Office of Licensing and
Permitting
(850) 488-3641
RECREATIONAL USE
PERMITS (USER PAY)
Recreational Use permits are designed to provide more revenue to
landowners in the Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system. Money set aside by the FWC to compensate
those landowners for hunting use on their lands was not sufficient
enough to compete with private hunting leases. Rather than have WMAs
drop out of the system, the FWC offers Recreational Use permits. Fees
collected from these permits supplement the private landowners, keeping
their lands open to public hunting.
Except for hunting, permit holders and their spouses or dependent
children may participate in other activities on
designated WMAs. Only permit holders and one dependent child (under age
16) may hunt. If spouses or more than one dependent child (under age 16)
wish to hunt, they must purchase a Recreational Use permit.
Recreational Use permits also include a management area permit when hunting public lands not in
the recreational use program.
Recreational Use permits do not apply to other recreational use program
areas. Once permits are issued, they can be renewed annually for two
additional years, essentially making
them a three-year permit. Permit renewals are mailed May 1.
Eligible applicants have until May 31 to renew their Recreational Use
permits for the next season.
Permits not renewed by May 31 will be forfeited, and they will be made
available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Permits are issued individually
on a first-come, first-served basis beginning 10:00 am (eastern) on June
4,
2008.
Applications may be submitted
online or take a
completed worksheet to a tax collectors' offices or any license agent
and they will submit the application for you. Worksheets are available
here, at FWC regional offices and tax collectors
offices’ in counties surrounding specific WMA. Quota hunt permits are
not required on WMAs within the recreational use program since only
Recreational Use Permit holders may use the area.
The following are the cost of the permit and total number of hunters
allowed: Nassau, $197, 350; San Pedro Bay, $225, 310; Twelve Mile Swamp,
$525, 200; Flint Rock, $206, 450; Robert
Brent $150, 100; Ft. McCoy $350, 150; Gulf Hammock $275, 450; Grove Park
$475, 200; and Relay $425, 300. The number of recreational use permits
available for purchase will not be known until after the renewals have
been completed.
A quota hunt permit is not required for those areas in the recreational
use program. Since only those individuals with a recreational use permit
and a hunting license may hunt the area, a quota permit is not necessary.
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