Section 220-55-040. Recreational license, tag, permit, and stamp refunds, replacements, and exchanges.

(1) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Refund" means the return of money received for a license, stamp, tag, or permit purchase. Refunds may be made by license dealers or the Olympia office of the department.

(b) "Replacement" means reissuing the same species and weapon type of transport tag.

(c) "Exchange" means the surrendering of a transport tag (such as archery deer or Eastern Washington elk archery) and the reissuing of a different transport tag (such as muzzleloader deer or Western Washington muzzleloader elk).

(2) Refunds will be made for the following:

(a) A license purchaser can obtain a refund from a license dealer within sixty minutes after the purchase of the license if a dealer error is made or the dealer issues the wrong license. License dealers can correct dealer errors after sixty minutes, but may not refund license purchases.

(b) A license purchaser can obtain a refund from the Olympia office of the department at any time during the licensing year if an incorrect document has been issued due to a department, a dealer, or licensing system error, as verified by the department.

(c) A license purchaser can obtain a refund from the Olympia office of the department if the purchaser received more than one of the same licenses in the same license year.

(d) A license purchaser can obtain a refund from the Olympia office of the department if the licensee qualifies for a reduced fee license, as verified by the department. The refund amount will be the difference between the license purchased and the reduced fee license.

(e) A license purchaser who is transferred out-of-state by the military or their business and unable to use a license can obtain a refund from the Olympia office of the department after providing verifying documentation, provided that the request for refund is made within the license year.

(f) A license purchaser who is hospitalized or severely injured and provides a physician's statement that the person was incapable of participating in hunting can obtain a refund or exchange from the Olympia office of the department after providing verifying documentation, provided that the request for refund is made within the license year.

(g) The personal representative of a deceased license purchaser, who dies prior to the opening of the applicable general hunting season, can obtain a refund from Olympia after providing documentation of the death of the purchaser.

(3) Replacement tags will be provided when a hunter has killed an animal that is unfit for human consumption and the department has authorized issuance of a replacement tag.

(4) Except as otherwise provided, refunds will not be made for the following:

(a) The department will not refund any recreational license or permit purchase for which a season or hunt has been scheduled, and the licensee could have participated in the season or hunt, regardless of whether the licensee did in fact participate.

(b) The department will not refund purchases of raffle tickets or special hunt permit applications unless an error has occurred and the error was not caused by the person purchasing the tickets or applications as verified by the department.

(5) Transport tag exchanges will be allowed for the following:

(a) The season for which the tag was issued has not opened, and the hunter wishes to exchange the tag for a different area or a different weapon type. In these instances archery tag holders must request a tag exchange before September 1st, muzzleloader tag holders must request a tag exchange before September 20th, and modern firearm tag holders must request a tag exchange before October 10th, as verified by the department.

(b) The tag was issued in error and the error was not caused by the person applying for the tag, as verified by the department.

(6) Except as otherwise provided, transport tag exchanges will not be allowed for the following: If a special hunt permit application was submitted by the tag holder and that application required a big game transport tag, it is unlawful to exchange the transport tag after the application submission deadline date has passed. However, if the tag holder's request for a tag exchange was made prior to the application submission deadline date, as verified by the department, an exchange can be made. Special permit applications for ghost hunts, regardless of the submission method, are not applicable to this subsection.

(7)(a) Except as otherwise provided, it is unlawful to possess a big game transport tag that was exchanged after the opening of the season for which the original tag was valid.

(b) Violation of this subsection is punishable under RCW 77.15.410 Unlawful hunting of big game.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.240, and 77.32.070. WSR 14-10-019 (Order 14-95), § 220-55-040, filed 4/25/14, effective 5/26/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.08.045, 77.12.170, 77.12.177, 77.32.050, 77.32.240, 77.32.350, 77.32.370, 77.32.430, 77.32.450, 77.32.460, 77.32.470, 77.32.520, 77.32.580, 77.65.020, 77.65.090, 77.65.110, 77.65.150, 77.65.160, 77.65.170, 77.65.190, 77.65.200, 77.65.210, 77.65.220, 77.65.280, 77.65.340, 77.65.390, 77.65.440, 77.65.450, 77.65.480, 77.65.510, 77.70.080, 77.70.190, 77.70.220, 77.70.260, 77.70.490, 77.115.040, and 43.84.092. WSR 11-22-002 (Order 11-282), § 220-55-040, filed 10/19/11, effective 11/19/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-09-024 (Order 06-73), § 220-55-040, filed 4/11/06, effective 5/12/06. Statutory Authority: 1998 c 191 and RCW 75.08.080. WSR 99-03-029 (Order 99-02), § 220-55-040, filed 1/13/99, effective 2/13/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 94-01-001, § 220-55-040, filed 12/1/93, effective 1/1/94; WSR 89-07-071 (Order 89-05), § 220-55-040, filed 3/20/89; WSR 88-05-002 (Order 88-03), § 220-55-040, filed 2/4/88; WSR 86-24-047 (Order 86-191), § 220-55-040, filed 11/26/86; WSR 79-09-021 (Order 79-58), § 220-55-040, filed 8/10/79.]

RCW 77.12.047, 77.12.240, and 77.32.070. WSR 14-10-019 (Order 14-95), § 220-55-040, filed 4/25/14, effective 5/26/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.08.045, 77.12.170, 77.12.177, 77.32.050, 77.32.240, 77.32.350, 77.32.370, 77.32.430, 77.32.450, 77.32.460, 77.32.470, 77.32.520, 77.32.580, 77.65.020, 77.65.090, 77.65.110, 77.65.150, 77.65.160, 77.65.170, 77.65.190, 77.65.200, 77.65.210, 77.65.220, 77.65.280, 77.65.340, 77.65.390, 77.65.440, 77.65.450, 77.65.480, 77.65.510, 77.70.080, 77.70.190, 77.70.220, 77.70.260, 77.70.490, 77.115.040, and 43.84.092. WSR 11-22-002 (Order 11-282), § 220-55-040, filed 10/19/11, effective 11/19/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 77.12.047. WSR 06-09-024 (Order 06-73), § 220-55-040, filed 4/11/06, effective 5/12/06. Statutory Authority: 1998 c 191 and RCW 75.08.080. WSR 99-03-029 (Order 99-02), § 220-55-040, filed 1/13/99, effective 2/13/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 75.08.080. WSR 94-01-001, § 220-55-040, filed 12/1/93, effective 1/1/94; WSR 89-07-071 (Order 89-05), § 220-55-040, filed 3/20/89; WSR 88-05-002 (Order 88-03), § 220-55-040, filed 2/4/88; WSR 86-24-047 (Order 86-191), § 220-55-040, filed 11/26/86; WSR 79-09-021 (Order 79-58), § 220-55-040, filed 8/10/79.