§ 23:10-20 — Searches and seizures; immunity from civil suit.

23:10-20. A member of the Fish and Game Council and any conservation police officer may, without warrant search and examine any boat, conveyance, vehicle, fish box, fish basket, game bag, game coat, or other receptacle for game and fish, when he has reason to believe that a provision of this Title, or any law supplementary thereto, or the State Fish and Game Code has been violated, and shall seize and take possession of any firearms, bows and arrows, shells or cartridges, fishing rods and reels, fishing lines, knives, lights, slingshots, traps, spears, spear guns, or any other article or equipment that has been illegally used or any bird, animal or fish unlawfully caught, taken, killed, had in possession or under control, shipped or about to be shipped. A court, upon receiving proof of probable cause for believing in the concealment of a bird, animal or fish so unlawfully caught, taken, killed, had in possession or under control, shipped or about to be shipped, shall issue a search warrant and cause a search to be made in any place, and to that end, may, after demand and refusal, cause any building, inclosure, or car to be entered, and any apartment, chest, box, locker, crate, basket, or package to be broken open and its contents examined by a member of the Fish and Game Council or any conservation police officer. All firearms, bows and arrows, shells or cartridges, fishing rods and reels, fishing lines, knives, lights, slingshots, traps, spears, spear guns, or any other article or equipment that has been illegally used and seized by a member of the council or any conservation police officer shall be returned to the defendant when and if the case has been dismissed, if he has been found not guilty, or if he has been convicted and has paid the penalty and costs imposed, if any. The member of the council or conservation police officer shall not be liable for damages by reason of any such search or the seizure of any nets or fishing, hunting or trapping apparatus in accordance herewith. amended 1948, c.448, ss.88,122,123; 1972, c.184; 2019, c.407, s.14.