HB 432: Game and fish; Georgia turkey stamps; provide

Currently Georgia law does not require a separate permit specifically to hunt turkey. This bill amends Georgia's hunting and fishing licensing statutes (O.C.G.A. Title 27, Chapter 2) to create a new Georgia turkey permit. Starting July 1, 2027, anyone 16 or older would need this permit, in addition to any other required hunting license, to legally hunt turkey in the state. Residents could get the permit at no cost, while nonresidents would pay $100. The bill also directs the Department of Natural Resources to design and sell a separate collectible Georgia turkey stamp by July 1, 2027. Buying the stamp would be voluntary and would not be required to hunt turkey. The department's board would set fees for the stamp and could issue rules to run the program. Money collected from permits and stamps would stay with the department under an existing state law governing retained agency funds (O.C.G.A. § 45-12-92.1). The bill also updates the licensing statute's list of permits whose effective dates the department can set.

• Creates a new Georgia turkey permit requirement, effective July 1, 2027, for anyone 16 or older who hunts turkey in the state.
• Sets the turkey permit fee at $0.00 for Georgia residents and $100.00 for nonresidents.
• Directs the Department of Natural Resources to design and sell a voluntary collectible Georgia turkey stamp by July 1, 2027, separate from the required permit.
• Lets the department's board set fees and rules for the collectible turkey stamp program.
• Allows the department to keep permit and stamp fee revenue under an existing state fund-retention law (O.C.G.A. § 45-12-92.1).
• Adds the Georgia turkey permit to the list of licenses whose effective dates the department may set under O.C.G.A. § 27-2-3.

Turkey hunters in Georgia age 16 and older, both residents and nonresidents, who would need the new permit starting in 2027. It also affects the Department of Natural Resources, which must design the permit and stamp system, and its governing board, which sets stamp fees and rules.

Once the requirement takes effect in mid-2027, turkey hunters would need to obtain an additional permit before hunting, with nonresidents paying $100 while residents pay nothing. Hunters who want a keepsake could also buy an optional stamp, and the fees collected would fund the department's programs.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-2-3 to let the department set the effective dates and term for the new Georgia turkey permit, alongside existing waterfowl stamps and harvest reporting permits.
• Section 2 adds a new subsection (g) to O.C.G.A. § 27-2-6 making it unlawful, effective July 1, 2027, for anyone 16 or older to hunt turkey without a Georgia turkey permit in addition to other required licenses.
• Section 2 sets the permit as free for residents and $100.00 for nonresidents, and requires the department to create a voluntary collectible turkey stamp by July 1, 2027.
• Section 2 lets the department's board issue rules and set fees for the collectible stamp and directs that collected fees be retained by the department under O.C.G.A. § 45-12-92.1.
• Section 3 amends the fee schedule in O.C.G.A. § 27-2-23 to add the annual resident turkey permit at $0.00 and the nonresident permit at $100.00.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-31Senate Tabled (Senate)
2. 2026-02-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
3. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
4. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
5. 2025-03-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
6. 2025-03-06Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
7. 2025-03-04House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
8. 2025-03-04House Third Readers (House)

• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)Primary sponsor
• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
• Charles Cannon (R, HD-172)
• Emory Dunahoo (R, HD-031)
• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)
• Rob Clifton (R, HD-131)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 4, 2025

   166 yea, 1 nay (6 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #178

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 31, 2026

   39 yea, 10 nay (2 not voting, 3 absent)

   Motion To Table Remaining Legislation On The Rules Calendar: Senate Vote #912

• turkey hunting
• hunting licenses
• game and fish regulations
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources
• outdoor recreation fees