Maine · Hunter safety · 2026 Edition
Maine Hunter Safety Course 2026: Cost & Online Options
Anyone applying for a first firearms hunting license, born on or after July 1, 1977, needs a Certificate of Competency in Firearms and Hunter Safety. Maine residents 16 and older can certify entirely online, from $29.95.
Maine runs firearms and archery hunter safety as two parallel tracks rather than one stacked on the other: whichever license you're applying for the first time is the course you need, and holding one doesn't excuse the other if you later want to add the second weapon type. Both tracks branch the same way by age — 16 and older certifies entirely online through a Maine-resident-only course, younger students take the identical online material but still owe an in-person day (an 8-hour Skills and Exam Day for firearms, hands-on instruction for archery) before they're certified. Two things carry over from a prior license rather than needing a fresh course: proof of any adult firearms license held since 1976 satisfies the firearms requirement, and a Maine crossbow permit held before 2024 counts toward the newly merged archery requirement.
01 — Who needs it
Anyone applying for a first firearms hunting license, born on or after July 1, 1977, needs a Certificate of Competency in Firearms and Hunter Safety.
Proof of holding a valid adult firearms hunting license from Maine or any other state, province or country in any year from 1976 on satisfies the requirement instead. Junior and apprentice hunter licenses are exempt from it entirely.
Statute: 12 M.R.S.A. § 11105
02 — Course options
| Course | Format | Who | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional in-person course | In person | Open to all students | Free | Typically free, though a host may charge a nominal fee. Taught by trained, certified volunteer instructors. Pass the 50-question exam at 70% or better. |
| Home study plus Skills and Exam Day | Online + field day | 10 and older, under-16s accompanied by a parent or guardian | Free | Self-paced online or mailed workbook, then one 8-hour in-person Skills and Exam Day — The workbook route for students who'd rather not sit through a full classroom course. |
| Online course | Online | Maine residents 16 and older | — | Certifies entirely online — no field day. Under 16, the same online course only gets you to a mandatory in-person Skills and Exam Day, not a certificate on its own. |
A dash means MDIFW 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 | $29.95 | |
| Recademics | $39.95 | Pass guarantee or money back. |
Both are delegated providers of MDIFW running the same course — hunter-ed.com is the cheaper of the two for the identical 16-and-older no-field-day certification.
04 — Your certificate, and other states
A valid firearms hunting license held in a prior year, from Maine or elsewhere, stands in for the certificate — Maine's requirement is built around license history rather than a separate reciprocity check.
Archery hunter education is a parallel requirement to firearms hunter safety, not an add-on to it — anyone applying for a first Maine archery license (bow or crossbow; crossbow was folded into the same course in 2024) needs it, under 12 M.R.S.A. § 11106, regardless of whether they already hold a firearms license. Three routes: an Addendum course (4.5-5 hours, for those who already hold a hunter education certificate, typically free or up to $10), a 10-hour Traditional in-person course (same fee range), or an online course through bowhunter-ed.com — $30, Maine residents 16 and older, no field day.
05 — Where to register
Courses are booked through Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Find and register for a Maine course →
Got your certificate? Next step: Maine hunting license costs and permits →
Everything else we track for the state: Maine hunting seasons →
Looking for somewhere to hunt? Maine public hunting land — WMAs by county & access rules →
FAQ
Can I take the Maine hunter safety course online?
Yes. Maine residents 16 and older can certify entirely online, from $29.95. Anyone applying for a first firearms hunting license, born on or after July 1, 1977, needs a Certificate of Competency in Firearms and Hunter Safety.
Is there a free hunter safety course in Maine?
Every MDIFW-approved online provider charges a fee; the cheapest is hunter-ed.com at $29.95. In-person courses run by the agency itself are often free — see the formats above.
How much does the Maine hunter safety course cost?
Approved online providers run from $29.95 (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 8, 2026.
Verified · Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife · Last verified 2026-08-08
Publisher's note. Requirements and course fees read from MDIFW, retrieved 2026-08-08. Review due 2027-08-01. Course providers set their own prices and change them without notice — confirm before you pay.