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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 1197
Introduced by Storer, 43; Brandt, 32; Sanders, 45; Strommen, 47.
Read first time January 21, 2026
Committee: Natural Resources
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to hunting permits; to amend section 37-455,1
Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025; to change provisions relating to2
limited landowner permits; and to repeal the original section.3
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,4
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Section 1. Section 37-455, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is1
amended to read: 2
37-455 (1) The commission may issue a limited permit for deer,3
antelope, wild turkey, or elk to a person who is a qualifying landowner4
or leaseholder or a member of such person's immediate family as described5
in this section. The commission may issue nonresident landowner limited6
permits after preference has been given for the issuance of resident7
permits as provided in rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by8
the commission. Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, a9
permit shall be valid during the predetermined period established by the10
commission pursuant to sections 37-447 to 37-450, 37-452, 37-456, or11
37-457. Upon receipt of an application in proper form as prescribed by12
the rules and regulations of the commission, the commission may issue (a)13
a limited deer, antelope, or wild turkey permit valid for hunting on all14
of the land which is owned or leased by the qualifying landowner or15
leaseholder if such lands are identified in the application or (b) a16
limited elk permit valid for hunting on the entire elk management unit of17
which the land of the qualifying landowner or leaseholder included in the18
application is a part. 19
(2)(a) The commission shall adopt and promulgate rules and20
regulations prescribing procedures and forms and create requirements for21
documentation by an applicant or permittee (i) to determine whether the22
applicant or permittee is a Nebraska resident and is a qualifying23
landowner or leaseholder of the described property or is a member of the24
immediate family of such qualifying landowner or leaseholder and (ii) to25
allow a Nebraska resident landowner to transfer a permit to a designee of26
the landowner for a fee equal to the fee for the original permit . The27
commission may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations that create28
requirements for documentation to designate one qualifying landowner29
among partners of a partnership or officers or shareholders of a30
corporation that owns or leases eighty acres or more of farm or ranch31
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land for agricultural purposes and among beneficiaries of a trust that1
owns or leases eighty acres or more of farm or ranch land for2
agricultural purposes as qualifying landowners. Only a person who is a3
qualifying landowner or leaseholder or a member of such person's4
immediate family may apply for a limited permit. An applicant may apply5
for no more than one permit per species per year except as otherwise6
provided in subsection (4) of this section and the rules and regulations7
of the commission. For purposes of this section, member of a person's8
immediate family means and is limited to the spouse of such person, any9
child or stepchild of such person or of the spouse of such person, any10
spouse of any such child or stepchild, any grandchild or stepgrandchild11
of such person or of the spouse of such person, any spouse of such12
grandchild or stepgrandchild, any sibling of such person sharing13
ownership in the property, and any spouse of any such sibling.14
(b) The conditions applicable to permits issued pursuant to sections15
37-447 to 37-450, 37-452, 37-456, or 37-457, whichever is appropriate,16
shall apply to limited permits issued pursuant to this section, except17
that the commission may pass commission orders for species harvest18
allocation pertaining to the sex and age of the species harvested which19
are different for a limited permit than for other hunting permits. For20
purposes of this section, white-tailed deer and mule deer shall be21
treated as one species. 22
(3)(a) To qualify for a limited permit to hunt deer or antelope, the23
applicant shall be a Nebraska resident who (i) owns or leases eighty24
acres or more of farm or ranch land for agricultural purposes or a member25
of such person's immediate family or (ii) is a the partner, officer,26
shareholder, or beneficiary of designated as the qualifying landowner by27
a partnership, corporation, or trust as provided in the rules and28
regulations under subdivision (2)(a) of this section or a member of the29
immediate family of a the partner, officer, shareholder, or beneficiary.30
The number of limited permits issued annually per species for each farm31
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or ranch shall not exceed the total acreage of the farm or ranch divided1
by eighty. The fee for a limited permit to hunt deer or antelope shall be2
one-half the fee for the regular permit for such species.3
(b) A nonresident of Nebraska who owns three hundred twenty acres or4
more of farm or ranch land in the State of Nebraska for agricultural5
purposes or a member of such person's immediate family may apply for a6
limited deer or antelope permit. The number of limited permits issued7
annually per species for each farm or ranch shall not exceed the total8
acreage of the farm or ranch divided by three hundred twenty. The fee for9
such a permit to hunt deer or antelope shall be one-half the fee for a10
nonresident permit to hunt such species. 11
(c) The commission may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations12
providing for the issuance of an additional limited deer permit to a13
qualified individual for the taking of a deer without antlers at a fee14
