The Application for Wildlife Conservation Program (AV-56) is the form a property owner completes to apply for the wildlife conservation program under G.S. 105-277.15. Durham County Tax Administration lists it among its Property Tax Relief Applications, so it is one of the Durham County property tax forms that go to the tax office rather than to a payment desk. The form collects the owner's details, each tax parcel and its acreage, the legal form of ownership and a signed affirmation. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the county.
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What is AV-56?
The Application for Wildlife Conservation Program (AV-56) is the form a property owner submits to apply for the wildlife conservation program under G.S. 105-277.15, listing each tax parcel, its acreage, the form of ownership and a signed affirmation under penalties of law.
The form is printed with the revision mark 5-11. Its parcel table splits the acreage of each parcel into open land and woodland that are in wildlife conservation, open land and woodland that are not, the home site and other land described in comments, and adds a total. It also asks for the date you became the owner and whether any other land you own in the county is already in the program.
The affirmation states the consequence of losing eligibility: an ineligible transfer of the property, or failure to meet the requirements of the program, results in removal from the program and the immediate billing of deferred taxes. After reviewing the application, the Tax Assessor may contact you for more information, and the form has an office-use block for approval or denial with a reason for denial.
Durham County's forms page lists AV-56 with other Property Tax Relief Applications, such as the Application for Present-Use Program (AV-5). Those are separate programs with their own forms.
Who needs to file AV-56?
Owners of property that is, or is to be, in the wildlife conservation program use this application. The form requires a complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement, so you need that agreement before you apply.
You must own the property in one of the four qualifying forms of ownership printed on the form:
- One individual.
- Husband and wife, as tenants by the entirety only.
- Family business entity.
- Family trust.
A business entity, for this form, is a corporation, limited liability company, general partnership or limited partnership.
If a business entity or trust owns the property, you answer two extra questions. The first asks whether any member of the entity or beneficiary of the trust is itself a business entity or a trust rather than an individual; if so, you must attach a complete description of the ownership structure showing the individual level of ownership. The second asks whether all the individuals are relatives of each other, using the definition in G.S. 105-277.2(5a), and asks you to list them (the form has six lines).
The form has two owner signature lines, so co-owners can both sign. It does not describe representatives signing for an owner.
When to file AV-56
File AV-56 when you are applying for the wildlife conservation program for a given tax year; the form has a Tax Year line at the top, and no due date is printed on it. Check the deadline with the Durham County Tax Administration main office at 919-560-0350 (8:30 AM-5:00 PM) before you send it.
The form also asks for the date you became the owner of the property, so have your ownership records at hand when you prepare it. After the Tax Assessor reviews the application, the office may contact you for additional information, so keep the telephone numbers you enter current.
Documents you need
- A complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement; the form says it must be submitted with the application.
- A complete description of the ownership structure of the business entity or trust showing the individual level of ownership interest; required only if you answer Yes to whether any member or beneficiary is itself a business entity or a trust.
How to fill out AV-56
Enter the county and tax year
At the top, write the county name after "County of" and the Tax Year for which you are applying.
Enter owner and contact details
Give the Full Name of Owner(s), the Mailing Address of Owner with city, state and ZIP code, and your Home, Work (with extension) and Cell telephone numbers.
List each parcel and its acreage
For every tax parcel in the application, enter the Parcel ID and break the acreage into open land and woodland in wildlife conservation, open land and woodland not in it, home site and other (described in Comments). Enter the total acres.
Add comments and other enrolled land
Use Comments to describe any land entered under Other. List the Parcel IDs of any other land you own in this county that is also in the wildlife conservation program.
Enter your ownership date
Write the date you became the owner of the property in the DATE field.
Select the form of ownership
Mark one: One Individual, Husband and Wife (Tenants by the Entirety only), Family Business Entity or Family Trust.
Answer the entity and trust questions
Only if a business entity or trust owns the property, check Yes or No for each of the two questions. If the first answer is Yes, prepare the ownership-structure description to attach.
List the individual owners
If the entity or trust questions apply, list all the individuals on lines 1 through 6, once you have determined the individual level of ownership.
Prepare the habitat agreement copy
Make a complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement to submit with the application.
Read the affirmation and sign
Read the affirmation, then print the owner name, title and date beside each signature line. Each owner signs; leave the For Office Use Only block blank.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check parcel IDs, acreage totals and dates, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit AV-56
The form names no submission channel, address or portal. It states only that the Tax Assessor may contact you for additional information after reviewing the application.
Durham County Tax Administration lists AV-56 on its forms page under Property Tax Relief Applications. The same page gives the Main Office details:
- Address: 201 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Administration Bldg. II, Durham, NC 27701.
- Telephone: 919-560-0350.
- Hours: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
Contact the office to confirm how it wants the application delivered. Include a complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement, and, if the property is owned by a business entity or trust with non-individual members, the description of the ownership structure. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the county's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting the application without a complete copy of the wildlife habitat conservation agreement, which the form says must accompany it.
- Answering Yes to the first business entity or trust question without attaching the ownership structure down to the individual level.
- Owning the property in a form other than the four qualifying ones: one individual, husband and wife (tenants by the entirety only), family business entity or family trust.
- Entering parcel acreage in the wrong columns, such as open land not in wildlife conservation under the in-program column, so the total acres do not add up.
- Skipping the other-land question when you own additional land in the county that is already in the wildlife conservation program.
- Leaving out the owner's printed name, title or date next to a signature, or signing only one line when two owners must sign.
- Transferring the property or failing program requirements without recognizing the consequence: removal from the program and immediate billing of deferred taxes.
- Filling in the For Office Use Only block, which the Tax Assessor completes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form AV-56?
AV-56 is the Application for Wildlife Conservation Program, the form an owner uses to apply under G.S. 105-277.15. It lists each tax parcel and its acreage, the form of ownership and a signed affirmation, and it must come with a copy of the wildlife habitat conservation agreement.
What do I have to attach to the AV-56 application?
Attach a complete copy of your wildlife habitat conservation agreement. If a business entity or trust owns the property and any member or beneficiary is itself an entity or trust, also attach a complete description of the ownership structure showing the individual level of ownership.
Who can own property in the wildlife conservation program?
The form requires one of four forms of ownership: one individual, husband and wife as tenants by the entirety only, a family business entity, or a family trust. Business entities and trusts must also show that the individual owners are relatives, as defined in G.S. 105-277.2(5a).
What happens if I lose eligibility for the program?
Under the form's affirmation, an ineligible transfer of the property or failure to meet the program's requirements results in loss of eligibility, removal from the program and the immediate billing of deferred taxes.
Where do I send Form AV-56 in Durham County?
The form prints no address or channel. Durham County Tax Administration's Main Office is at 201 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Administration Bldg. II, Durham, NC 27701, telephone 919-560-0350. Call to confirm how the office accepts the application.
Can I fill out AV-56 online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the application; you deliver it through Durham County Tax Administration's channels.
Do both spouses have to sign the application?
The affirmation has two owner signature lines, each with a printed name, title and date. The form does not say who must sign in each case, so have every owner sign who is listed on the application.
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