Maryland · License · 2026 Edition
Maryland Hunting License Cost 2026: Fees, Deer & Turkey Permits
A year costs $35 for residents and $160 for nonresidents.
DNR's own license-fee pages (dnr.maryland.gov) returned a server block to every fetch method used for this project as of 2026-08-13, so these figures come instead from the Maryland Department of Legislative Services' official 'Fishing and Hunting Licenses, Permits, and Stamps' report (December 2023) — the same first-since-2002 fee increase confirmed independently by contemporaneous news coverage of the change. A standard hunting license already covers turkey with no separate stamp required — several third-party hunting-license sites list a nonexistent "turkey stamp" fee that does not appear anywhere in DNR's statutory fee schedule, and is not carried here. A stamp is only required on top of the base license for: migratory game birds, wild waterfowl, sika deer, or deer taken specifically during archery or muzzleloader season (firearms-season deer needs no extra stamp beyond the base license). The Sika Deer Stamp is left out of the Deer permits table below and filed under Other permits instead — sika (Cervus nippon) is a biologically distinct species found only on Maryland's Eastern Shore, consistent with this project's deer season page for Maryland, which also excludes it. One correction worth flagging: several unofficial sites list the nonresident Sika Deer Stamp at $200 — the Department of Legislative Services' own statutory summary puts it at $25, the same as the archery, muzzleloader, and bonus antlered deer stamps. Left out entirely: the Federal Duck Stamp (DNR's own report gives two different prices, $25 or $27, "depending on where the stamp is purchased" — no single figure is asserted here), the free crop-damage Deer Management Permit (a landowner tool, not something a hunter buys), and the $500 Patron's License and pre-2002 Senior Consolidated License (DNR confirms neither is actually sold in practice today).
01 — Base hunting license
| Type | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting License (Resident, Standard) | $35 | Covers all legal game birds and mammals except furbearers and black bear; turkey included. |
| Hunting License (Resident, Junior, under 16) | $15 | One-time free license available on completion of a hunter education course plus application. |
| Hunting License (Resident, Senior, 65+) | $5 | |
| Apprentice Hunting License (Resident) | $15 | First hunting license ever; must be accompanied by an adult with a standard Maryland resident license. |
| Hunting License (Nonresident, Standard) | $160 | Covers all legal game birds and mammals except furbearers and black bear; turkey included. |
| Hunting License (Nonresident, Junior, under 16) | $80 | |
| 3-Day Waterfowl & Small Game License (Nonresident) | $65 | Excludes deer, black bear, and turkey. Migratory bird/waterfowl stamps still required on top. |
| Apprentice Hunting License (Nonresident) | $40 | First hunting license ever; must be accompanied by an adult with a standard Maryland resident license. |
02 — Deer permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Archery (Bow and Arrow) Stamp (Resident) | $6 | Required on top of the base license to hunt deer with archery equipment. One-time free for resident juniors completing hunter education. |
| Archery (Bow and Arrow) Stamp (Nonresident) | $25 | |
| Muzzle Loader Stamp (Resident) | $6 | Required on top of the base license to hunt deer during muzzleloader season. One-time free for resident juniors completing hunter education. |
| Muzzle Loader Stamp (Nonresident) | $25 | |
| Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp (Resident) | $10 | Needed to take a third antlered white-tailed deer in a season, subject to regional bag-limit rules. |
| Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp (Nonresident) | $25 |
03 — Waterfowl & migratory bird permits
| Stamp | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp (dove/duck/rail/snipe/woodcock) | $15 | Required in addition to the base license to hunt any migratory game bird. Issued together with HIP registration. A Federal Duck Stamp is separately required for waterfowl and coots. |
Waterfowl hunters 16 and older also need HIP registration and a Federal Duck Stamp. Maryland duck season dates →
04 — Other permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Furbearer Permit, Individual | $5 | |
| Furbearer Permit, Group | $50 | |
| Trapping License (Nonresident) | $50 | Required in addition to a furbearer permit for nonresidents who want to trap. |
| Sika Deer Stamp (Resident) | $10 | Sika deer (Cervus nippon) is a separate species from white-tailed deer, found only on the Eastern Shore — not covered by this site's deer season data. |
| Sika Deer Stamp (Nonresident) | $25 | Several third-party sites list this at $200 — Maryland's own statutory fee schedule sets it at $25, the same as the archery/muzzleloader/bonus-deer stamps. |
05 — Hunter education
Maryland requires a hunter education certificate for most first-time license buyers. A certificate of competency in firearms and hunter safety is generally required before DNR will issue a hunting license, via the Maryland hunter education course. No birth-year cutoff is stated in the statutory summary used here — check with DNR directly for any grandfather provisions.
Maryland hunter safety course — options, costs and where to register →
06 — Where to buy
Licenses and permits are sold through MD Outdoors, the state's official portal.
Where to hunt public land in Maryland — WMAs by county & access rules →
Each Maryland hunting license is valid from its date of issuance through July 31 of the following year — not a fixed calendar window, but a rolling one tied to purchase date (per the Maryland Department of Legislative Services).
FAQ
Can I hunt on my own land in Maryland without a license?
A Maryland resident landowner — plus their spouse, child, and child's spouse — doesn't need a license on land they hold title to; the same goes for a tenant and their family. Deer and turkey still need a free DNRid and Big Game Harvest Record, and nonresident owners generally don't qualify.
How much is a hunting license in Maryland?
A resident annual Maryland hunting license costs $35, and the nonresident annual license costs $160. Species permits for deer, turkey and waterfowl are charged on top — see the tables above. Prices are set by Maryland Department of Natural Resources and were read from their own license document on Aug 13, 2026.
How much is a nonresident hunting license in Maryland?
$160 for the annual nonresident license. Species permits come on top of the base license.
How much is a deer permit in Maryland?
Archery (Bow and Arrow) Stamp (Resident) — $6. Archery (Bow and Arrow) Stamp (Nonresident) — $25. Muzzle Loader Stamp (Resident) — $6. Muzzle Loader Stamp (Nonresident) — $25. Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp (Resident) — $10. Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp (Nonresident) — $25. A deer permit is charged on top of the base hunting license.
What do I need to get a hunting license in Maryland?
Maryland requires a hunter education certificate for most first-time license buyers. Licenses are sold through MD Outdoors, the state's official portal. Each Maryland hunting license is valid from its date of issuance through July 31 of the following year — not a fixed calendar window, but a rolling one tied to purchase date (per the Maryland Department of Legislative Services).
Do I need a hunter safety course to buy a Maryland hunting license?
Yes, for most first-time buyers. A certificate of competency in firearms and hunter safety is generally required before DNR will issue a hunting license, via the Maryland hunter education course. No birth-year cutoff is stated in the statutory summary used here — check with DNR directly for any grandfather provisions.
Verified · Maryland Department of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-13
Publisher's note. Prices read from the DNR license offerings document, retrieved 2026-08-13. Review due 2027-06-01. Fees are set by the state and change without notice — confirm current prices before purchase.