West Virginia · License · 2026 Edition
West Virginia Hunting License Cost 2026: Fees, Deer & Turkey Permits
A year costs $19 for residents and $119 for nonresidents.
West Virginia prices its nonresident base license unusually low for the region — $119 against $19 for residents, about 6.3x rather than the 10x-plus spread common elsewhere — but recovers it on the add-ons: a nonresident who wants a second archery deer pays $37 for the RRB stamp against $21 for a resident's RB stamp. A resident-only quirk worth knowing before you buy the wrong thing: the Apprentice license (available to residents and nonresidents alike since 2013) only works for someone who has never bought a base hunting license before — it isn't a yearly deferral like most states' apprentice products, it's a true one-way first-timer's door, and ODWC's own FAQ doesn't say what happens once you've used it beyond "take the course." Left out of the tables below: turkey, antlerless (Class N) and muzzleloader deer stamps, and the several commercial and outfitter/guide licenses — WVDNR's own fee structure indexes these to CPI on a schedule this project could not pin down to a single reliable current number, so the Buyer's Guide linked below is the place to read them rather than risk a stale figure on a page bound by this project's data-honesty rule.
01 — Base hunting license
| Type | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Hunting/Trapping License (Class A) | $19 | |
| Resident Hunting/Fishing/Trapping License (Class X) | $35 | |
| Resident 3-Year Hunting/Fishing/Trapping License (Class X3) | $105 | |
| Resident Senior Hunting/Fishing/Trapping License (Class XS, 65+) | $25 | Required of residents who turn 65 on or after Jan. 1, 2012, apart from landowners and lifetime license holders. |
| Nonresident Hunting/Trapping License (Class E) | $119 | |
| Nonresident Bear Hunting License (Class EE) | $162 | For nonresidents who only want to hunt bear. Also needs the Bear Damage Stamp and the Conservation/Law Enforcement Stamp below. |
| Nonresident Junior Sportsman License (Class XXJ, 8-17) | $16 | Also needs the Conservation/Law Enforcement Stamp below. Covers one buck gun, one archery or crossbow, and one muzzleloader deer in the traditional seasons. |
02 — Deer permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Archery/Crossbow Deer Stamp (Class RB, resident) | $21 | Takes up to two additional deer in archery/crossbow season on top of the one deer a base license allows. One of the two must be antlerless, taken in a county open to Class N antlerless hunting. Must be bought before the season opens. |
| Additional Archery/Crossbow Deer Stamp (Class RRB, nonresident) | $37 |
03 — Other permits
| Permit | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation/Law Enforcement Stamp (nonresident) | $13 | Required of every nonresident hunter, angler and trapper alongside a base license. |
| Bear Damage Stamp (DS) | $10 | Same price for nonresidents. Required alongside the Class EE nonresident bear license unless the hunter holds a Class DT license. |
| National Forest Stamp (Class I) | $2 | Same price for nonresidents. Required to hunt on National Forest land. |
04 — Hunter education
West Virginia requires a hunter education certificate for most first-time license buyers. Required of every hunter, resident or nonresident, born on or after Jan. 1, 1975, before a base license can be issued.
West Virginia hunter safety course — options, costs and where to register →
05 — Where to buy
Licenses and permits are sold through WVhunt Electronic License System, the state's official portal.
WVhunt Electronic License System →
Where to hunt public land in West Virginia — WMAs by county & access rules →
West Virginia license fees are set by statute but adjusted upward from the codified base amount through a Consumer Price Index mechanism (W. Va. Code § 20-2-42) — so the dollar figures written into the underlying law and the price you actually pay at WVhunt.com or a license agent are not the same number. The figures below come from WVDNR's own current fee pages and FAQ, not the statute text.
FAQ
Can I hunt on my own land in West Virginia without a license?
West Virginia resident landowners, their resident children or parents, and resident tenants may hunt, trap, or fish their own land without a license — except on land designated a wildlife refuge or preserve. Some species stamps carry their own separate landowner rules.
How much is a hunting license in West Virginia?
A resident annual West Virginia hunting license costs $19, and the nonresident annual license costs $119. Species permits for deer, turkey and waterfowl are charged on top — see the tables above. Prices are set by West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and were read from their own license document on Aug 7, 2026.
How much is a nonresident hunting license in West Virginia?
$119 for the annual nonresident license. Species permits come on top of the base license.
How much is a deer permit in West Virginia?
Additional Archery/Crossbow Deer Stamp (Class RB, resident) — $21. Additional Archery/Crossbow Deer Stamp (Class RRB, nonresident) — $37. A deer permit is charged on top of the base hunting license.
What do I need to get a hunting license in West Virginia?
West Virginia requires a hunter education certificate for most first-time license buyers. Licenses are sold through WVhunt Electronic License System, the state's official portal. West Virginia license fees are set by statute but adjusted upward from the codified base amount through a Consumer Price Index mechanism (W. Va. Code § 20-2-42) — so the dollar figures written into the underlying law and the price you actually pay at WVhunt.com or a license agent are not the same number. The figures below come from WVDNR's own current fee pages and FAQ, not the statute text.
Do I need a hunter safety course to buy a West Virginia hunting license?
Yes, for most first-time buyers. Required of every hunter, resident or nonresident, born on or after Jan. 1, 1975, before a base license can be issued.
Verified · West Virginia Division of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-07
Publisher's note. Prices read from the WVDNR license offerings document, retrieved 2026-08-07. Review due 2027-08-01. Fees are set by the state and change without notice — confirm current prices before purchase.