In California, individuals must have a valid hunting license in order to hunt any game birds or mammals. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) issues hunting licenses, which are valid from July 1 of one year through June 30 of the following year.
To obtain a hunting license in California, individuals must meet certain requirements and complete the necessary steps, which include:
- Complete a hunter education course: All individuals born on or after January 1, 1972, must complete a hunter education course before they can purchase a hunting license.
- Purchase a hunting license: Hunting licenses can be purchased online through the CDFW’s website or at various license agents throughout the state.
- Purchase any required tags: Some species of game require additional tags or permits, which can be purchased at the same time as the hunting license.
- Follow all hunting regulations: Hunters must follow all state and federal hunting regulations, including hunting only during designated seasons, using appropriate equipment, and following bag limits.
It’s important to note that non-residents may need to purchase additional permits or tags in order to hunt in California. For more information on hunting in California and to purchase a hunting license, visit the CDFW’s website.
Valid JULY 1, 2022 through JUNE 30, 2023
Fish and Game Code Section 70 defines “Resident” as any person who has resided continuously in the State of California for six months or more immediately prior to the date of their application for a license or permit, any person on active military duty with the Armed Forces of the United States or auxiliary branch thereof, or any person enrolled in the Job Corps established pursuant to Section 2883 of Title 29 of the United States Code.
Fish and Game Code Section 86 defines “Take” as hunt, pursue, catch, capture, or kill, or attempt to hunt, pursue, catch, capture or kill.
License fees include a 3% nonrefundable application fee, not to exceed $7.50 per item.
Licenses issued from license agents include a 5% nonrefundable license agent handling fee.
Hunting Licenses
| Title | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Hunting License | $54.00 | Required for any resident 16 years of age or older who takes birds or mammals. |
| Nonresident Hunting License | $188.74 | Required for any nonresident 16 years of age or older who takes birds or mammals. |
| Junior Hunting License | $14.30 | Required for any resident or nonresident less than 16 years of age who takes birds or mammals. To qualify, hunter must be less than 16 years of age at the beginning of the license year (July 1). |
| One-Day Nonresident Hunting License | $25.92 | IMPORTANT! This license is only available for nonresidents taking resident and migratory game birds on Licensed Game Bird Clubs (Upland Game Bird Validation is also required) or Licensed Domesticated Migratory Game Bird Shooting Areas (Federal Duck Stamp and California Duck Validation are also required). |
| Two-Day Nonresident Hunting License | $54.00 | Allows a nonresident 16 years of age or older to take resident and migratory game birds, resident small game mammals, nongame mammals and furbearers for two consecutive days. Additional validations and tags may be required for certain species. IMPORTANT! This license is NOT valid for deer, bear, elk, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, or pig. |
| Disabled Veteran Reduced Fee Hunting License | $8.24 at CDFW Offices $8.64 from License Agents | Available for any resident or nonresident honorably discharged disabled veteran with a 50 percent or greater service-connected disability. After you prequalify for your first Disabled Veteran Reduced Fee Hunting License, you can purchase a disabled veteran license anywhere licenses are sold.Disabled Veteran Reduced Fee Hunting License |
| Recovering Service Member Reduced-Fee Hunting License | $8.24 at CDFW Offices$8.64 from License Agents | Available to any recovering service member. A recovering service member is defined as a member of the armed forces, including a member of the National Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation or therapy and is in an outpatient status while recovering from a serious injury or illness related to the member’s military service. After you prequalify for your Recovering Service Member Reduced-Fee Hunting License, you can purchase a recovering service member hunting license anywhere licenses are sold. Recovering Service Member Reduced-Fee Hunting License |
| Duplicate Hunting License | $11.88 | Available Online, at any CDFW License Sales Offices and License Agents. |
Big Game Tag Drawing Applications
More information about Applying for the Big Game Tag Drawing
| Title | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Resident First-Deer Tag or First-Deer Tag Drawing Application | $35.38 | Hunters may obtain two deer tags per license year. Applicants for deer tags must be age 12 as of July 1, of the current license year or at the time of purchase if purchasing after July 1. A First-Deer Tag Drawing Application or First-Deer Tag must be purchased before or at the same time as a Second-Deer Tag Drawing Application (junior hunters only) or Second-Deer Tag. See the Big Game Hunting Digest for more information. |
| Resident Second-Deer Tag or Second-Deer Tag Drawing Application | $44.28 | |
| Nonresident First-Deer Tag or First-Deer Tag Drawing Application | $317.00 | |
| Nonresident Second-Deer Tag or Second-Deer Tag Drawing Application | $317.00 | |
| Elk, Pronghorn Antelope and Bighorn Sheep Tag Drawing Applications | $8.13 per application | See the Big Game Hunting Digest for more information about the Big Game Drawing. |
Big Game Tags
| Title | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Tag | $28.34 Resident Junior$52.41 Resident$334.05 Nonresident | Resident and nonresident licensed hunters age 12 or older as of July 1 of the current license year, may purchase. One bear tag per license year. |
| Elk Tag | $23.50 Resident Junior$512.05 Resident $1,568.05 Nonresident | Resident and nonresident licensed hunters age 12 or older as of July 1 of the current license year, may enter a drawing for this tag. Each person may submit only one Elk Tag Drawing Application per license year. |
| Pronghorn Antelope Tag | $23.50 Resident Junior$172.29 Resident $527.50 Nonresident | Resident and nonresident licensed hunters, age 12 or older as of July 1 of the current license year, may enter a drawing for this tag. Each person may submit only one Pronghorn Tag Drawing Application per license year. |
