Nonresident license fee increases, WMA access changes and other wildlife-related laws passed during the 2025 legislative session

Salt Lake City — A lot of bills were passed during the 2025 legislative session, and March 27 was the deadline for Gov. Spencer Cox to sign or veto them. There were several bills related to wildlife management that were signed into law this legislative session — here are just a few to be aware of.

SB8: State Agency Fees and Internal Service Fund Rate Authorization and Appropriations

This new law allows the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to increase nonresident license fees up to double the previous cost in order to purchase large blocks of land for hunting and fishing. However, the bill does not mandate that those fees will automatically increase by double. All resident fees will remain the same.

"We're reviewing the intended goals of the legislation and are evaluating each fee based on the relevant market values of neighboring states and the opportunities we offer," DWR Director Riley Peck said. "This legislation is intended to increase revenue to allow us to purchase public land for the specific use of protecting wintering wildlife populations. The legislature also allocated $50M to the DWR, specifically for the purchase of large land parcels to secure hunting and fishing on these properties into the future."

Hunting and fishing fees for nonresidents will be increased, as follows:

• Nonresident hunting, fishing and combination license fees will not double, but will see a moderate adjustment. Nonresident 365-day fishing licenses will increase from $34 to $44 for youth and from $94 to $120 for adults. Nonresident 365-day hunting licenses will increase from $34 to $44 for youth and from $120 to $144 for adults. Nonresident combination licenses will increase from $38 to $58 for youth and from $150 to $190 for adults. This change will be in effect July 1, 2025.
• Hunt drawing application fees for nonresident hunters will also not be doubled. The new price will be $21 per application, a $5 increase, beginning on Sept. 1, 2025. There will be no changes to the fees for any applications, licenses and permits offered through the current 2025 big game application period.
• Nonresident hunting permit fees will be right-sized to value, based on the species and permit type. For example, limited-entry permit fees will be adjusted more than general-season permit fees, and once-in-a-lifetime species permit fees will generally see a higher increase, proportionally, than other permits. Nonresident buck deer permits for general-season hunts will increase from $418 to $599, and limited-entry permits will increase from $670 to $1,070. Nonresident bull elk permits for general-season hunts will increase from $613 to $849, and limited-entry permits will increase from $1,050 to $1,950.

These permit fee changes will not go through the DWR's typical public process of review — involving the Regional Advisory Councils and Utah Wildlife Board — since they have already received legislative approval.

Changes to nonresident license fees will go into effect on July 1, 2025, and changes to drawing application fees and hunting permits will go into effect Sept. 1, 2025.

HB309: Wildlife Amendments

This new law requires anyone 18 years old or older to possess a hunting, fishing or combination license to access a wildlife management area or waterfowl management area in counties that are designated as "class one" or "class two" counties, which includes the following: Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber. The law also updated the definition of a WMA, so there are less than 30 WMAs in the four counties where this new legislation applies.

Wildlife management areas and waterfowl management areas are properties owned and managed by the DWR for the following purposes:

• Conserving critical wildlife habitats
• Helping to minimize and mitigate wildlife depredation on private property
• Providing places where Utahns can go to hunt and fish

Currently, there are 194 WMAs throughout Utah, totaling over 500,000 acres, or 780 square miles. The WMAs range in size from a couple dozen acres to over 50,000 acres.

This new law also made a few additional changes, including:

• Requiring a Utah Wildlife Board member to have a current, valid hunting or combination license while serving on the board, as well as possessing a license or permit at least three of the five years before becoming a board member.
• Requiring a Regional Advisory Council member to have a current, valid hunting or combination license while serving on the council, as well as possessing a license or permit at least three of the five years before becoming a council member.
• Clarifying the language for when a person can engage in night hunting for nonprotected wildlife.
• Updating details about depredation payments for livestock owners who have animals killed by wildlife.

This new law goes into effect May 7, 2025.

HB378: Department of Natural Resources Funding Amendments

This law levies a tax on certain new energy development projects. The additional revenue will go into the Species Protection Account, which funds projects that benefit Utah's native species populations and helps keep them healthy to prevent listings under the federal Endangered Species Act.

"This legislation is a big win for Utah's native species in need of conservation attention," DWR Habitat Section Assistant Chief Paul Thompson said. "The Utah Wildlife Action Plan identifies species and habitats that are in need of conservation, and this ongoing funding provided by renewable energy sources will greatly benefit this conservation work."

This new law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026.

HB244: Wildlife Management Area Amendments

This law creates a new waterfowl management area on state sovereign lands in northern Utah: The Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area. The new WMA will be managed to:

• Protect and sustain waterfowl, upland gamebirds, shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and surrounding wetlands.
• Preserve and enhance the natural function, vegetation and water flows under existing or acquired water rights to provide wildlife habitat.
• Provide recreational opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife viewing and public access for those activities through airboat and other small watercraft use.

This law goes into effect May 7, 2025.

SB149: Natural Resources Modifications

This new law allows the DWR to regulate hunting guides and outfitters in the state. Previously, guides and outfitters were regulated by the Utah Division of Professional Licensing. The law requires a guide, outfitter or spotter — who is being paid to assist individuals in hunting or fishing activities — to obtain a certificate of registration and pay a fee to the DWR. The legislation outlines the parameters of when a guide, outfitter or spotter can be compensated for their services and when their certificate of registration can be revoked.

The new law allows up to three guides, outfitters or spotters to assist a permit holder on a bighorn sheep, bison, moose or mountain goat hunt on public land. Permit holders for all other big game hunts are allowed up to two guides, outfitters or spotters on public land.

This part of the law goes into effect July 1, 2025.