Delaware · Hunter safety · 2026 Edition
Delaware Hunter Safety Course 2026: Cost & Online Options
Anyone born after January 1, 1967 must satisfactorily complete a basic hunter education course before obtaining a Delaware hunting license.
Delaware is one of the few states in this project with no fully-online certification path at all: state law requires every hunter education student, whichever format they start with, to finish with a live-fire session under a trained instructor's supervision. That's why the online route is listed as "self-study + Field Day" rather than a standalone online course, and why its cost comes from the approved vendor table below rather than a flat course price. The Field Day itself is free — the $39.95 only pays for the self-paced study portion.
01 — Who needs it
Anyone born after January 1, 1967 must satisfactorily complete a basic hunter education course before obtaining a Delaware hunting license.
02 — Course options
| Course | Format | Who | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional In-Person Course | In person | Certification not issued under age 10; under-12s must be accompanied by an adult | Free | Includes a mandatory live-fire session with a trained firearms instructor — every Delaware course, in-person or online, ends this way, so a signed liability release is required before live firing. |
| Online Self-Study + Field Day | Online + field day | 10+ to take the online course; under-12s must be accompanied by an adult at the Field Day | — | Self-paced online study, roughly 3-4 hours, then one in-person Field Day — The online study portion is priced by the approved vendor (see below); the Field Day itself is free but mandatory — Delaware has no path that certifies without it. |
A dash means DNREC publishes no set price for that route — what you pay depends on the provider you pick or on the individual class.
03 — Approved online courses, side by side
| Provider | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| hunter-ed.com | $39.95 |
hunter-ed.com is the approved online study provider for Delaware; no residency requirement on the online portion, but the in-person Field Day still has to happen at a Delaware training center.
04 — Your certificate, and other states
Delaware accepts hunter education certificates from any other U.S. state, Canadian province, or country whose course meets IHEA-USA standards — no separate Delaware test is required, and Delaware's own certificate is likewise recognized everywhere else that requires one.
Delaware's Bowhunter Education course is an optional advanced offering, not a separate license requirement — the basic hunter education certificate already covers archery along with every other weapon type. It sits alongside DNREC's other advanced workshops (muzzleloading, handgun hunting for deer, precision firearms for large game) and, like the basic course, includes a live-fire component with its own liability waiver.
05 — Where to register
Courses are booked through Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Fish and Wildlife.
Find and register for a Delaware course →
Got your certificate? Next step: Delaware hunting license costs and permits →
Everything else we track for the state: Delaware hunting seasons →
Looking for somewhere to hunt? Delaware public hunting land — WMAs by county & access rules →
FAQ
Can I take the Delaware hunter safety course online?
Delaware does not offer a route that certifies entirely online — see the course formats above for what DNREC does accept. Anyone born after January 1, 1967 must satisfactorily complete a basic hunter education course before obtaining a Delaware hunting license.
Is there a free hunter safety course in Delaware?
Every DNREC-approved online provider charges a fee; the cheapest is hunter-ed.com at $39.95. In-person courses run by the agency itself are often free — see the formats above.
How much does the Delaware hunter safety course cost?
Approved online providers run from $39.95 (hunter-ed.com). They all produce the same certificate, so the cheapest one certifies you just as well. Prices are set by the providers and change without notice — the table above was read on Aug 13, 2026.
Verified · Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Fish and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-13
Publisher's note. Requirements and course fees read from DNREC, retrieved 2026-08-13. Review due 2027-08-01. Course providers set their own prices and change them without notice — confirm before you pay.