I'm wondering what your thoughts are on the new youth hunting license requirement.

I contacted my Texas State Rep. and gave him an earful -
I don't like the new requirement to provide a child's social security number for a hunting license.

Parks and Wildlife website says this has always been a requirement, but that is false.
There is a law requiring adults to provide (the purpose of the law is to track deadbeat dads from state to state for jumping child support). A 9 or 10 year old child is not jumping from state to state to avoid paying child support.

There has never been a requirement in Texas to provide a social security number for a youth license.

My opinion: The law applies only to adults only, so leave the youth licensing alone.

I took my son hunting last year and to get his license I had to provide his social. This is not a new thing.

or it could be to track their hunter education # that appears on licenses now. if the hunter ed # is on the license you no longer need to carry the card anymore.

Or it could be to keep people from buying multiple licence for the purpose of getting the extra tags.

Nothing to get upset over imo. To me they use it to track the license which they have a right to do.

This is not a new law. I have been buying license for my oldest grandson for 6 years now and have always had to provide it. Not a big issue in my opinion.

No big deal, been a requirement for a while to my knowledge. I check my son's credit from time to time to make sure nobody has hijacked his SS, just as I do my own.

I'm not real sure where you have been buying your license, but this has been going on for years now.

Yep. Everytime I got a kid his/her license they required it.

In case it hasn't been said above.... I have always had to provide my son's social when buying his. Started buying them when he was 5 and he's 16 now so at least 10 years.

Of all the things to get upset about, this has to be way down on the list.

Boo FN hoo.

Have been giving daughter's SS number the past 10 years.

You called your state rep? Really?

I have way to many other things to get wound up about than worry about providing Identification of some sort for a hunting license..

I don't think this thread turned out like the OP hoped it would.

I have never been asked for my SS#...I've heard of others being asked, but I've never had that come up

I've never required parents to put their child's SSN on their Hunter Education form that I later send to the TPWD. I leave it up to them to add it to their temporary card that includes their child's name and birthdate.

I've been teaching HE for several years now and have never been instructed by the TPWD to require parents to include it.

I suspect this is something being asked by store clerks when it may not be necessary.

Found this on the TPWD website.

"The collection of the Social Security Number is mandated by the Federal Government and is required regardless of age. TPWD has no option but to comply with Federal Law and collect the numbers from the purchasers of licenses. TPWD cannot force you to provide your social security number; however, under Federal Statute, we cannot sell you a license. Your social security number is required to be collected, regardless of age, for the purpose of child support collection enforcement under Federal Statute 42 U.S.C.A. 666 and Texas Family Code, Section 231.302. If you are buying a license for another person, the law requires that the purchaser provide the social security number of the person who will be holding the license."

Now what I find interesting is that I have always used my TDL # when buying a license.

Also, according to the earlier comments posted on the TPWD website, the SSN requirement is driven by child support issues. Those who are behind on child support cannot buy a license perhaps. Obviously, that isn't a matter for kids who want a license.

the DPS fingerprints you to get a drivers license, you have to pay the state again to inspect your vehicle for "safety" and then you pay the county for "tags" for some reason or the other, if you don't have a sticker in your windshield you are in trouble, then after you pay for all of that, you drive to the store and show your DL to buy a permit to hunt an animal and they need your social security number and driver license number, even though the act of hunting has nothing to do with your social security retirement account or your diving a vehicle and people are bitching saying it's wrong to ask for ID to cast a vote.

AMEN!

Just bought licenses for both my boys today. They asked their names, confirmed home address and that was it.

When I bought my kids licenses online last year or the year before, it was on the form, but not required. I think this year it forced me to put it in.

thanks - i've looked into it
apparently TDPW is helping feds build a national database
they are using a law intending to keep dead beat dads from jumping state to state

my questions directed to TDPW were
... how in the world could a 9 yr old be a 'dead beat dad'
... why are you helping the feds collect data on children
... why are illegal immigrants exempt when legal residents are not
... who is driving this new policy

so far i've been stonewalled

last week i went through my state rep and i am now pursuing answers through my state senator

I will let you know what i find out.