Florida Disabled Hunter Information

The Commission offers residents who are totally and permanently disabled a free lifetime hunting and fishing certificate, exempting them from license and permit fees. For those hunters who are also mobility-impaired, the Commission sponsors seven hunts on four Type I wildlife management areas (WMAs). Hunters with special needs may write the Commission to receive exemptions from specific WMA regulations, such as being allowed to drive on closed roads. Two Type II WMAs (public areas managed and operated by the landowner) and the St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge also offer mobility-impaired hunts.

• Any person who is totally disabled and who has been a bona fide resident of this state for not less than six months next preceding the date of application may, upon the payment of a license fee of $.25, procure for himself a special annual fishing license in the following manner: The applicant shall file with the person in the county in which he resides who is duly authorized to issue such licenses, an application, stating his age, place of residence, post office address, and length of residence in this state. Such application shall have attached thereto a sworn statement by a licensed physician of this state stating that the applicant is totally disabled.
• The issuing officer or authority shall be allowed a fee of $.25 for each such license issued by him, which issuing fee shall be in addition to the cost of the special license fee. In counties in which the probate judge or issuing officer is on a fee system, the issuing fee shall be retained by the probate judge or issuing officer, and in a county in which the probate judge or issuing officer is on a salary basis, the issuing fee shall be paid into the state treasury. These licenses shall not be issued by special agents. All license fees collected under this section shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the game and fish fund. The name of the physician certifying to the disability of the licensee shall be written upon the license.
• For the purposes of this section, the term "disabled" means inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical impairment which can be expected to result in death or in blindness or to be of long continued and indefinite duration. The term "blindness" as used in this section, means central visual acuity of 5/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a corrective lens. An eye in which the visual field is reduced to five degrees or less concentric contraction shall be considered for the purposes of this section as having a central visual acuity of 5/200 or less. No applicant shall be considered disabled unless he furnishes the required medical statement setting out the fact of such disability. (Acts 1966, Ex. Sess., No. 423, p. 567.)