Wildlife & Environmental Code
Hunting, fishing, animal protection, dumping, and environmental offenses.Every charge below uses the same title, classification, fine, jail value, citation status, and legal description as the generated MDT SQL.
Wildlife & Environmental Charging Guide
Use citations for ordinary licensing, zone, time, and quota violations. Criminal misdemeanors and felonies require the additional intent, protected-species, cruelty, hazardous dumping, or aggravated conduct stated in the applicable statute.Quick Reference
§2 — Loose Animals Law
Infraction · Fine: $250 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible A person responsible for livestock or domestic animals commits Loose Animals Law violation when they knowingly or negligently permit the animals to roam at large on public roadways or property not under their lawful care or control, creating a nuisance or safety hazard.Charging & stacking: Accidental escape followed by reasonable prompt efforts to recover the animal may be considered in enforcement discretion.
§11 — Control Your Dog
Infraction · Fine: $250 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible An owner or person responsible for a dog commits Control Your Dog violation when they knowingly or negligently fail to maintain reasonable control over the animal and the animal behaves in a manner creating a credible risk of injury to another person or animal.Charging & stacking: A dog’s mere presence, barking, or lawful off-leash activity in an authorized area is insufficient without loss of control or danger.
§76 — Littering
Infraction · Fine: $100 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible As used in this section, “litter” means garbage, trash, waste, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, vessel parts, vehicle parts, furniture, glass, or any other item of an unsightly or unsanitary nature. No person shall place, discard, or deposit any waste, refuse, litter, or foreign substance in any area or receptacle except those provided for that purpose.§78 — Illegal Dumping
Class C Misdemeanor · Fine: $750 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible · Community Service: 10 tasks A person who unlawfully disposes of, deposits, or abandons large quantities of waste, refuse, hazardous materials, or other unwanted items on public or private property, without consent or proper authorization, is guilty under this code section. Illegal Dumping differs from Littering in scope and severity, typically involving bulk materials or hazardous substances.§180 — Hunting in Restricted Areas
Infraction · Fine: $450 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible A person who hunts for game outside of allocated hunting areas is guilty under this code section.§181 — Unlicensed Hunting
Infraction · Fine: $450 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible A person who hunts for game without the appropriate license is guilty under this code section.§182 — Animal Cruelty
Class A Misdemeanor · Fine: $1,000 · Jail: 15 months · Cite & Release: No · Community Service: 20 tasks A person who causes harm to an animal with malicious intent, with no cause for self-defense, is guilty under this code section.Charging & stacking: Use Aggravated Animal Cruelty for intentional torture, malicious killing, mutilation, or prolonged extreme suffering.
§183 — Hunting with a Non-Hunting Weapon
Class B Misdemeanor · Fine: $750 · Jail: 10 months · Cite & Release: No · Community Service: 15 tasks A person who hunts game with a weapon that is not a legally licensed hunting weapon is guilty under this code section. Legal licensed hunting weapons are defined as those sold by official hunting stores and automatically registered to the purchaser.§184 — Hunting Outside of Legal Hours
Infraction · Fine: $250 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible A person who hunts game outside of legal hours is guilty under this code section. Legal hunting hours are from dawn to dusk in all legal hunting zones.§185 — Overhunting
Class C Misdemeanor · Fine: $600 · Jail: 5 months · Cite & Release: Eligible · Community Service: 10 tasks A person who hunts beyond the amount allowed in a given hunting area is guilty under this code section. Current limits are defined as 200 kg of combined animal meat and by-products.§186 — Animal Poaching
Class A Misdemeanor · Fine: $1,500 · Jail: 20 months · Cite & Release: No · Community Service: 20 tasks A person who hunts an endangered or protected species in the state of San Andreas is guilty under this code section. Protected species include Mountain Lions, Bears, Seagulls, and Capybara.Charging & stacking: Lawful hunting mistakes or accidental taking are not poaching without the required knowledge or reckless disregard as defined by wildlife regulation.
§187 — Fishing in Unauthorized Zones
Infraction · Fine: $500 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible Fishing is permitted on public waterways unless otherwise specified. Fishing in designated restricted zones is prohibited and punishable under this code section.Charging & stacking: This lower-level offense applies to fishing in a posted restricted zone; use Illegal Fishing for prohibited gear/species or other aggravated conduct.
§188 — Illegal Fishing
Class B Misdemeanor · Fine: $1,500 · Jail: 10 months · Cite & Release: No · Community Service: 15 tasks Fishing using illegal hooks or possessing, transporting, or selling prohibited fish species or fish outside legal size limits is guilty under this section.Charging & stacking: Use Overfishing only when the sole violation is exceeding a catch limit without prohibited methods or species.
§189 — Overfishing
Infraction · Fine: $600 · Jail: 0 months · Cite & Release: Eligible A person who exceeds the daily catch limit of 30 fish per person is guilty under this code section. Violations are punishable by fine per excess fish.§234 — Aggravated Animal Cruelty
Class C Felony · Fine: $2,500 · Jail: 25 months · Cite & Release: No A person commits Aggravated Animal Cruelty when they intentionally torture, maliciously kill, seriously mutilate, or inflict prolonged extreme suffering upon an animal without lawful justification.Charging & stacking: Use Animal Cruelty for non-aggravated intentional harm. Lawful hunting, veterinary treatment, humane euthanasia, and necessary self-defense are excluded.
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