(a) No person shall conduct hunting or fishing guide services in this state unless such person registers with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Such registration shall be made on a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection provided such form shall require the listing of such registrant's: (1) Name, (2) residential address, (3) business address, (4) business telephone number, and (5) services offered. The fee for such registration shall be one hundred dollars. Each such registration shall be nontransferable and shall expire on the last day of December next following the date of issuance. For the purposes of this section, “hunting or fishing guide services” means aiding, assisting or instructing any person in the taking of fish or wildlife while in the fields, forests or on the waters of the state in exchange for any form of remuneration. No person shall operate a vessel for the purpose of providing hunting or fishing guide services on navigable waters of the state unless such person has registered with the department as a hunting or fishing guide services provider and holds a current passenger-for-hire license issued by the United States Coast Guard.
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to any user, operator or crew of any vessel registered as a charter boat, party boat or head boat in accordance with the provisions of section 26-142a.
(c) Any person who provides fishing guide services that entail the use of a vessel while taking or landing marine species shall not have more than two customers in such vessel at any given time.
(d) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.
(e) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall have committed an infraction and be fined not more than ninety dollars.
(P.A. 14-201, S. 4.)
History: P.A. 14-201 effective January 1, 2015.