---
title: SB 420. License, Permit, Tag, and Stamp Fees; fees for reef and migratory fish endorsement; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb420
cite_as: SB 420, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72331
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: 990
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 420
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-05-11
last_action: Effective Date 2026-07-01
sponsors:
- Drew Echols
- Lee Anderson
- Steve Gooch
- Jason Anavitarte
- Shawn Still
- Mike Hodges
- Jesse Petrea
text_version: Engrossed
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB420/2025
upstream_id: 2091230
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- fishing licenses
- reef fish
- migratory fish
- wildlife regulations
- Department of Natural Resources
---
# SB 420. License, Permit, Tag, and Stamp Fees; fees for reef and migratory fish endorsement; provide
## Text
Senate Bill 420
By: Senators Echols of the 49th, Anderson of the 24th, Gooch of the 51st, Anavitarte of the
31st, Still of the 48th and others
AS PASSED SENATE
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 27-2-23 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
license, permit, tag, and stamp fees, so as to provide for fees for reef and migratory fish
endorsements; to provide for recreational and commercial fishing; to provide for reporting
of information; to provide for retention of certain fees; to amend Code Section 12-2-2 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to Environmental Protection Division, appeal
procedures generally, permit applications, and inspections, Code Section 27-1-39 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to rules and regulations used to establish
criminal violations, and Code Section 52-7-26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to penalty, respectively, so as to revise effective dates; to provide for related matters;
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
PART I
SECTION 1-1.
Code Section 27-2-23 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to license, permit,
tag, and stamp fees, is amended by adding new subparagraphs to paragraph (4), revising
paragraph (11), and adding a new paragraph to read as follows:
"(K) Resident reef/migratory fish Annual 10.00
endorsement
(L) Nonresident reef/migratory fish Annual 20.00"
endorsement
"(11) For wildlife that may be legally taken by recreational or commercial fishing gear
as authorized in this title or by board rule, the board may designate which species of
wildlife or species grouping of wildlife require a recreational or commercial fishing
species endorsement for a fee shown in subparagraphs (K) and (L) of paragraph (4) or
subparagraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph (6) of this Code section in addition to the
required recreational or commercial fishing license. Each species or group of species so
designated shall require a separate recreational or commercial fishing species
endorsement. Each person who holds an endorsement pursuant to the provisions of this
Code section shall report such information as required by the department at the times and
in the manner the board provides by rule or regulation."
"(12.1) Any fees collected pursuant to subparagraphs (K) and (L) of paragraph (4) of this
Code section shall be retained by the department pursuant to Code Section 45-12-92.1."
PART II
SECTION 2-1.
Code Section 12-2-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to Environmental
Protection Division, appeal procedures generally, permit applications, and inspections, is
amended by revising paragraph (5) of subsection (c) as follows:
"(5) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, for purposes of establishing criminal
violations of the standards, rules, and regulations promulgated by the Board of Natural
Resources as provided in this title, the term 'standards, rules, and regulations' shall mean
those standards, rules, and regulations of the Board of Natural Resources in force and
effect on January 1, 2025 2026."
SECTION 2-2.
Code Section 27-1-39 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to rules and
regulations used to establish criminal violations, is amended as follows:
"27-1-39.
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, for purposes of establishing criminal
violations of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Board of Natural Resources as
provided in this title, the term 'rules and regulations' means those rules and regulations of
the Board of Natural Resources in force and effect on January 1, 2025 2026."
SECTION 2-3.
Code Section 52-7-26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to penalty, is
amended by revising subsection (a) as follows:
"(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, any person who violates this article or any
rule or regulation promulgated hereunder shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. For purposes
of establishing criminal violations of the rules and regulations promulgated by the board
as provided in this article, the term 'rules and regulations' means those rules and regulations
of the board in force and effect on January 1, 2025 2026."
PART III
SECTION 3-1.
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.
Senate Bill 420 would create new state fishing endorsements for reef and migratory fish in Georgia, with separate fees for residents and nonresidents, and update reference dates used to define criminal violations of natural resource rules.
### Plain-language summary
This bill changes Georgia's fishing license fee law (O.C.G.A. § 27-2-23) to add a reef and migratory fish endorsement. Georgia residents would pay $10 a year for the endorsement and nonresidents would pay $20 a year. The bill also extends the existing endorsement system, which currently applies only to commercial fishing, to cover recreational fishing as well. Anyone who holds one of these endorsements would have to report information to the Department of Natural Resources as required by board rule, and fees collected from the new endorsements would be kept by the department rather than sent elsewhere in the state budget.
Separately, the bill updates three other Georgia code sections (O.C.G.A. §§ 12-2-2, 27-1-39, and 52-7-26) that define which version of the Board of Natural Resources' rules count for criminal enforcement purposes, moving the reference date from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026.
### What it does
- Creates a new resident reef/migratory fish endorsement costing $10 per year and a nonresident version costing $20 per year under Georgia's fishing license fee law.
- Expands the existing fish species endorsement requirement, previously limited to commercial fishing, so it also applies to recreational fishing.
- Requires anyone holding a reef/migratory fish endorsement to report information to the Department of Natural Resources as set by board rule.
- Directs that fees collected from the new endorsements be retained by the department rather than deposited into the general state treasury.
- Updates the reference date used to define which Board of Natural Resources rules count for criminal violations, changing it from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026, in three separate Georgia code sections.
### Who it affects
Recreational and commercial anglers who fish for reef and migratory species in Georgia waters, both state residents and nonresidents, the Department of Natural Resources and its Environmental Protection Division, and anyone whose conduct is judged against Board of Natural Resources rules in a criminal case.
### Why it matters
Anglers targeting reef and migratory fish would need to buy a new annual endorsement and report catch information, adding a cost and a paperwork step. The department would keep that new fee revenue for its own use, and updated rule-reference dates would change which year's regulations apply when prosecuting violations.
### Key provisions
- Section 1-1 adds subparagraphs (K) and (L) to Code Section 27-2-23 setting the $10 resident and $20 nonresident annual reef/migratory fish endorsement fees.
- Section 1-1 revises paragraph (11) of the same code section to extend species endorsement requirements to recreational fishing, not just commercial fishing.
- Section 1-1 adds a reporting requirement for endorsement holders and a new paragraph (12.1) stating that fees from the new endorsements are retained by the department under O.C.G.A. § 45-12-92.1.
- Section 2-1 updates O.C.G.A. § 12-2-2 so criminal violations are measured against Board of Natural Resources rules in effect on January 1, 2026, instead of 2025.
- Section 2-2 makes the same date update in O.C.G.A. § 27-1-39.
- Section 2-3 makes the same date update in the penalty provisions of O.C.G.A. § 52-7-26.
- Section 3-1 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Passed (2026-05-11)
- Last action: Effective Date 2026-07-01 (2026-05-11)
- Sponsors: Drew Echols, Lee Anderson, Steve Gooch, Jason Anavitarte, Shawn Still, Mike Hodges, Jesse Petrea
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72331
> The history, votes, and amendments (990 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420.md?full=1