Apply for alligator hunting permits

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Staff reports

Alligator hunt permits

 

Since 1988, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has offered hunters the opportunity to take part in its annual statewide recreational alligator harvest that always runs Aug. 15 – Nov. 1. These special night hunts provide a hunting adventure unlike any other. Alligators are a conservation success story in Florida. The state’s alligator population is estimated at 1.3 million and has been stable for many years.

 

Phase I application period

 

The application period for the Phase I random drawing begins May 18 at 10 a.m. and runs through May 28. More than 6,000 alligator harvest permits will be available.

 

Hunters may submit their application for a permit that allows the harvest of two alligators on a designated harvest unit or county. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age by Aug. 15 and have a valid credit or debit card to apply.

 

Applications may be submitted at any county tax collector’s office, license agent (most retail outlets that sell hunting and fishing supplies) and at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Applicants must provide their credit card information when they apply. If you change your mind on where you’d like to hunt, or need to update your credit card information, you are able to make changes up until the application period closes.

 

License/permit costs

 

The alligator trapping license/harvest permit and two hide validation CITES tags cost $272 for Florida residents, $22 for those with a Florida Resident Persons with Disabilities Hunting and Fishing License, and $1,022 for nonresidents. The cost for applicants who already have an alligator trapping license is $62.

 

Phase II and III application periods

 

Any permits remaining after the first phase will be offered during the Phase II random drawing June 1-11. Those who were awarded a permit in Phase I may not apply during Phase II. Remaining permits will be available in Phase III to anyone who did not draw a permit in either of the first two phases, and they may be applied for June 15-25.

 

Leftover application phase

 

If any permits remain after Phase III, there will be a fourth-phase issuance period beginning at 10 a.m. on June 28 until all permits are sold. Anyone may apply during Phase IV, even if they were awarded a permit in one of the earlier phases. Customers who get to purchase additional permits will be charged $62, regardless of residency or disability.

 

What to expect if you get drawn

 

Within three days of an application period closing, applicants may expect to see an authorization hold on their credit card, verifying there is a sufficient balance to cover the cost of the permit. However, this does not mean they were awarded a permit. Once the credit card authorization process is complete, the lottery drawing will be held. All successful applicants will be charged, while those who were unsuccessful will have the authorization hold lifted from their credit cards.

 

Successful applicants should expect to receive their alligator trapping license/harvest permit and two CITES alligator tags in the mail within six weeks of payment. Alligator trapping licenses are nontransferable. All sales are final, and no refunds will be made.

 

For more information on alligator hunting or the application process, see the “Guide to Alligator Hunting in Florida” by going to “MyFWC.com/Hunting” and then “By Species.”