Illinois Statutes Chapter 520. Wildlife § 5/3.1-4. Military members returning from mobilization and service outside the United States

(a) After returning from service abroad or mobilization by the President of the United States as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces, an Illinois resident may hunt and trap any of the species protected by Section 2.2 of this Code without paying any fees required to obtain a hunting license or a trapping license for the time period prescribed by subsection (b) of this Section if the Illinois resident applies for a license within 2 years after returning from service abroad or mobilization. The applicant shall provide acceptable verification of service or mobilization to the Department. The Department shall establish by administrative rule the procedure by which such verification of service shall be made to the Department for the purpose of issuing a license.

(b) For each year that an applicant served as an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces, the Illinois National Guard, or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces and served abroad or was mobilized by the President of the United States pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section, the applicant shall receive one free hunting license, one free trapping license, one free Deer Hunting Permit as provided in Section 2.26 of this Code and rules adopted pursuant to that Section, and one free State Habitat Stamp. For the purposes of this determination, if the period of active duty is a portion of a year (for example, one year and 3 months), the applicant will be credited with a full year for the portion of a year served.

(c) (Blank).

(c-5) An Illinois resident veteran may obtain an Illinois Hunter Education card if he or she completes the online study section of the Illinois Hunter Education program and provides the Department with acceptable verification of service or mobilization.

(d) For the purposes of this Section, “acceptable verification of service or mobilization” means official documentation from the Department of Defense or the appropriate Major Command showing mobilization dates or service abroad dates, including: (i) a DD-214, (ii) a letter from the Illinois Department of Military Affairs for members of the Illinois National Guard, (iii) a letter from the Regional Reserve Command for members of the Armed Forces Reserve, (iv) a letter from the Major Command covering Illinois for active duty members, (v) personnel records for mobilized State employees, and (vi) any other documentation that the Department, by administrative rule, deems acceptable to establish dates of mobilization or service abroad.

(e) For the purposes of this Section, the term “service abroad” means active duty service outside of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and includes all active duty service in territories and possessions of the United States.