Wednesday, May 31, 2017 - 11:45am By Scott Holwell, Veterans Resources
Veterans can qualify for hunting, fishing reduced fee sporting licenses

Reduced-fee licenses are available for any honorably discharged veteran of the US Armed Forces with a service–connected disability rating of 50% or greater.  To prequalify to purchase a disabled veteran license, submit a letter from the Veteran’s Administration documenting that you were honorably discharged from the US military and have a service–connected disability rating of 50% or greater.

After your eligibility has been verified, your customer record will be updated. Once you receive notification from the Department that your customer record has been updated, you will be able to purchase a low cost disabled veteran sport fishing license and/or hunting license anywhere licenses are sold.

Reduced-fee hunting licenses are also available for recovering service members. The Fish and Game Code defines a recovering service member as a member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy and is in an outpatient status while recovering from a serious injury or illness related to the member’s military service. 

Submit a letter from your commanding officer or from a military medical doctor verifying your eligibility as a recovering service member. Please have your commanding officer or military medical doctor include the expected recovery date in your verification letter.

The Department will enter this date into your customer profile and allow you to renew your license until this date without submitting another letter from your commanding officer or doctor.  For more information on this or any of the many other veterans’ benefits, for which you may be eligible, please contact our office.

The Kings County Veterans Service Office can complete the DMV Veteran Status Verification Form for the new California Veteran Designation on your driver’s license and also issues Veteran I.D. cards to honorably discharged veterans. Contact Scott Holwell if you would like to receive periodic veteran’s information by email.   

There are many state and federal benefits and programs available to veterans and their dependents.  To determine if you are eligible for any of these benefits, call or visit our office.  We can and will assist you in completing all required application forms.  You can get information on the Web from the Kings County Veterans Service Office webpage at www.countyofkings.com/vets.

Scott Holwell, retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer, is the Veterans Service Officer for Kings County. Send your questions to the Veterans Service Office, 1400 W. Lacey Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230; call (559)852-2669; or e-mail scott.holwell@co.kings.ca.us.