NJ Joins Compact Against Wildlife Violations

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has announced that our state will be a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (IWVC) effective December 1^st. The Compact is an agreement among participating states to provide reciprocal sharing of information regarding hunting, fishing, and trapping violations. This means that people who participate in illegal activities in one state can receive a license suspension in another state. License and privilege suspensions resulting from wildlife violations committed on or after December 1, 2017 in New Jersey may result in the reciprocal suspension of license privileges in member states. New Jersey was one of the few remaining states that had not yet joined this compact.

“It’s important that New Jersey has entered the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. We supported legislation for our state to participate in the IWVC from the beginning because managing recreation, including hunting, trapping and fishing, is important in keeping balance in our ecosystems. We have set rules and regulations for these activities for a reason and no one should be able to get away with violating them, no matter what state they’re in,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Joining this compact is important because if someone violates a law in one state, they shouldn’t be allowed to get a hunting or fishing permit in another state. This will help protect the wildlife of New Jersey, and of other states as well.”