Arizona hunting license

How much is an Arizona hunting license?

A resident General Hunting License in Arizona costs $37, and a resident Combination Hunt and Fish License costs $57, as listed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) in its fee table for 2026 hunts. The general license covers small game, furbearers, predators, nongame and upland birds. Migratory birds add a $5 stamp.

Big game is a separate purchase. Elk, deer, pronghorn, sheep and similar animals each need a permit-tag (usually won in a draw) or a nonpermit-tag sold over the counter, so your Arizona hunting license is the entry ticket rather than the whole cost.

Which license makes sense? If you fish at all during the year, compare the $57 combination to buying the hunting license on its own; the combination folds both into one purchase that stays valid for the same 365 days. Hunters who only chase quail, rabbits or predators can stick with the general license and skip the extras.

The table below shows resident, nonresident, youth and short-term prices. Every figure comes from the 2026-27 Arizona Hunting Regulations, which AZGFD publishes each year.

Do you need hunter education for an Arizona hunting license?

No, adults do not need hunter education to buy an Arizona hunting license. The only requirement is for youth under 14, who must complete the course before hunting big game. There is no birth-date cutoff for grown hunters as there is in many other states.

Arizona still runs a full hunter education program for anyone who wants it. Students can take it from age 9. The online course is open to Arizona residents only, and the field day is optional for those who finish online. Cards issued by other states are accepted.

Even without a requirement, the course is worth a look for new hunters, especially before a first big game hunt. Families planning a youth elk or deer hunt should finish it early, because a child under 14 cannot hunt big game without it, whatever tag they draw.

Arizona also accepts hunter education cards from other states, so a visiting family whose child already finished a course back home can use that card for a youth big game hunt.

Where do you buy an Arizona hunting license?

The main option is the AZGFD online license site, license.azgfd.com. AZGFD does not mail licenses, so after buying you either print yours or carry it in the AZ E-Tag app. You can also buy from any license dealer or at an AZGFD office.

If you plan to enter a big game draw, keep in mind that the short-term combination license cannot be used to apply. Draw applicants need one of the regular licenses instead, so choose that option at checkout.

Questions about licenses or draw applications go to AZGFD at 602-942-3000, option 2.

Buying a few weeks ahead of a hunt gives you time to print the license or set up the AZ E-Tag app at home, and to sort out any stamps or tags before the trip. Since the license runs 365 days from the purchase date, buying early does not shorten the season you can use it for, as long as your hunts fall inside that year.

1. Decide between the $37 General Hunting License and the $57 combination (nonresidents buy the $160 combination).
2. Buy online at license.azgfd.com, from a license dealer or at an AZGFD office.
3. Print the license or load it in the AZ E-Tag app, since AZGFD does not mail licenses.
4. Add a draw application, an over-the-counter tag or the $5 migratory bird stamp if your hunt needs one.

Buy a Arizona hunting license on the official site

How do Arizona big game draws and tags work?

Most Arizona big game, including elk, pronghorn, deer, bighorn sheep, bison and many turkey and javelina hunts, requires a hunt permit-tag won in a draw. A few tags are sold over the counter: archery deer, bear, mountain lion and archery turkey among them.

AZGFD holds three draws a year, all applied for online at draw.azgfd.com. The deer, fall turkey and javelina, bighorn sheep and fall bison draw closed June 2, 2026. The spring 2027 draw for turkey, javelina and bison closed October 6, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Arizona time. The elk and pronghorn draw closes in February, with its booklet out in early January. The spring dates are in the 2027 Spring Regulations.

A draw is a two-step process. First you apply online during the window, listing the hunts you want, and the department runs the drawing after the deadline closes. If you are drawn, you receive the permit-tag for that hunt. If not, you can look at the over-the-counter options or wait for the next draw on the calendar. Because the windows are months apart, many hunters keep all three deadlines on a calendar so they do not miss a species they care about.

Some species come with extra duties after the hunt. Bear, mountain lion and a few other animals require mandatory harvest reporting and check-in, so read the rules for your species before you head out.

How much is a youth hunting license in Arizona?

Youth ages 10 to 17 can buy a Youth Combination Hunt and Fish license for $5, and the price is the same for residents and nonresidents. It includes the migratory bird stamp, so a young waterfowl hunter does not need to buy that $5 stamp separately.

Kids under 10 can hunt without a license, but only for species other than big game, and only when accompanied by a licensed adult 18 or older. One adult can take up to two children. No one under 10 may hunt big game in Arizona.

Remember the hunter education rule for this age group: youth under 14 must complete the course before hunting big game. Signing a 12-year-old up for the course before the draw season is a simple way to keep the option open.

What does an Arizona hunting license cost for nonresidents?

Nonresidents cannot buy a hunting-only license in Arizona. Instead, they buy the Combination Hunt and Fish License for $160, which covers the same small game as the resident license plus fishing. Big game tags are extra; for example, a nonresident deer permit-tag is $315 and an elk permit-tag is $665.

For a quick small game or fishing trip, the short-term Combination Hunt and Fish license costs $20 per day for nonresidents ($15 per day for residents), for dates you choose when you buy. It is not valid for big game or for applying in the draw.

When you budget a nonresident hunt, add the combination license and the tag together. A deer hunter who draws a permit-tag pays $160 plus $315, and an elk hunter pays $160 plus $665. Because the license lasts 365 days, one purchase can also cover a spring hunt and a fall hunt, as long as both fall inside that window from your purchase date.

If you are also looking at hunts next door, see the Colorado hunting license and New Mexico hunting license guides, or compare every state in the hunting license by state table.

What other rules apply to Arizona hunters?

Every Arizona license is valid for 365 days from the date you buy it, so there is no fixed season to line your purchase up with. The exception is the migratory bird stamp and federal waterfowl stamp, which both run July 1 to June 30. Other points worth knowing:

• Landowners: the regulations say everyone needs a license to hunt wildlife in Arizona, and no landowner exemption is listed.
• Seniors: residents 70 and older with 25 consecutive years of residency can get a free lifetime Pioneer license.
• Veterans: residents with a 100% service-connected disability get a free license, and other disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients can get reduced-fee licenses.
• Scouts: Eagle Scouts and Gold Award youth can buy a $5 High Achievement Scout license.
• Lifetime licenses: Lifetime Hunt, Lifetime Combination Hunt and Fish and Benefactor licenses exist and stay valid if you move away, but the current booklet lists no prices, so ask AZGFD.
• Hunter orange: the 2026-27 booklet does not state a hunter orange rule, so check with the Arizona Game and Fish Department for your hunt.