A resident hunting licence runs from $11 in Michigan to $64.54 in California. Nonresidents pay between $57.75 and $410 for the same year — and in most states the licence alone does not cover deer. Every state below links to its full fee table.
01 — What a year costs, cheapest first
| State | Resident year | Nonresident year | Shortest option | Deer permit (res.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan hunting license | $11 | $151 | Annual only | $20 |
| Missouri hunting license | $11.50 | $108.50 | Annual only | $7.50 |
| South Carolina hunting license | $12 | $125 | 3-day | Free |
| Illinois hunting license | $12.50 | $57.75 | 5-day | $10.50 |
| Georgia hunting license | $15 | $100 | 1-day | Free |
| Florida hunting license | $17 | $151.50 | Annual only | $5 |
| Nebraska hunting license | $17 | $125 | Annual only | $42 |
| Wisconsin hunting license | $18 | $90 | 5-day | Free |
| Ohio hunting license | $19 | $180.96 | 3-day | $12 |
| West Virginia hunting license | $19 | $119 | Annual only | $21 |
| Indiana hunting license | $20 | $90 | 5-day | $24 |
| Louisiana hunting license | $20 | $200 | 5-day | $15 |
| Pennsylvania hunting license | $20.97 | $101.97 | 7-day | $6.97 |
| Iowa hunting license | $22 | $144 | 5-day | $15 |
| Minnesota hunting license | $22 | $102 | 72-hour | Free |
| New York hunting license | $22 | $100 | Annual only | $15 |
| Virginia hunting license | $23 | $111 | 3-day | $8.50 |
| Arkansas hunting license | $25 | $410 | 1-day | — |
| Kansas hunting license | $25 | $125 | Annual only | $10 |
| Texas hunting license | $25 | $315 | 5-day | $7 |
| Mississippi hunting license | $25 | $300 | 7-day | $10 |
| Maine hunting license | $26 | $115 | 3-day | — |
| New Jersey hunting license | $27.50 | $135.50 | 2-day | — |
| Kentucky hunting license | $28.54 | $169.12 | 1-day | $10.57 |
| New Mexico hunting license | $29 | $94 | Annual only | — |
| North Carolina hunting license | $32 | $124 | 10-day | $15 |
| Tennessee hunting license | $33 | $110 | 7-day | $18 |
| Alabama hunting license | $34.35 | $399.50 | 3-day | $18.45 |
| Maryland hunting license | $35 | $160 | 3-day | $6 |
| Oklahoma hunting license | $36 | $209 | 5-day | $36 |
| Nevada hunting license | $38 | $155 | Annual only | $30 |
| Oregon hunting license | $39 | $193 | 3-day | $33 |
| Delaware hunting license | $39.50 | $199.50 | 3-day | $20 |
| Massachusetts hunting license | $40 | $112 | Annual only | $10 |
| Utah hunting license | $40 | $144 | 3-day | $35 |
| Washington hunting license | $55.13 | $252.47 | Annual only | $61.70 |
| California hunting license | $64.54 | $225.46 | 1-day | $42.38 |
“Shortest option” is the briefest nonresident licence a state sells, for planning a single trip; “Annual only” means the year licence is the only one on offer. It carries no price on purpose — short-term licences are frequently small-game or apprentice licences that exclude deer and turkey outright, so the figure would invite a comparison the licences do not support. The state page lists each one with what it actually covers. A dash under the deer permit means we list no separate resident deer permit for that state — Arkansas, Maine, New Jersey and New Mexico covers deer in the base licence itself. Prices are the licence and its handling fee where the state charges one; tags, stamps and federal duck stamps sit on the state page.
02 — What drives the difference
Residency is the biggest lever by far. Arkansas charges nonresidents about 16 times what it charges its own residents; Massachusetts asks roughly 3 times. That spread, not the headline licence price, is what decides the cost of an out-of-state trip.
The base licence is rarely the whole bill. Most states sell deer, turkey and waterfowl privileges as separate permits, tags or stamps on top of it, though South Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin and Minnesota hand residents their deer permit at no charge. Waterfowl hunters owe a federal duck stamp as well, wherever they hunt.
26 of these 37 states sell a short-term nonresident licence — a day, a few days, a week — and the rest sell the annual licence and nothing shorter. Read the short ones closely before you count on them: in several states the cheap short licence is a small-game or apprentice licence that excludes deer, turkey and the rest of the big game, so the trip you are planning may still need the full annual licence.
03 — FAQ
How much is a hunting license?
For residents, between $11 and $64.54 a year across the states on this page. Nonresidents pay $57.75 to $410. Add the species permit or tag your hunt needs — the state page lists both together.
Do I need a separate permit for deer or turkey?
In most states, yes: the base licence gives you the right to hunt, and a species permit or tag covers the animal. A few states fold deer into the licence itself, and a few give residents the permit free. The deer column above shows which is which.
Do I need a hunter safety certificate to buy one?
Usually, and it depends on your birth date rather than your age. Most states require certification for anyone born on or after a fixed cutoff, which sits decades apart from state to state. Our hunter safety pages carry each state's cutoff and what the course costs.
04 — Elsewhere in the almanac
Each state page is read from that state's own wildlife agency and carries the date it was checked. The most recent verification across these 37 states was 2026-08-13. Fees change between licence years — confirm the current price with the agency before you buy.