AB2207 - Hunting tags: transfer: youth program.

Enrolled September 03, 2026 Passed IN Senate August 27, 2026 Passed IN Assembly August 30, 2026 Amended IN Senate August 17, 2026 Amended IN Senate June 25, 2026 Amended IN Senate June 08, 2026 Amended IN Assembly April 06, 2026 Amended IN Assembly March 12, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 2207 Introduced by Assembly Member Hadwick February 19, 2026 An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 1052 of, and to add and repeal Section 1054.6 of, the Fish and Game Code, relating to hunting. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2207, Hadwick. Hunting tags: transfer: youth program. The California Constitution establishes the Fish and Game Commission and provides for the delegation to the commission of powers relating to the protection and propagation of fish and game. Existing law places the Fish and Game Commission in the Natural Resources Agency. Under existing law, a hunting license grants the privilege to take birds and mammals. Existing law provides for the issuance by the Department of Fish and Wildlife of tags that are required in addition to a hunting license to take specified animals, including antelope, elk, deer, bears, and bighorn rams. Existing law prohibits the transfer of a tag issued by the department. This bill would require the commission to establish a hunting tag transfer program that authorizes a person to transfer a tag issued for the take of one of those species to their child or grandchild, subject to specified conditions. The bill would require the department to collect a fee to cover the reasonable costs of transferring a tag and would require the department to deposit the revenues from the fee into the Big Game Management Account. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2033. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 1052 of the Fish and Game Code is amended to read: 1052. Except as authorized pursuant to Section 1054.6, it is unlawful for any person to do any of the following: (a) Transfer any license, tag, stamp, permit, application, or reservation. (b) Use or possess any license, tag, stamp, permit, application, or reservation that was not lawfully issued to the user or possessor thereof or that was obtained by fraud, deceit, or the use of a fake or counterfeit application form. (c) Use or possess any fake or counterfeit license, tag, stamp, permit, permit application form, band, or seal, made or used for the purpose of evading any of the provisions of this code, or regulations adopted pursuant thereto. (d) Predate, fail to date, or alter any date of any license, tag, or permit. (e) Postdate the date of application or the date of issuance of the license, tag, or permit. This subdivision does not apply to the date that a license, tag, or permit is valid. (f) Alter, mutilate, deface, duplicate, or counterfeit any license, tag, permit, permit application form, band, or seal, or entries thereon, to evade the provisions of this code, or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto. (g) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2033, and as of that date is repealed. SEC. 2. Section 1052 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read: 1052. It is unlawful for any person to do any of the following: (a) Transfer any license, tag, stamp, permit, application, or reservation. (b) Use or possess any license, tag, stamp, permit, application, or reservation that was not lawfully issued to the user or possessor thereof or that was obtained by fraud, deceit, or the use of a fake or counterfeit application form. (c) Use or possess any fake or counterfeit license, tag, stamp, permit, permit application form, band, or seal, made or used for the purpose of evading any of the provisions of this code, or regulations adopted pursuant thereto. (d) Predate, fail to date, or alter any date of any license, tag, or permit. (e) Postdate the date of application or the date of issuance of the license, tag, or permit. This subdivision does not apply to the date that a license, tag, or permit is valid. (f) Alter, mutilate, deface, duplicate, or counterfeit any license, tag, permit, permit application form, band, or seal, or entries thereon, to evade the provisions of this code, or any regulations adopted pursuant thereto. (g) This section shall go into effect on January 1, 2033. SEC. 3. Section 1054.6 is added to the Fish and Game Code, to read: 1054.6. (a) Notwithstanding Section 1052, the commission shall establish a hunting tag transfer program that authorizes a person to transfer a tag, subject to the following conditions: (1) The person transfers a tag issued to them pursuant to Section 331, 332, 4332, 4751, or 4902. (2) The person is the parent, legal guardian, or grandparent of the person to whom the tag is transferred. (3) On the date of the transfer, the transferee is 17 years of age or younger, possesses a valid hunting license, and is otherwise eligible to obtain the applicable tag. (4) The transferee is accompanied during the take authorized by the applicable tag by their parent, legal guardian, or grandparent, or any combination of those persons. (5) If the tag was obtained pursuant to a modified-preference point drawing, as defined in the commission’s regulations, a transferee shall not lose any preference points for the particular species as a result of the transfer of the tag pursuant to the program. The transferor shall not receive any reinstatement of preference points lost as a result of drawing a tag. (6) For a tag for a particular species that may only be drawn once, a person may transfer that tag to a transferee. The ineligibility to draw another tag for that particular species shall apply to the transferor and not to the transferee. (b) The department shall collect a fee from the transferor to cover the reasonable cost of transferring a tag pursuant to this section and shall deposit the revenues from the fee into the Big Game Management Account created pursuant to Section 3953. (c) The commission shall adopt regulations to implement this section. (d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2033, and as of that date is repealed.