Hunting or Fishing Agent Bond - Pinellas County, FL in Florida

Brief Summary

Selling Florida hunting and fishing licenses from a bait shop, marina or outdoor store means handling state money every day. The subagent bond is what lets the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hand you that job. It guarantees you will report sales and pay the Commission what you collect, and an annual premium covers it without tying up your own cash.

A business in Pinellas County that sells Florida hunting and fishing licenses and permits does so as a subagent appointed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission under Fla. Stat. 379.3511. That statute lets the Commission require each subagent to post a bond in an amount the Commission sets, written through an insurance company the Commission accepts. The bond protects the license and permit money the subagent collects on the state's behalf.

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How to Apply for a Hunting or Fishing Agent Bond:

• Apply to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for appointment as a license subagent.
• Get the required bond amount and bond form from the Commission in writing.
• Ask whether a Commission blanket bond already covers your location.
• Complete the bond application in the exact business name on the appointment.
• Pay the premium and return the executed bond to the Commission.

Detailed Information About the Florida Hunting or Fishing Agent Bond:

The amount is set by FWC, not by statute

Most people expect to find the bond amount in Florida law. It is not there. Fla. Stat. 379.3511 gives the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the power to require a subagent bond "as determined by the commission." The figure you need comes from the Commission at appointment, so get it in writing before you order the bond.

The same section gives the Commission two other options. It may buy a blanket bond covering all or some subagents, or it may accept another form of security from an individual subagent. If the Commission tells you a blanket bond already covers your location, you may not need your own.

Who posts it

Subagents sell licenses and permits at specific locations within a county, as the Commission authorizes, and they serve at the Commission's pleasure. Selling or handling licenses for a fee without an appointment is unlawful under 379.3511. A subagent must report sales and pay the Commission for licenses sold in the manner the Commission prescribes. The bond backs that duty to remit.

What a subagent can charge

Under 379.3511, a subagent may keep 50 cents for each license or permit sold, on top of the amount the law requires. Shoreline fishing licenses are handled differently. For each one, the subagent may keep 50 cents from other license proceeds that would otherwise go to the Commission. Fla. Stat. 379.352 adds a $1.50 issuance charge per license or management area permit, other than replacements.

Before you order the bond

Confirm the required amount, the bond form and the filing steps with the Commission's licensing office. Then order the bond in the exact business name on your subagent appointment.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Florida Hunting or Fishing Agent Bond:

• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission named as obligee.
• Surety acceptable to the Commission, as Fla. Stat. 379.3511 requires.
• Bond amount as set by the Commission.
• Sales reported and paid to the Commission as it prescribes.
• Owner credit review, which shapes the premium.

Florida Hunting or Fishing Agent Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Florida Hunting or Fishing Agent Bond: