OLYMPIA,WA –-(Ammoland.com)-Starting Feb. 1, disabled veterans who are not state residents can apply for reduced fees on their next Washington state hunting or combination fishing license.
The Washington Department Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is now accepting applications for the new discounted rates, which were extended to non-residents by the state Legislature under House Bill 1192 last year.
While resident disabled veterans can qualify for even deeper discounts, the new law allows those from out of state to pay standard resident license fees, said Frank Hawley, a WDFW licensing manager.
“The law was designed to make it more affordable for all United States veterans with disabilities to hunt and fish in our state,” Hawley said.
For example, those who qualify can purchase a combination fishing license (saltwater, freshwater, and shellfish) at the residents’ rate of $54.25, compared to $123.55 for the standard, non-resident license. A deer-hunting license would cost $66.90, rather than the non-resident price of $531.10.
To qualify for the reduced rates, non-resident veterans must:
- Be honorably discharged from military service, and
- Have a service-related disability rating of 30 percent or more, verified by a letter from the Veterans Affairs Administration (VA); or be 65 years of age or older with a service-related disability verified by a VA letter.
- Submit an application requesting reduced fees.
Applications and additional information about the Veterans Reduced Fee program are available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/
Anyone with questions about the program can call WDFW’s licensing division at (360) 902-2464 or send an email to licensing@dfw.wa.gov .