16 U.S.C. § 718A
Section 718a · Prohibition on taking
Current version, with additions and removals from the February 17, 1976 version.
No person who has attained the age of sixteen years shall take any migratory waterfowl unless at the time of such taking he carries on his person an unexpired Federal migratory-bird hunting and conservation stamp validated by his signature written by himself in ink across the face of the stamp prior to his taking such birds; except that no such stamp shall be required for the taking of migratory waterfowl by Federal or State institutions or official agencies, or for propagation, or by the resident owner, tenant, or share cropper of the property or officially designated agencies of the Department of the Interior for the killing, under such restrictions as the Secretary of the Interior may by regulation prescribe, of such waterfowl when found injuring crops or other property. Any person to whom a stamp has been sold under section 718b of this title shall upon request exhibit such stamp for inspection to any officer or employee of the Department of the Interior authorized to enforce the provisions of this subchapter or to any officer of any State or any political subdivision thereof authorized to enforce game laws.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), no individual who has attained the age of 16 years shall take any migratory waterfowl unless, at the time of the taking, the individual carries on the person of the individual a valid Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, as an electronic stamp (as defined in section 718o of this title) or validated by the signature of the individual written in ink across the face of the actual stamp (as defined in that section) prior to the time of the taking by the individual of the waterfowl.
No stamp described in paragraph (1) shall be required for the taking of migratory waterfowl—
by Federal or State agencies;
for propagation;
by the resident owner, tenant, or sharecropper of the property, or officially designated agencies of the Department of the Interior, for the killing, under such restrictions as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe, of such waterfowl when found damaging crops or other property; or
by a rural Alaska resident for subsistence uses (as that term is defined in section 3113 of this title).
Any individual to whom a stamp has been sold under this subchapter shall, upon request, display the stamp for inspection to—
any officer or employee of the Department of the Interior who is authorized to enforce this subchapter; or
any officer of any State or political subdivision of a State authorized to enforce State game laws.
Nothing in this section requires any individual to affix the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp to any other license prior to taking 1 or more migratory waterfowl.