Texas · License · 2026 Edition
Texas Hunting License Cost 2026: Fees, Deer & Turkey Permits
A year costs $25 for residents and $315 for nonresidents. The cheapest short-term option for nonresidents is the Nonresident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic Hunting License at $48 — Five consecutive days. Covers exotics, legal game birds, non-game animals, furbearers, squirrel and javelina — never wild turkey, deer, alligator, pronghorn or bighorn sheep.
Texas keeps the license itself simple and puts the detail into endorsements. One $25 resident hunting license covers any legal bird or animal, and deer tags are printed right on it — there is no separate deer tag to buy. What you add on top are $7 endorsements: archery for archery-only seasons, upland game bird for turkey, migratory game bird for waterfowl and dove. The $68 Super Combo bundles the hunting and fishing licenses with five of those endorsements and saves up to $18, though the Federal Duck Stamp stays a separate purchase. Nonresidents pick between just two licenses: the $315 General Hunting License, the only one valid for deer, or the $48 five-day small game license, which covers game birds and exotics but never wild turkey or deer.
01 — Base hunting license
| Type | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Hunting License | $25 | Valid for any legal bird or animal. Deer tags come printed on the license. |
| Senior Resident Hunting License (65+) | $7 | |
| Youth Hunting License (under 17) | $7 | Same price for residents and nonresidents under 17 at the date of purchase. Exempt from every state endorsement except reptile and amphibian. |
| Resident Super Combo Package | $68 | Hunting and fishing licenses plus five endorsements — archery, freshwater, saltwater, upland game bird and migratory game bird. Saves up to $18. The Federal Duck Stamp stays separate. |
| Senior Resident Super Combo Package (65+) | $32 | The same five endorsements as the full Super Combo. |
| Resident Combo Hunting & Freshwater Fishing Package | $50 | Hunting and fishing licenses with the freshwater endorsement. Hunting endorsements are not included. |
| Resident Combo Hunting & Saltwater Fishing Package | $55 | |
| Resident Combo Hunting & All-Water Fishing Package | $60 | |
| Senior Resident Combo Hunting & Freshwater Fishing Package (65+) | $16 | |
| Senior Resident Combo Hunting & Saltwater Fishing Package (65+) | $21 | |
| Senior Resident Combo Hunting & All-Water Fishing Package (65+) | $26 | |
| Hunter Education Deferral | $10 | Stands in for the hunter education course for the rest of the license year, and may be bought only once in a lifetime. The hunter must be accompanied. Same price for nonresidents. |
| Nonresident General Hunting License | $315 | Valid for any legal bird or animal, and the only nonresident license good for whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn or bighorn sheep. |
| Nonresident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic Hunting License | $48 | Five consecutive days. Covers exotics, legal game birds, non-game animals, furbearers, squirrel and javelina — never wild turkey, deer, alligator, pronghorn or bighorn sheep. |
02 — Deer permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Archery Endorsement | $7 | Same price for nonresidents, and included in the Super Combo. Required for archery-only seasons, and for hunting deer at any time in Collin, Dallas, Grayson or Rockwall counties. Hunters under 17 are exempt. |
03 — Turkey permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Upland Game Bird Endorsement | $7 | The turkey endorsement, also covering pheasant, quail and chachalaca. Same price for nonresidents and included in the Super Combo. It cannot be used to hunt turkey on the Nonresident Special 5-Day license. Hunters under 17 are exempt. |
04 — Waterfowl & migratory bird permits
| Stamp | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Migratory Game Bird Endorsement | $7 | Covers waterfowl, coot, rail, gallinule, snipe, dove, sandhill crane and woodcock. Same price for nonresidents and included in the Super Combo. Hunters under 17 are exempt. |
| Federal Duck Stamp | $25 | Plus a fulfillment fee, and the one endorsement the Super Combo leaves out. Required of waterfowl hunters 16 and older. The electronic stamp covers the whole season; physical stamps are mailed the following March. |
Waterfowl hunters 16 and older also need HIP registration and a Federal Duck Stamp. Texas duck season dates →
05 — Hunter education
Texas requires a hunter education certificate for most first-time license buyers. Required of every hunter born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, visitors from other states included. Under 9, hunt accompanied by a licensed certified hunter of at least 17. Ages 9 to 16, either complete the course or hunt accompanied. From 17, either complete the course or buy the one-time $10 deferral and hunt accompanied. The accompanying hunter has to stay within normal voice control.
Texas hunter safety course — options, costs and where to register →
06 — Where to buy
Licenses and permits are sold through TPWD Online License Sales, the state's official portal.
Where to hunt public land in Texas — WMAs by county & access rules →
Texas licenses go on sale August 15 and stay valid from the date of purchase through August 31, so the license year ends on the same day for everyone no matter when they bought in.
FAQ
Can I hunt on my own land in Texas without a license?
Texas requires a license for essentially all game even on your own land — the one landowner carve-out is feral hogs, which a resident landowner (or anyone with their consent) may take without a license. Deer, turkey, and everything else still need the usual license and tags.
How much is a hunting license in Texas?
A resident annual Texas hunting license costs $25, and the nonresident annual license costs $315. Species permits for deer, turkey and waterfowl are charged on top — see the tables above. Prices are set by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and were read from their own license document on Aug 6, 2026.
How much is a nonresident hunting license in Texas?
$315 for the annual nonresident license. The cheapest short-term option is the Nonresident Special 5-Day Small Game/Exotic Hunting License at $48 — Five consecutive days. Covers exotics, legal game birds, non-game animals, furbearers, squirrel and javelina — never wild turkey, deer, alligator, pronghorn or bighorn sheep. Species permits come on top of the base license.
How much is a deer permit in Texas?
Archery Endorsement — $7. A deer permit is charged on top of the base hunting license.
What do I need to get a hunting license in Texas?
Texas requires a hunter education certificate for most first-time license buyers. Licenses are sold through TPWD Online License Sales, the state's official portal. Texas licenses go on sale August 15 and stay valid from the date of purchase through August 31, so the license year ends on the same day for everyone no matter when they bought in.
Do I need a hunter safety course to buy a Texas hunting license?
Yes, for most first-time buyers. Required of every hunter born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, visitors from other states included. Under 9, hunt accompanied by a licensed certified hunter of at least 17. Ages 9 to 16, either complete the course or hunt accompanied. From 17, either complete the course or buy the one-time $10 deferral and hunt accompanied. The accompanying hunter has to stay within normal voice control.
Verified · Texas Parks and Wildlife Department · Last verified 2026-08-06
Publisher's note. Prices read from the TPWD license offerings document, retrieved 2026-08-06. Review due 2027-08-01. Fees are set by the state and change without notice — confirm current prices before purchase.