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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
SESSION LAW 2026-43
HOUSE BILL 747
*H747-v-7*
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE WILDLIFE LAWS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
CONFIDENTIALITY OF WILDLIFE RESOURCE INFORMATION
SECTION 1. G.S. 143-254.5 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143-254.5. Disclosure of personal identifying and sensitive wildlife resource information.
(a) Social security numbers and identifying information obtained by the Commission
shall be treated as provided in G.S. 132-1.10. For purposes of this section, "identifying
information" also includes a person's mail ing address, residence address, email address,
Commission-issued customer identification number, date of birth, information subject to
G.S. 106-24.1 transferred to the Commission from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services, and telephone number.
(b) Records that contain site-specific information regarding the occurrence of rare species
of plants or animals specified in the current North Carolina Wildlife Action Plan, or the location
of sensitive habitats , are confidential and exempt from disclosure under Chapter 132 of the
General Statutes when the Executive Director finds that disclosure will create a risk of harm,
theft, or destruction to the species or habitats or the area where the species or habitats are located.
This subsection does not apply to a request for release of records requested by the owner of record
of land where such species, habitats, or areas are located."
AUTHORIZE THE DIVISI ON OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO ISSUE LIFETIME
CONSERVATIONIST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES REGISTRATION PLATES
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 20-63(b1) is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(61) Wildlife Resources."
SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 20-79.4(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b) Types. – The Division shall issue the following types of special registration plates:
…
() Lifetime Conservationist. – Issuable to the registered owner of a motor vehicle
in accordance with G.S. 20-81.12. The plate shall bear the "North Carolina
Lifetime Conservationist " logo of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission.
…
(267) Wildlife Resources. – Issuable to the registered owner of a motor vehicle in
accordance with G.S. 20-81.12. The plate shall bear the phrase "Wildlife
Resources Commission " with a picture in the background representing a
native wildlife species occurring in North Carolina. The plate authorized by
this subdivision is not subject to the provisions of G.S. 20-79.3A or
G.S. 20-79.8.
…."
SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 20-79.7 reads as rewritten:
"§ 20-79.7. Fees for special registration plates and distribution of the fees.
Page 2 Session Law 2026-43 House Bill 747
…
(a1) Fees. – All other special registration plates are subject to the regular motor vehicle
registration fee in G.S. 20-87 or G.S. 20-88 plus an additional fee in the following amount:
Special Plate Additional Fee Amount
…
Kick Cancer for Kids $30.00
Lifetime Conservationist $30.00
Maggie Valley Trout Festival Expired July 1, 2016
…
(b) Distribution of Fees. – The Special Registration Plate Account and the Collegiate and
Cultural Attraction Plate Account are established wit hin the Highway Fund. The Division must
credit the additional fee imposed for the special registration plates listed in subsection (a1) of this
section among the Special Registration Plate Account (SRPA), the Collegiate and Cultural
Attraction Plate Account (CCAPA), the North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) which
is established under G.S. 143B-135.234, and the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, which is
established under G.S. 143B-135.56, as follows:
Special Plate SRPA CCAPA NCLWF PRTF
…
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
– Expired July 1, 2016
Lifetime Conservationist $10 $20 0 0
Litter Prevention $10 $10 0 0
…
Native American $10 $10 0 0
Native Brook Trout $10 $20 0 0
NC Agribusiness – Expired July
1, 2016
…."
SECTION 2.(d) G.S. 20-81.12 reads as rewritten:
"§ 20-81.12. Collegiate insignia plates and certain other special plates.
…
() Lifetime Conservationist. – The Division must transfer quarterly the money in the
Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Account derived from the sale of Lifetime Conser vationist
plates to the Wildlife Resources Fund established in G.S. 143-250.
…
(b163) Wildlife Resources Plates. Resources. – The Division must receive 300 or more
applications for a wildlife resources plate with a picture representing a particular native wildlife
species occurring in North Carolina before the plate may be developed. The Division must
transfer quarterly the money in the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account derived from
the sale of wildlife resources plates to the Wildlife Conservation Account established by
G.S. 143-247.2.
…."
SECTION 2.(e) The Revisor of Statutes is authorized to alphabetize, number, and
renumber the special registration plates listed in G.S. 20-63(b1), 20-79.4(b), 20-79.7(a1) and (b),
and 20 -81.12 to ensure that all special registration plates are listed in alphabetical order and
numbered accordingly.
SECTION 2.(f) This section becomes effective October 1, 2026.
