Montana allows landowners to assign hunting and fishing license preferences to people with disabilities

Montana law now permits eligible landowners participating in conservation and land access programs to designate their eligible hunting and fishing licenses or permit preferences to individuals with developmental or physical disabilities, starting March 1, 2026. Previously, these preferences could only be assigned to immediate family members or full-time employees. The measure defines statutory criteria for both developmental and physical disabilities across multiple sections of the Montana Code Annotated.

Expands recreational hunting and fishing opportunities for people with disabilities by allowing private landowners to transfer statutory license preferences that were previously restricted to family members and farm workers.