Ohio is lowering the age to qualify for the senior discount on fishing and hunting licenses.
Starting Sept. 30, the age for the discounted licenses will drop from 66 to 65.
The annual cost of a hunting license will go from $19 to $10 for those Ohio seniors, while a fishing license will go from $25 to $10.
The change is expected to save seniors about a half million dollars a year. The Senior Sportsmen Fairness Act, also known as House Bill 64, was approved unanimously by the legislature and signed earlier this year by Gov. Mike DeWine.
“This was something that a constituent reached out to me on and I am pleased to get accomplished for him,” state Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, who co-sponsored the legislation, said in a prepared statement. “This shows the importance of reaching out to your legislators when you see or experience something that doesn’t seem quite right. We may not be able to fix everything but the conversation is important so we can work towards a better Ohio.”
Rick Provence III, owner of Cast Cray PLX Bait & Tackle in Akron, said it’s great that the age for the discount is going down, as it will benefit the dedicated community of senior fishermen in the state.
“I don’t honestly think it’s going to drive more people to fish,” he said. “I think the people that are already fishing at that age group have fished most of their whole life.”
He added that seniors sometimes have a misconception about licenses.
“I’ve had some older folks come in … and they’ll say, ‘Can I get my license?’ and then when I tell them it’s $10, they say, ‘Oh I thought it was free at my age,” he said. “So there’s a little bit of that complaint.”
When does House Bill 64 take effect?
The bill is set to take effect Sept. 30.
How much are hunting and fishing licenses for seniors?
Hunting licenses are priced at $10 for seniors, compared to $19 for Ohio residents. Fishing licenses run the same price for seniors for an annual license, while residents are charged $25.
Here’s a look at how hunting and fishing licenses are priced through the state for residents, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources:
Hunting licenses
∎ Resident one-year license: $19
∎ Resident three-year license: $54.08
∎ Resident five-year license: $90.14
∎ Resident lifetime license: $449.28
∎ Resident senior one-year license: $10
∎ Resident senior three-year license: $27.04
∎ Resident senior five-year license: $45.07
∎ Resident senior lifetime license: $84.24
Fishing licenses
∎ Resident one-year license: $25
∎ Resident three-year license: $72.11
∎ Resident five-year license: $120.18
∎ Resident lifetime license: $599.04
∎ Resident senior one-year license: $10
∎ Resident senior three-year license: $27.04
∎ Resident senior five-year license: $45.07
∎ Resident senior lifetime license: $84.24
More information on prices can be found on the ODNR website.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio lowers the age for senior discounts on fishing and hunting licenses. What to know
Reporting by Janson McNair, Canton Repository / The Repository
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