---
title: HB 946. Game and fish; authorize hunting and trapping of feral hogs under certain circumstances
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb946
cite_as: HB 946, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb946
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb946.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb946/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72144
date: 2026-05-11
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 947
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb946.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 946
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-07-01
sponsors:
- Rob Clifton
- Trey Rhodes
- Jason Ridley
- Trey Kelley
- Charles Cannon
- Clint Crowe
- Lee Anderson
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB946/2025
upstream_id: 2071992
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- feral hogs
- hunting laws
- wildlife management
- drone use
- agricultural pest control
---
# HB 946. Game and fish; authorize hunting and trapping of feral hogs under certain circumstances
## Text
House Bill 946 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)
By: Representatives Clifton of the 131st, Rhodes of the 124th, Ridley of the 6th, Kelley of the
16th, Cannon of the 172nd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Title 27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to game and fish, so
as to authorize hunting and trapping of feral hogs under certain circumstances; to repeal
provisions relating to wildlife control permits for feral hogs; to authorize location of feral
hogs with unmanned aircraft systems; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to game and fish, is amended in
Article 1 of Chapter 2, relating to hunting, trapping, or fishing, by revising subsection (a) of
Code Section 27-2-1, relating to hunting, trapping, or fishing without license or permit
generally and nonresidents, as follows:
"(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt, fish, trap, or possess any wildlife or feral
hog without first procuring all of the licenses, stamps, or permits required or authorized
under this title; provided, however, that persons may trap feral hogs without a hunting or
trapping license, provided that such hogs shall be killed upon capture."
SECTION 2.
Said title is further amended in said article by revising subsection (b) of Code
Section 27-2-31, relating to wildlife control permits, as follows:
"(b)(1) In issuing a wildlife control permit, the department shall prescribe the method,
means, species, numbers, time limits, location, and any other conditions it deems necessary
to ensure the continued viability of the wildlife population involved and to ensure that the
public safety and interest are not compromised.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, a wildlife control
permit for feral hogs shall authorize the hunting or trapping of such feral hogs:
(A) At night with a light except during the season prescribed for hunting deer;
(B) From within a motor vehicle or while on a motor vehicle; and
(C) By a Georgia resident without a hunting or trapping license if such hunting occurs
on premises owned by the permittee or his or her immediate family or leased by him
or her or his or her immediate family and used primarily for raising or harvesting crops
other than timber or for containing livestock or poultry. Nothing in this subparagraph
shall be construed to affect or negate the terms of any lease agreement.
(3) A wildlife control permit for feral hogs shall expire not less than five years from the
issuing date; provided, however, that if the permittee is leasing the premises upon which
the hunting is to occur, such permit shall expire automatically upon the termination of the
lease. The department shall provide for the renewal of permits."
SECTION 3.
Said title is further amended in Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 3, relating to general provisions
regarding hunting, by revising Code Section 27-3-13, relating to hunting of wildlife or feral
hog from boats, aircraft, or motor vehicles, as follows:
"27-3-13.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (a.1) of this Code section, it It shall be unlawful to
hunt any wildlife or feral hog from an electric, gas, or diesel boat, a steamboat, a sailboat,
an aircraft, a hydroplane, a hovercraft, or a motor vehicle; except that alligators may be
hunted from any boat or watercraft under power and feral hogs may be hunted on private
property, subject to the provisions of Code Section 27-3-24, from motor vehicles in
accordance with an applicable wildlife control permit issued by the department.
(a.1) Unmanned aircraft systems, as such term is defined in Code Section 6-1-4, may be
used to locate feral hogs, subject to all applicable laws and regulations governing the use
of unmanned aircraft systems.
(b) Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (a) of this Code section shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not
less than $250.00 and, in the discretion of the sentencing court, imprisonment confinement
for not more than 12 months; provided, however, that such fine shall not be subject to
suspension, stay, or probation except that if the court finds that payment of such fine would
impose great economic hardship upon the defendant, the court may order such fine paid in
installments."
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would let people trap feral hogs without a hunting or trapping license, drop the old permit system for controlling feral hogs, and allow drones to be used to locate them.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia currently requires people to get a wildlife control permit before hunting or trapping feral hogs at night, from vehicles, or without a license on their own land. This bill removes that permit system entirely and replaces it with simpler rules written directly into the game and fish laws (O.C.G.A. Title 27).
Under the bill, anyone may trap feral hogs without a hunting or trapping license, as long as any hog caught is killed upon capture. Hunting feral hogs from a motor vehicle is now allowed on private property, subject to other existing hunting-from-vehicles restrictions, without needing the old permit. The bill also allows unmanned aircraft systems (drones) to be used to locate feral hogs, as long as their use follows other drone laws. It updates the penalty section so that violators face confinement rather than the word imprisonment, keeping the same fine of at least $250 and up to 12 months.
### What it does
- Lets people trap feral hogs without first getting a hunting or trapping license, as long as any hog caught is killed on the spot.
- Repeals the wildlife control permit system that previously governed night hunting, vehicle hunting, and unlicensed hunting of feral hogs on family land.
- Allows hunting of feral hogs from motor vehicles on private property, replacing the old permit requirement with a cross-reference to other hunting-from-vehicles rules.
- Authorizes the use of drones (unmanned aircraft systems) to locate feral hogs, subject to other laws governing drone use.
- Replaces the word imprisonment with confinement in the penalty for illegal hunting from boats, aircraft, or vehicles, while keeping the same fine and time limits.
### Who it affects
Landowners and hunters dealing with feral hog damage, farmers and livestock owners who previously needed a wildlife control permit, people who trap hogs on their property, and anyone using drones to track feral hog locations on private land.
### Why it matters
Feral hogs cause significant crop and property damage in Georgia, and this bill removes a permitting step that previously controlled when, where, and how people could hunt or trap them. Landowners could act more quickly against hogs, while also gaining a new option to use drones to find them.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-2-1 to let people trap feral hogs without a hunting or trapping license, provided captured hogs are killed.
- Section 2 repeals paragraphs (2) and (3) of O.C.G.A. § 27-2-31, eliminating the wildlife control permit requirements specific to feral hogs, including night hunting and lease-based permit expiration rules.
- Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-3-13 to allow hunting feral hogs from motor vehicles on private property, subject to Code Section 27-3-24, instead of requiring a wildlife control permit.
- Section 3 also adds a new subsection (a.1) authorizing the use of unmanned aircraft systems to locate feral hogs, subject to other applicable drone laws.
- Section 3 changes the penalty language from 'imprisonment' to 'confinement' for up to 12 months, while keeping the minimum $250.00 fine and installment payment option for economic hardship.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-07-01 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Rob Clifton, Trey Rhodes, Jason Ridley, Trey Kelley, Charles Cannon, Clint Crowe, Lee Anderson
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72144
> The history, votes, and amendments (947 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb946.md?full=1