Will County Gazette

Hunters, fishermen, trappers, and sportsmen have had to renew their licenses annually, but Sen. Patrick Joyce wanted to change that, and he announced in an Aug. 4 Facebook post that a bill he’d championed was signed into law. That law was House Bill 3677, which was signed into law that same day.

"House Bill 3677 was signed into law today. This new law allows Illinois residents to obtain a three-year fishing, hunting, sportsmen’s combination or trapping license at three times the cost of an annual one."

In his Facebook post, Sen. Joyce shared a link to a full statement, which read, in part: “For those who hunt, fish or trap, the process of renewing your license every year can be a burden and time-consuming. It makes sense to allow a three-year license option for these activities. “The convenience of this new law is one thing, but it’s also improving our state’s conservation. I am glad to be a part of this commonsense change that will make the process easier for hunters and fishers across our state.”

Patrick J. Joyce was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 2019. A Democrat, his legislative experience includes serving on the Agriculture Committee and Energy and Public Utilities Committee. Joyce is a state senator who resides in Essex.

House Bill 3677 will allow Illinois residents to obtain a five-year fishing license, a five-year sportsmen’s combination license; or a five-year hunting license and sets the fees for individuals of all ages and provides the fee schedules for all three, including seniors and military personnel. It also allows an applicant to have their three-year fishing license automatically renewed. The bill was initially filed by Rep. Harry Benton on Feb. 17, 2023 and it moved to the Senate on March 27. It passed both houses on May 19 and was sent to Gov. J.B Pritzker on June 16.

Joyce’s news release notes that the price of these three-year licenses is three times the amount of an annual one, and that the bill will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Information on the availability of hunting licenses is available from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Those who are interested can visit this website and search by name, fee, online availability, and obtain vendor lists for various licenses.