50 CFR § 80.33 - How does a State fish and wildlife agency decide who to count as paid license holders in the annual certification?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t50/s80.33"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "50 CFR § 80.33 - How does a State fish and wildlife agency decide who to count as paid license holders in the annual certification?"
title_number: 50
title_name: "Wildlife and Fisheries"
section_number: "80.33"
section_name: "How does a State fish and wildlife agency decide who to count as paid license holders in the annual certification?"
chapter_name: "UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "F"
subchapter_name: "FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE—WILDLIFE AND SPORT FISH RESTORATION PROGRAM"
part_number: "80"
part_name: "ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, PITTMAN-ROBERTSON WILDLIFE RESTORATION AND DINGELL-JOHNSON SPORT FISH RESTORATION ACTS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "16 U.S.C. 669  except for provisions specific to the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration program, and 777-777m, except 777e-1 and g-1."
regulatory_source: "91 FR 1888, Jan. 15, 2026, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "80"
---


# 80.33 How does a State fish and wildlife agency decide who to count as paid license holders in the annual certification?

(a) A State fish and wildlife agency must count only those individuals who have a license issued:

(1) In the license holder's name; or

(2) With a unique identifier that is traceable to the license holder, who must be verifiable in State records.

(b) An agency must count an individual in the annual certification:

(1) Only once, and in the certification period in which the license first becomes valid, when holding a single-year license. A single-year license is valid for any length of time from 1 day to less than 2 years. If valid 2 years or more, a license is considered a multiyear license and may be valid for a specific number of years that is 2 or more, or for the lifetime of the individual (see § 80.35(d)).

(2) Only for the number of years the license is valid and starting in the certification period in which the license first becomes valid, unless that year has already been certified in the case of multiyear licenses. An individual holding a multiyear license may be counted for only the number of years the license is valid and only during the applicable certification periods.

(3) Only for the number of years allowed under § 80.35, when holding a lifetime license.

(c) An individual is counted as a valid license holder when meeting requirements at § 80.34, even if the individual is not required to have a paid license.

(d) An individual having more than one valid hunting license is counted only once each certification period as a hunter. An individual having more than one valid fishing license is counted only once each certification period as an angler. An individual having both a valid hunting license and a valid fishing license, or a valid combination hunting/fishing license, may be counted once each certification period as a hunter and once each certification period as an angler. The license holder may have voluntarily obtained the license(s) or was required to obtain the license(s) to receive a different privilege.

(e) An individual who has a license that allows the license holder only to trap animals or only to engage in commercial fishing or other commercial activities must not be counted.