall provide an affidavit that contains the name,
address, and telephone number of the owner of the qualifying land rented by the
tenant; the county number where the land is located; and the landowner's PIN
from one parcel of that qualifying land. If a tenant rents land from more than
one landowner, the tenant shall provide the required information about only one
landowner. The tenant's qualifying family members shall be registered to the
same parcel of qualifying land as the tenant.
d.
Signature required.
Pursuant to Iowa Code section
483A.24(2)
"f," all affidavits
submitted to register eligibility for free licenses shall bear the signature of
the landowner, tenant, or family member attesting that the information
contained therein is true.
(5)
Forms. Instructions and
affidavits may be obtained online at
www.iowadnr.com, at DNR offices, or by calling
(515)281-5918.
(6)
Registration expiration and renewal. A registered landowner,
tenant, or eligible family member may obtain free licenses as allowed in
subrule 95.2(2) provided the registration information and eligibility status
remain valid. If the registration information or eligibility status of a
registered landowner, tenant, or eligible family member changes, that
individual must send by U.S. mail or by fax a DNR affidavit form or contact the
DNR by telephone. The DNR will periodically review registration information to
verify eligibility status and will inactivate registrations when the
registration information fails to indicate eligibility.
95.2 (7)Penalties. Free
licenses will not be issued to an applicant until a legible and complete
affidavit is received by DNR. An illegible or incomplete affidavit will be
returned to the applicant for correction. A person who has made a false
attestation in obtaining a license in violation of Iowa Code Supplement section
483A.24(2)
"f" shall be guilty of a
simple misdemeanor and subject to license revocation, as provided in Iowa Code
section
483A.21,
Iowa Code supplement section
483A.24(2)
"f" and 571-subrule
106.8(3).