equal to or less than the fee for the original limited permit.15
(4)(a) In addition to any limited permit to hunt deer issued to a16
qualifying landowner under subsection (3) of this section, the commission17
shall issue up to eight limited permits to hunt deer during the three18
days of Saturday through Monday immediately preceding the opening day of19
firearm deer hunting season to any qualifying landowner meeting the20
requirements of subdivision (b) of this subsection and designated members21
of his or her immediate family. The fee for each permit issued under this22
subsection shall be five dollars. Permits shall be issued subject to the23
following: 24
(i) No more than eight permits may be issued per qualifying25
landowner to the landowner or designated members of his or her immediate26
family, except that no more than one permit shall be issued per person27
for the qualifying landowner or any designated member of his or her28
immediate family; 29
(ii) Of the eight permits that may be issued, no more than six30
permits may be issued to persons who are younger than nineteen years of31
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age and no more than two permits may be issued to persons who are1
nineteen years of age or older; and 2
(iii) For a Nebraska resident landowner, the number of permits3
issued shall not exceed the total acreage of the farm or ranch divided by4
eighty, and for a nonresident landowner, the number of permits issued5
shall not exceed the total acreage of the farm or ranch divided by three6
hundred twenty. 7
(b) For purposes of this subsection, the qualifying criteria for a8
Nebraska resident described in subdivisions (3)(a)(i) and (ii) of this9
section and the ownership criteria for a nonresident of Nebraska10
described in subdivision (3)(b) of this section apply.11
(c) The commission may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to12
carry out this subsection. 13
(5)(a) To qualify for a limited permit to hunt wild turkey, the14
applicant shall be a Nebraska resident who (i) owns or leases eighty15
acres or more of farm or ranch land for agricultural purposes or a member16
of such person's immediate family or (ii) is a the partner, officer,17
shareholder, or beneficiary of designated as the qualifying landowner by18
a partnership, corporation, or trust as provided in the rules and19
regulations under subdivision (2)(a) of this section or a member of the20
immediate family of a the partner, officer, shareholder, or beneficiary.21
The number of limited permits issued annually per season for each farm or22
ranch shall not exceed the total acreage of the farm or ranch divided by23
eighty. An applicant may apply for no more than one limited permit per24
season. The fee for a limited permit to hunt wild turkey shall be one-25
half the fee for the regular permit to hunt wild turkey.26
(b) A nonresident of Nebraska who owns three hundred twenty acres or27
more of farm or ranch land in the State of Nebraska for agricultural28
purposes or a member of such person's immediate family may apply for a29
limited permit to hunt wild turkey. Only one limited wild turkey permit30
per three hundred twenty acres may be issued annually for each wild31
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turkey season under this subdivision. The fee for such a permit to hunt1
shall be one-half the fee for a nonresident permit to hunt wild turkey.2
(6)(a) To qualify for a limited permit to hunt elk, (i) the3
applicant shall be (A) a Nebraska resident who owns three hundred twenty4
acres or more of farm or ranch land for agricultural purposes, or is a5
the partner, officer, shareholder, or beneficiary of designated as the6
qualifying landowner by a partnership, corporation, or trust as provided7
in the rules and regulations under subdivision (2)(a) of this section,8
(B) a Nebraska resident who leases six hundred forty acres or more of9
farm or ranch land for agricultural purposes or has a combined total of10
six hundred forty leased and owned acres of farm or ranch land used for11
agricultural purposes, or is a the partner, officer, shareholder, or12
beneficiary of designated as the qualifying landowner by a partnership,13
corporation, or trust as provided in the rules and regulations under14
subdivision (2)(a) of this section, (C) a nonresident of Nebraska who15
owns at least one thousand two hundred eighty acres of farm or ranch land16
for agricultural purposes, or is a the partner, officer, shareholder, or17
beneficiary of designated as the qualifying landowner by a partnership,18
corporation, or trust as provided in the rules and regulations under19
subdivision (2)(a) of this section, or (D) a member of such owner's or20
lessee's immediate family and (ii) the qualifying farm or ranch land of21
the applicant shall be within an area designated as an elk management22
zone by the commission in its rules and regulations.23
(b) An applicant shall not be issued a limited bull elk permit more24
than once every three years, and the commission may give preference to a25
person who did not receive a limited elk permit or a specified type of26
limited elk permit during the previous years. 27
(c) The fee for a resident landowner limited permit to hunt elk28
shall not exceed one-half the fee for the regular permit to hunt elk. The29
fee for a nonresident landowner limited permit to hunt elk shall not30
exceed three times the cost of a resident elk permit.31
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(d) The number of applications allowed for limited elk permits for1
each farm or ranch shall not exceed the total acreage of the farm or2
ranch divided by the minimum acreage requirements established for the3
property. No more than one person may qualify for the same described4
property. 5
Sec. 2. Original section 37-455, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025,6
is repealed. 7
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