Virginia · Hunter safety · 2026 Edition
Virginia Hunter Safety Course 2026: Cost & Online Options
No birth-year cutoff. Virginia requires hunter education of anyone 12 to 15 years old, and separately of anyone 16 or older who has never held a regular Virginia hunting license before. Virginia residents 12 and older can certify entirely online, from $34.95.
Virginia draws a residency line the other states in this silo don't: the one fully-online, no-field-day route is closed to nonresidents outright, so a visiting first-time hunter has no way to certify without attending Virginia's free hybrid class in person. For residents, the choice is real money versus real time — $34.95 to skip the classroom entirely through hunter-ed.com, or nothing at all for the self-study-plus-classroom route. Either way the requirement itself is narrower than most states here: it only catches 12-to-15-year-olds and adults who have never held a Virginia hunting license, not everyone born after some fixed date.
01 — Who needs it
No birth-year cutoff. Virginia requires hunter education of anyone 12 to 15 years old, and separately of anyone 16 or older who has never held a regular Virginia hunting license before.
An Apprentice Hunting License defers the requirement for two years while hunting under a licensed mentor (Va. Code § 29.1-300.4). Under 12, hunt without it alongside a licensed adult. Foxhunters on horseback with hounds, no firearms involved, are exempt outright.
Statute: Va. Code § 29.1-300.1
02 — Course options
| Course | Format | Who | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-study plus classroom course | Online + field day | Anyone | Free | Free. Work through the student manual — from a regional DWR office or downloaded as a PDF — then bring the completed chapter review exercises to the in-person class. |
| Full-online course | Online | Virginia residents 12 and older | $34.95 | Certifies you entirely online, no classroom or field day — pass the quizzes and final test at 90% or better and print the certificate immediately. Nonresidents cannot use this route at any age. |
03 — Approved online courses, side by side
| Provider | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| hunter-ed.com | $34.95 |
hunter-ed.com is the only provider DWR licenses to run Virginia's full-online course — there's no price to compare it against, and it's residents-only regardless of provider.
04 — Your certificate, and other states
Virginia accepts hunter education certification and credentials from every other state and country.
Virginia does not require bowhunter education for an archery license generally. It becomes mandatory only on military bases and in the handful of county or city hunting programs that specifically require it. The International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) is the course to take if you need it.
05 — Where to register
Courses are booked through Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Find and register for a Virginia course →
Got your certificate? Next step: Virginia hunting license costs and permits →
Everything else we track for the state: Virginia hunting seasons →
Looking for somewhere to hunt? Virginia public hunting land — WMAs by county & access rules →
FAQ
Can I take the Virginia hunter safety course online?
Yes. Virginia residents 12 and older can certify entirely online, from $34.95. No birth-year cutoff. Virginia requires hunter education of anyone 12 to 15 years old, and separately of anyone 16 or older who has never held a regular Virginia hunting license before.
Is there a free hunter safety course in Virginia?
Every DWR-approved online provider charges a fee; the cheapest is hunter-ed.com at $34.95. In-person courses run by the agency itself are often free — see the formats above.
How much does the Virginia hunter safety course cost?
Approved online providers run from $34.95 (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 7, 2026.
Verified · Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources · Last verified 2026-08-07
Publisher's note. Requirements and course fees read from DWR, retrieved 2026-08-07. Review due 2027-08-01. Course providers set their own prices and change them without notice — confirm before you pay.