RECREATIONAL BOATING SAFETY CONFORMING PROGRAM CHANGES
House Bill 747 Session Law 2026-43 Page 3
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 75A-5 reads as rewritten:
"§ 75A-5. Application for certificate of number; fees; reciprocity; change of ownership;
conformity with federal regulations; records; award of certificates; renewal of
certificates; transfer of partial interest; destroyed or junked vessels;
abandonment; change of address; duplicate certificates; display.
…
(b) Reciprocity. – The owner of any vessel already covered by a number in full force and
effect pursuant to federal law or a federally approved numbering system of another state shall
record the identification number prior to operating the vessel on the waters of this State in excess
of the 90-day 60-day reciprocity period provided for in G.S. 75A-7(a)(1). The recordation shall
be made pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, except that no additional or substitute
identification number shall be issued.
…."
SECTION 3.(b) G.S. 75A-7(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a) A vessel shall not be required to be numbered under this Chapter if it is:
(1) A vessel that is required to be awarded an identification number pursuant to
federal law or a federally approved numbering system of another state, and
for which an identification number has been so awarded: Provided, that any
such vessel shall not have been within this State for a period in excess of 90
60 consecutive days.
…."
SECTION 3.(c) G.S. 75A-6.1(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a) Every vessel operated on the waters of this Stat e that is required to obtain an
identification number pursuant to this Chapter, has a valid marine document issued by the federal
Bureau of Customs or any federal agency successor to it, or issued pursuant to a federally
approved numbering system of anothe r state shall comply with the navigation rules, including
requirements for navigational lights, sound-signaling devices, and other equipment, contained in
the Inland Navigational Rules Act of 1980, codified as amended at 33 U.S.C. §§ 2001 -2038,
2071-2073 (1993) and rules adopted pursuant thereto, see 33 C.F.R. Part 84 (1992)."
SECTION 3.(d) G.S. 75A-13.3 reads as rewritten:
"§ 75A-13.3. Personal watercraft.
…
(d) No person shall operate a personal watercraft on the waters of this State, nor shall the
owner of a personal watercraft knowingly allow another person to operate that personal
watercraft on the waters of this State, unless:
(1) Each person riding on or being towed behind the vessel is wearing a personal
flotation device approved by the United States Coast Guard. Inflatable
personal flotation devices do not satisfy this requirement; and
(2) In the case of a personal watercraft equipped by the manufacturer with a
lanyard-type an engine cut-off switch, the lanyard is securely attached to the
person, clothing, or flotation device of the operator at all times while the
personal watercraft is being operated in such a manner to turn off the engine
if the operator dismounts while the watercraft is in operation. the engine
cut-off switch is being used whi le the vessel is operating on plane or above
displacement speed.
…
(e) A personal watercraft must at all times be operated in a reasonable and prudent
manner. Maneuvers that endanger life, limb, or property shall constitute reckless operation of a
vessel as provided in G.S. 75A-10, and include any of the following:
(1) Unreasonably or unnecessarily weaving through congested vessel traffic.
Page 4 Session Law 2026-43 House Bill 747
(2) Jumping the wake of another vessel within 100 feet of the other vessel or when
visibility around the other vessel is obstructed.
(3) Intentionally approaching another vessel in order to swerve at the last possible
moment to avoid collision.
(4) Repealed by Session Laws 2000-52, s. 2.
(5) Operating contrary to the "rules of the road" navigation rules or following too
closely to another vessel, including another personal watercraft. For purposes
of this subdivision, "following too closely" means proceeding in the same
direction and operating at a speed in excess of 10 miles per hour when
approaching within 100 feet to the rear or 50 feet to the side of another vessel
that is underway unless that vessel is operating in a narrow channel, in which
case a personal watercraft may operate at the speed and flow of other vessel
traffic.
…."
SECTION 3.(e) This section becomes ef fective October 1, 2026. Prosecutions for
offenses committed before the effective date of this act are not abated or affected by this act, and
the statutes that would be applicable but for this act remain applicable to those prosecutions.
ALLOW THE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION TO ISSUE ELK PERMITS BY
RAFFLE AND AUCTION
SECTION 4.(a) Directive to Commission. – The Wildlife Resources Commission
shall issue one resident Elk Permit by raffle and one Elk Permit by auction as provided in this
section. These permits shall be issued for the 2027 hunting season, pursuant to rules adopted by
the Commission. Any elk taken shall be reported and presented to Commission staff pursuant to
the conditions of the permit issued. An Elk Permit obtained by raffle or auction is nontransferable
and may not be resold or reassigned.
