Kentucky · License · 2026 Edition
Kentucky Hunting License Cost 2026: Fees, Deer & Turkey Permits
A year costs $28.54 for residents and $169.12 for nonresidents.
Kentucky sells a cheap base license and puts the real money in the species permits, which makes the resident Sportsman's License at $100.42 the arithmetic to do first: bought separately its contents — combination hunting/fishing $44.39, statewide deer permit $37, spring turkey $31.71, fall turkey $31.71, migratory bird/waterfowl $15.86 and trout $10.57 — come to $171.24, so anyone hunting both deer and turkey saves $70.82. It is residents only. The trap for visitors sits in the short licenses: the one-day and seven-day hunting licenses are explicitly not valid for deer, elk, turkey or bear, so a nonresident after a turkey needs the $169.12 annual license plus the $116.27 seasonal permit. Under 12 needs neither license nor permit for anything except the elk drawing. Elk is left out of the tables below — it runs as a draw-only hunt with its own eight-permit price list, and KDFWR is the place to read it.
01 — Base hunting license
| Type | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Annual Hunting License | $28.54 | Species permits come on top. Includes the shooting range permit once you register. |
| Resident Youth Annual Hunting License (12-15) | $6.34 | |
| Resident 1-Day Hunting License | $7.40 | Not valid for deer, elk, turkey or bear. |
| Resident Combination Hunting/Fishing License | $44.39 | |
| Resident Sportsman's License | $100.42 | Combination hunting/fishing, statewide deer permit, spring and fall turkey permits, migratory bird/waterfowl permit and trout permit in one. Excludes the additional deer permit, bear, elk, trapping, the federal duck stamp and the Peabody, LBL and Otter Creek permits. |
| Resident First-time Buyer Sportsman's License | $37 | Same contents as the Sportsman's License, for a first-time buyer. |
| Resident Youth Sportsman's License (12-15) | $31.71 | Same contents as the resident Sportsman's License apart from the trout permit. Valid for a youth turning 16 during the license year if bought before the birthday. |
| Resident Senior Sportsman's License (65+) | $12.68 | |
| Resident Disabled Sportsman's License | $12.68 | |
| Resident Senior Lifetime Sportsman's License (65+) | $190.26 | Bought once, but it lapses if you stop being a Kentucky resident. |
| Nonresident Annual Hunting License | $169.12 | The only nonresident license valid for deer, elk, turkey and bear. |
| Nonresident Youth Annual Hunting License (12-15) | $10.57 | |
| Nonresident 7-Day Hunting License | $68.71 | Not valid for deer, elk, turkey or bear. |
| Nonresident 1-Day Hunting License | $26.43 | Not valid for deer, elk, turkey or bear. |
02 — Deer permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Deer Permit (four deer) | $37 | Statewide. Included in the Sportsman's licenses. |
| Resident Youth Deer Permit (12-15, four deer) | $10.57 | |
| Resident Additional Deer Permit (two deer) | $15.86 | On top of the statewide permit, and the one thing the Sportsman's License does not include. |
| Nonresident Deer Permit (four deer) | $248.40 | |
| Nonresident Youth Deer Permit (12-15, four deer) | $15.86 | |
| Nonresident Additional Deer Permit (two deer) | $15.86 |
03 — Turkey permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Spring Turkey Permit (two turkeys) | $31.71 | Statewide. Spring and fall are separate permits at the same price. |
| Resident Fall Turkey Permit (two turkeys) | $31.71 | Covers the fall archery, crossbow and shotgun seasons alike. |
| Resident Youth Turkey Permit (12-15, one turkey) | $10.57 | One bird in either the spring or the fall, your choice. |
| Nonresident Spring Turkey Permit (two turkeys) | $116.27 | |
| Nonresident Fall Turkey Permit (two turkeys) | $116.27 | |
| Nonresident Youth Turkey Permit (12-15, one turkey) | $15.86 |
04 — Waterfowl & migratory bird permits
| Stamp | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Migratory Bird/Waterfowl Permit | $15.86 | Same price for nonresidents. Included in the Sportsman's licenses. Ages 12-15 do not need it. |
| Federal Duck Stamp | $25 | Same price for nonresidents, and KDFWR sells it at face value with no handling fee. Required from age 16, including hunters who are license exempt or on their own land. A physical stamp has to be signed before you go afield. |
| 1-Day Ballard Waterfowl Permit | $15.86 | Same price for nonresidents. Online only, sold Nov. 1 through Feb. 15. |
| Sandhill Crane Permit | $3 | Same price for nonresidents. Drawing only — apply Sept. 1-30. |
Waterfowl hunters 16 and older also need HIP registration and a Federal Duck Stamp. Kentucky duck season dates →
