Amendments to the Law on Hunting give preference to the current concessionaire and change the fees

The Croatian Parliament passed the Act Amending and Supplementing the Hunting Act on October 30, 2026, published in the Official Gazette (Narodne novine) No. 128 of November 6, 2026, under serial number 1518. The amendment changes the conditions for tenders and the leasing of hunting grounds, the method of securing payment, the amount and adjustment of fees, and misdemeanor provisions. The Act enters into force on the eighth day following the date of publication.

The Act was adopted at the session of the Croatian Parliament on October 30, 2026, and was promulgated by the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović by Decision Class: 011-02/26-02/85, Registry Number: 71-10-01/1-26-2, in Zagreb on November 4, 2026. The Act itself bears Class: 022-02/26-01/60 and the signature of the Speaker of Parliament Gordan Jandroković.

The amendment consists of 43 articles and modifies the Hunting Act (NN 99/18, 32/19, 32/20, and 127/24 – Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia). Article 1 redefines the Croatian Hunting Federation (HLS) as a voluntary national association consisting of county hunting federations and the City of Zagreb, hunting associations, hunters, and other legal entities whose activities are related to hunting. The minimum area requirement of 500 ha for land owned by a legal or natural person is deleted, and in Article 15, paragraph 1, the number 500 is replaced by the number 1000.

New Tender: Priority for the Previous Concessionaire

New paragraphs 11 and 12 of Article 23 regulate the order of rights to a hunting ground after the expiration of a concession:

• priority in leasing the hunting ground is given to the previous concessionaire whose hunting rights concession agreement has expired, provided they meet the tender conditions and accept the highest offered fee;
• if the previous concessionaire does not apply for the tender, does not meet the conditions, or does not accept the highest fee, priority is given to the local association with the larger number of members holding a valid hunting license who have resided within the boundaries of the hunting ground for at least three years prior to the publication of the tender.

The fee for hunting rights cannot exceed twice the amount of the starting price of the hunting rights fee. Additionally, the number “ten” in Article 23, paragraph 1, is replaced by the number “20”, and the same change is implemented in Article 26, paragraph 1.

Bank Guarantee or Avaled Bill of Exchange

The new text of Article 24, paragraph 4, obliges the hunting lessee to secure financial resources in the amount of the annual fee for hunting rights for the proper execution of obligations assumed under the hunting rights agreement — via a bank guarantee or an avaled bill of exchange. This directly links the payment security instrument to the amount of the annual fee, rather than to another amount or criterion.

Fee Adjusted Every Five Years

The new Article 25a introduces mandatory adjustment of fees in state and joint hunting grounds. The adjustment is carried out every fifth year of the contract’s duration and upon the extension of the lease, according to a reference amount consisting of 50% of the average price per hectare for the lease of hunting rights in the previous five-year period.

• The Ministry publishes data on the reference amount on its website no later than January 31 of the current year.
• Hunting right grantors are obliged to enter the adjusted fee into the Central Hunting Registry (SLE) by February 15 of the current year.
• Without adjustment, the implementation of the hunting right lease or the extension of the lease is not permitted.
• If the agreed fee per hectare is equal to or higher than the reference amount, the amount is not adjusted.

For hunting right concessions, adjustment has been introduced based on the average five-year consumer price index published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, and only if the index is equal to or greater than 105.0 compared to the previous year. Without this adjustment, the implementation of the concession is not permitted.

Fines up to 9,290 euros and deadlines for contract adjustment

Misdemeanor provisions have been replaced by new amounts in euros:

• hunting right holder (legal entity): from 980.00 to 9,290.00 euros (Article 92.);
• hunting right holder (natural person/tradesman) and the responsible person within a legal entity: from 660.00 to 1,320.00 euros;
• hunting right holder (legal entity) for misdemeanors under Article 93.: from 1,330.00 to 1,990.00 euros;
• legal entity performing professional tasks in the implementation of hunting management plans: from 920.00 to 2,650.00 euros;
• gamekeeper and hunter: from 260.00 to 520.00 euros.

A hunting inspector may collect a monetary fine at the scene of the offense, for example, 665.00 euros from a legal entity hunting right holder and 220.00 euros from a natural person (tradesman).

Hunting right contracts concluded before the law entered into force shall apply until the expiration of the period for which they were concluded, but they must be amended within 120 days to align with the provisions on fees and concessions. The Minister shall issue the regulations within six months, and until then, the Regulation on the Conditions and Manner of Hunting (NN 48/22, 27/24, 84/25, and 28/26) and the Regulation on the Training of Personnel in Hunting (NN 78/06 and 92/08) remain in force. As of the date of entry into force, the Game Protection Program for state roads under the jurisdiction of the company Hrvatske ceste d.o.o. shall cease to apply.

The amendment directly changes the position of hunting leaseholders and hunting associations: the previous concessionaire receives priority provided the highest fee is paid, associations with local membership are reserve candidates, and a bank guarantee or an avaled bill of exchange and the five-year fee adjustment increase the financial obligation of the leaseholder. For hunting right holders who do not comply with the obligations, fines of up to 9,290 euros are provided, with the possibility of collection at the scene of the offense.

Source: Narodne novine No. 128 of November 6, 2026, Act Amending and Supplementing the Hunting Act, document 1518, Class: 022-02/26-01/60; Decision on Proclamation Class: 011-02/26-02/85, Registry No: 71-10-01/1-26-2, Zagreb, November 4, 2026.