A. The director of the department of game and fish shall prescribe and procure the printing of all forms and blanks that may be required to carry out the intent of Chapter 17 NMSA 1978. All necessary blanks shall be furnished by the director to the license collectors. No license shall be issued except as provided in Section 17-3-5 NMSA 1978. Any false statement in any application shall render the license issued void.

B. A license collector shall keep a correct and complete record of licenses issued, which record shall remain in the license collector's office and be open to inspection by the public at all times.

C. A license collector may collect and retain a vendor fee for each license or permit issued; provided the fee shall be just and reasonable, as determined by regulation of the state game commission, and shall not exceed one dollar ($1.00) for each license or permit issued; and provided further that no such fee shall be collected by the department of game and fish from the purchaser of a special license. "Special license" includes those licenses for the following species: antelope, elk, Barbary sheep, bighorn sheep, bison, oryx, ibex, gazelle and javelina.

D. A license collector shall remit to the director of the department of game and fish the statutory fee of all licenses and permits sold on or before the tenth day of the month following and shall by the same time report the number and kind of licenses issued.

E. Except as provided in Section 17-1-14 NMSA 1978, the director of the department of game and fish shall turn over all money so received to the state treasurer to be credited to the game protection fund.

F. The director of the department of game and fish, in the director's sole discretion, may authorize a refund of the amount of a hunting license fee from the game and fish suspense fund if:

(1) upon written application by the licensee, prior to the time of the hunt for which the license has been issued, the director finds that:

(a) the licensee has a disability, due to a verified injury or life-threatening illness, that prohibits the licensee from hunting during the period that the license is valid; or

(b) the licensee has been deployed by the military and the deployment prevents the licensee from traveling to the hunt during the period that the license is valid;

(2) upon written application by a personal representative of a licensee's estate, the director finds that the licensee died prior to the time of the hunt for which the license was issued; or

(3) the director cancels a hunt due to forest fire or other natural disaster.

G. The director of the department of game and fish, in the director's sole discretion, may authorize a transfer of a hunting license:

(1) to the licensee's designee if, upon written application by the licensee, prior to the time of the hunt for which the license has been issued, the director finds that:

(a) the licensee has a disability, due to a verified injury or life-threatening illness, that prohibits the licensee from hunting during the period that the license is valid; or

(b) the licensee has been deployed by the military and the deployment prevents the licensee from traveling to the hunt during the period that the license is valid;

(2) to the designee of the licensee's estate if, upon written application by the personal representative of the licensee's estate, the director finds that the licensee died prior to the time of the hunt for which the license was issued; or

(3) upon written application by a licensee, to a nonprofit organization approved by the state game commission.

H. The state game commission may prescribe, by rule, the documentation necessary for a finding pursuant to Subsection F or G of this section.

History: Laws 1912, ch. 85, § 48; Code 1915, § 2471; C.S. 1929, § 57-256; Laws 1937, ch. 210, § 1; 1941 Comp., § 43-305; 1953 Comp., § 53-3-5; Laws 1959, ch. 64, § 1; 1973, ch. 140, § 1; 1977, ch. 180, § 2; 1978, ch. 105, § 1; 1992, ch. 29, § 3; 1995, ch. 99, § 2; 2005, ch. 38, § 2; 2012, ch. 32, § 1.

Cross references. — For preparation and contents of forms and filing of applications, see 17-3-5 NMSA 1978.

The 2012 amendment, effective May 16, 2012, provided for refunds of license fees due to forest fires or other natural disasters and in Subsection F, added Paragraph (3).

The 2005 amendment, effective June 17, 2005, added Subsections F and G to provide that the director of the game and fish department may, in the director's discretion, authorize a refund of a hunting license from the game and fish suspense fund or a transfer of a hunting license if a licensee has been prevented from hunting during the time of the license because of a disability or because of a deployment by the military or if the licensee died to the time of the hunt.

It would not be legal for any person to sign the name of another as an applicant when applying for a hunting or fishing license in New Mexico. 1958 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 58-116.

There are no provisions for reimbursement of license fees in any circumstances; therefore, persons who have purchased a second license illegally are not entitled to reimbursement for the second license. 1975 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 75-38.