05 — Other permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Bear Permit | $31.71 | |
| Nonresident Bear Permit | $264.25 | |
| Bobcat Permit | $10.57 | Same price for nonresidents. Online only, and required of every bobcat hunter. |
| Pheasant Quota Hunt Permit | $26.43 | Same price for nonresidents. Only payable if you are drawn. |
06 — Hunter education
Kentucky requires a hunter education certificate for most first-time license buyers. Required of anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1975, under KRS 150.170(3) and 301 KAR 2:185, and the card has to be on you in the field. Kentucky accepts certification from all 49 other states. In-person courses cost nothing — firearms and ammunition included — and certify you the same day; the online course still needs an in-person live-fire range day afterwards. Children have to be at least 9 to sit the test, and under 12 they are exempt from certification altogether. There is also a free one-time Temporary Hunter Education Exemption Permit, online only, good for one year: it lets you hunt uncertified but only alongside a licensed adult of 18 or older who meets the requirement and stays close enough to take immediate control of your bow or firearm. Once it expires the exemption is spent and the course becomes unavoidable.
Kentucky hunter safety course — options, costs and where to register →
07 — Where to buy
Licenses and permits are sold through My Profile, the state's official portal.
Where to hunt public land in Kentucky — WMAs by county & access rules →
Kentucky's license year begins March 1 and runs through the last day of February, so a license bought in October still expires at the end of the following February. One-day and seven-day licenses are valid only for the dates printed on them.
FAQ
Can I hunt on my own land in Kentucky without a license?
Kentucky resident farmland owners — or their spouse or dependent children — may hunt (not trap) and fish that land without a license; resident tenants living there and their dependent children get the same right. Season dates, zone rules, bag limits, and telecheck reporting still apply.
How much is a hunting license in Kentucky?
A resident annual Kentucky hunting license costs $28.54, and the nonresident annual license costs $169.12. Species permits for deer, turkey and waterfowl are charged on top — see the tables above. Prices are set by Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources and were read from their own license document on Aug 7, 2026.
How much is a nonresident hunting license in Kentucky?
$169.12 for the annual nonresident license. Species permits come on top of the base license.
How much is a deer permit in Kentucky?
Resident Deer Permit (four deer) — $37. Resident Youth Deer Permit (12-15, four deer) — $10.57. Resident Additional Deer Permit (two deer) — $15.86. Nonresident Deer Permit (four deer) — $248.40. Nonresident Youth Deer Permit (12-15, four deer) — $15.86. Nonresident Additional Deer Permit (two deer) — $15.86. A deer permit is charged on top of the base hunting license.
What do I need to get a hunting license in Kentucky?
Kentucky requires a hunter education certificate for most first-time license buyers. Licenses are sold through My Profile, the state's official portal. Kentucky's license year begins March 1 and runs through the last day of February, so a license bought in October still expires at the end of the following February. One-day and seven-day licenses are valid only for the dates printed on them.
Do I need a hunter safety course to buy a Kentucky hunting license?
Yes, for most first-time buyers. Required of anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1975, under KRS 150.170(3) and 301 KAR 2:185, and the card has to be on you in the field. Kentucky accepts certification from all 49 other states. In-person courses cost nothing — firearms and ammunition included — and certify you the same day; the online course still needs an in-person live-fire range day afterwards. Children have to be at least 9 to sit the test, and under 12 they are exempt from certification altogether. There is also a free one-time Temporary Hunter Education Exemption Permit, online only, good for one year: it lets you hunt uncertified but only alongside a licensed adult of 18 or older who meets the requirement and stays close enough to take immediate control of your bow or firearm. Once it expires the exemption is spent and the course becomes unavoidable.
Verified · Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources · Last verified 2026-08-07
Publisher's note. Prices read from the KDFWR license offerings document, retrieved 2026-08-07. Review due 2027-03-01. Fees are set by the state and change without notice — confirm current prices before purchase.