SECTION 4.(b) Raffle. – The Commission shall conduct a raffle for one resident
Elk Permit. Raffle tickets will be twenty dollars ($20.00) per ticket or a maximum of 30 raffle
tickets for five hundred dollars ($500.00). Purchasers of raffle tickets must either have a valid
North Carolina hunting license or be licensed exempt as provided in G.S. 113-276 at the time of
purchase. The Commission may retain from the proceeds of the raffle the actual costs of
administering the raffle for a resident Elk Permit, not to exceed twenty -five thousand dollars
($25,000). The Commission shall deposit the remaining proceeds from the raffle in the Wildlife
Resources Fund created under G.S. 143-250 to be used for the conservation and management of
elk.
SECTION 4.(c) Auction. – Notwithstanding Article 3 of Chapter 143 of the General
Statutes or any other provision of law pertaining to public contracting, the Commission shall
select one nonprofit wildlife conservation organization to conduct an auction for one Elk Permit.
The nonprofit wildlife conservation organization selected by the Commission pursuant to this
section must have been involved in the reintroduction of elk into North Carolina. The nonprofit
wildlife conservation organization shall retain no more than twenty -five percent (25%) of the
proceeds of the auction for an Elk Permit. The Commission shall deposit the remaining proceeds
from the auction in the Wildlife Resources Fund created under G.S. 143-250 to be used for the
conservation and management of elk.
SECTION 4.(d) Continuing Authority. – For hunting seasons after the 2027 hunting
season, the Commission, based on its evaluation of its elk management goals, may raffle off one
or more Elk Permits and select o ne nonprofit wildlife conservation organization to conduct an
auction for one Elk Permit in the manner described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. The
following restrictions apply to those future hunting season activities:
(1) The Commission must conduct an Elk Permit raffle for one or more Elk
Permits if it conducts an Elk Permit auction.
House Bill 747 Session Law 2026-43 Page 5
(2) The Commission shall reserve fifty percent (50%) of all Elk Permits made
available via raffle for residents of the State of North Carolina.
SECTION 4.(e) Funds Supplemental. – It is the intent of the General Assembly that
receipts generated by the activities authorized by this act supplement, rather than replace, other
funds budgeted for management of elk.
SECTION 4.(f) Report. – No later than March 1, 2028, and every year thereafter in
which the Commission conducts Elk Permit raffles and auctions, the Commission shall submit
to the House Wildlife Resources Committee; the Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment
Committee; and the Fiscal Research Division a report on the effectiveness of the auction and
raffle programs, including the amount of money raised, recommendations as to whether to
continue the programs, and, if so, legislative recommendations to improve the programs.
SECTION 5. Conforming Change. – G.S. 113-129(7c) reads as rewritten:
"(7c) Game Animals. – Bear, elk, fox, rabbit, squirrel, white-tailed deer, and, except
when trapped in accordance with provisions relating to fur -bearing animals,
bobcat, opossum, and raccoon."
SECTION 6. Conforming Change. – G.S. 113-291.8 reads as rewritten:
"§ 113-291.8. Requirement to display hunter orange.
(a) Any person hunting game animals other than foxes, bobcats, raccoons, and opossum,
or hunting upland game birds other than wild turkeys, or hunting feral swine, with the use of
firearms, must wear a cap or hat on his head made of hunter orange material or an outer garment
of hunter orange visible from all sides. Any person hunting deer during a deer firearms season or
elk during an open elk season shall wear hunter orange. orange in a manner that is visible from
all directions. Hunter orange material is a material that is a daylight fluorescent orange color.
This section does not apply to a landholder, his spouse, or children, who are hunting on land
held by the landholder. This subsection shall be enforced by warning ticket only until October 1,
1992, with respect to those hunting rabbit, squirrel, grouse, pheasant, and quail.
(b) Any person violating this section during the 1987 big game hunting season shal l be
given a warning of violation only. Thereafter, any Any person violating this section has
committed an infraction and shall pay a fine of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). An infraction is an
unlawful act that is not a crime. The procedure for charging and trying an infraction is the same
as for a misdemeanor, but conviction of an infraction has no consequence other than payment of
a fine. A person convicted of an infraction may not be assessed court costs.
Wildlife Enforcement Officers are authorized to ch arge persons with the infraction created
by this section.
(c) Failure to wear hunter orange material in violation of this section shall not constitute
negligence per se or contributory negligence per se."
Page 6 Session Law 2026-43 House Bill 747
EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 7. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes
law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 2nd day of July, 2026.
s/ Rachel Hunt
President of the Senate
s/ Destin Hall
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Josh Stein
Governor
Approved 9:43 a.m. this 7th day of July, 2026