| Bighorn Sheep Tag | $468.75 Resident $1,736.75 Nonresident | Resident and nonresident licensed hunters, age 16 or older as of July 1 of the current license year, may enter a drawing for this tag. Each person may submit only one Bighorn Sheep Tag Drawing Application per license year. Hunters can not apply as a party. Applicants can not apply if they have previously been issued a California Bighorn Sheep Tag through the Big Game Drawing. |
| Wild Pig Tag | $25.92 Resident $86.97 Nonresident | Resident and nonresident licensed hunters, 12 years of age or older at the time of application, may purchase an unlimited number of Wild Pig Tags. Tags are nonrefundable and nontransferable. |
Bird Hunting Validations
| Title | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| California Duck Validation | $34.56 | Required for any person taking waterfowl, excluding juniors hunting under the authority of a Junior Hunting License. |
| Upland Game Bird Validations | $21.60 | Required for any person taking upland game bird species, excluding juniors hunting under the authority of a Junior Hunting License. |
| Federal Duck Stamp | $25.00 | Required for any person hunting waterfowl. Hunters under the age of 16 are exempt from the Federal Duck Stamp requirement. Federal Duck Stamps are not sold at CDFW offices. Federal Duck Stamps can be purchased at many post offices and some license agents. More information about the Federal Duck Stamp (USFWS)(opens in new tab). |
| Harvest Information Program (HIP) Validation | NO FEE | Required for any person hunting ducks, dove, gallinules, geese, band-tailed pigeon, black brant, coots, and snipe. This validation is free to hunters who complete the Harvest Information Program (HIP) Survey. The validation is available where hunting licenses are sold. The HIP Validation is imprinted on your hunting license document when you answer the HIP Survey questions. If you hunt migratory game birds, verify that a HIP Validation has been printed on your hunting license. The HIP Survey provides wildlife biologists with data needed to make wildlife management decisions and formulate hunting seasons. More information about HIP(opens in new tab) |
Passes for State-Operated Hunting Areas
| Title | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Type A One-Day Pass | $24.33 | Allows a licensed hunter to hunt on a Type A State-operated Wildlife Area for one day if space is available. Junior hunters are exempt from permit requirements. |
| Type A Two-Day Pass | $39.14 | Allows a licensed hunter to hunt on a Type A State-operated Wildlife Area. This pass may be used as follows: 1) by one person for any two authorized shoot days; or 2) by two persons on any one authorized shoot day. Junior hunters are exempt from pass requirements. |
| Type A Season Pass | $183.34 | Allows a licensed hunter unlimited season access to Type A and Type B State-operated Wildlife Areas for one person if space is available. Junior hunters are exempt from permit requirements. |
| Type B Season Pass | $61.56 | Allows a licensed hunter unlimited season access to Type B State-operated Wildlife Areas for one person if space is available. Junior hunters are exempt from pass requirements. |
Reservation Applications for State-Operated Hunting Areas
| Title | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation Application | $1.34 per application | Allows a licensed hunter to apply for reservation drawings to hunt on State-operated Wildlife Areas. |
Lifetime Hunting Licenses
| Title | 2023 Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 0-9 | $644.50 | Available to any resident showing proof of completion of hunter education training. Lifetime hunting licensees receive an annual hunting license each year for life. Lifetime Hunting Packages must first be purchased from a CDFW License Sales Office. See Lifetime License application and information for more detail. |
| Ages 10-39 | $1,054.25 | |
| Ages 40-61 | $949.75 | |
| Ages 62+ | $644.50 | |
| Lifetime Bird Hunting Privilege Package | $374.25 | Lifetime licensees who purchase the Lifetime Bird Hunting Privilege Package receive Upland Game Bird and California Duck Validations each year for life. |
| Lifetime Big Game Hunting Privilege Package | $784.50 | Lifetime licensees who purchase the Big Game Hunting Privilege Package receive a One-Deer Tag Application and five Wild Pig Tags each year for life. |
Permits for Hunters with Disabilities
| Title | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility Impaired Disabled Persons Motor Vehicle Hunting License Application | NO FEE | Available to any resident or nonresident for mobility impaired disabled hunter who must use a motor vehicle to pursue game. A person must be either permanently or fully confined to a wheel chair, a single or double amputee above the knee or double amputee below the knee or depend upon the aid of a walker, crutches, etc. to walk. Certification from the hunter’s physician is required. The license is only available from the CDFW’s License and Revenue Branch. Mobility Impaired Disabled Persons Motor Vehicle Hunting License (PDF Form). |
| Visually Disabled Muzzleloader Scope Permit | NO FEE | Available to any resident or nonresident visually impaired hunter having a permanent loss, significant limitation, or diagnosed disease or disorder, which substantially impairs the vision of a hunter, preventing the hunter from viewing and aligning the sights of a muzzle-loading rifle with the target in order to hunt deer. A visually disabled hunter may use a scope of no more than one power while hunting under the conditions of a muzzle-loading deer hunt tag. Certification from the hunter’s physician or optometrist is required annually, except if the physician or optometrist indicated on the initial application that the hunter’s disability is permanent the hunter will be able to provide a copy of their previously issued Visually Disabled Muzzleloader Scope Permit to renew the permit. The permit is only available from the CDFW’s License and Revenue Branch. Visually Disabled Muzzleloader Scope Permit Application (PDF Form). |
| Disabled Archer Permit | NO FEE | Available to any resident or nonresident hunter’s having permanent loss, significant limitation, or diagnosed disease or disorder, which substantially impairs one or both upper extremities preventing a hunter to draw and hold a bow in a firing position. Allows the hunter to hunt with a crossbow or other device to draw and hold a bow in a firing position under the conditions of an archery tag or during archery season. Certification from the hunter’s physician is required annually, except if the physician indicated on the initial application that the hunter’s disability is permanent the hunter will be able to provide a copy of their previously issued Disabled Archer Permit to renew the permit. The permit is only available from the CDFW’s License and Revenue Branch. |
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