Delaware hunting license

How much does a Delaware hunting license cost?

A resident adult Delaware hunting license costs $39.50 for hunters 16 to 64, as listed by DNREC's Division of Fish and Wildlife for the current license year. Nonresidents 16 and older pay $199.50. Both licenses come with a Deer Harvest Report Card holding four antlerless deer tags, and the resident license covers turkey too, so a typical deer hunter gets a lot of value from the base purchase.

Antlered deer cost extra. Residents can add the Hunter's Choice and Quality Buck tag combo for $20, and extra antlerless tags are $20 each. Nonresidents pay $50 each for an Antlered Deer Tag and a Quality Buck Tag. License agents may add up to $2.50 to a sale, so the amount you pay in a store can be a little higher than the listed fee.

The table below lays out these fees from the DNREC license fee page. Prices can change from one license year to the next, so check the page before you buy. If you plan to hunt deer seriously, add up the license, any antlered tags and the Conservation Access Pass for state wildlife areas together, since that combined number is what a full season really costs. Hunters who only chase doe on private land may find the base license with its four included tags is all they need.

Who needs hunter education for a Delaware hunting license?

Anyone born after January 1, 1967 must pass a Basic Hunter Education course before getting a license. If you were born earlier, the course is not required to buy one. The rule applies to residents and nonresidents alike, so a visiting hunter born after that date needs a certificate too.

Students must be at least 10 to certify. Delaware gives you two ways to finish. You can take the full course free and in person, or complete the coursework online through an approved vendor and then attend a free in-person field day that includes live fire. Either way, there is a hands-on piece, so plan time for it before the season.

Keep your certificate card or number somewhere easy to find. Digital DNREC and license agents ask for it at checkout, and a certificate from another state is how most visiting hunters meet the requirement. If you lose yours, contact the hunter education office before the season rather than at the counter on opening morning.

Delaware does not list an apprentice or deferral option on its official pages, so the certificate really does come first for anyone covered by the rule. Class dates and online course links are on the DNREC hunter education courses page.

Where do you buy a hunting license in Delaware?

The quickest way is online through Digital DNREC (de.gov/DigitalDNREC). You can also buy from an authorized license agent or at the DNREC licensing desk in Dover, which you can reach at 302-739-9918. Online purchases avoid the agent fee of up to $2.50, and Digital DNREC is also where you register deer and turkey later in the season.

Before you start, have your hunter education certificate handy if you were born after January 1, 1967. If you qualify for an exemption (for example, you are 65 or older, under 13, or a farm owner), you still go through the system to get a free License Exempt Number.

One more item for public land: if you drive to a state wildlife area, a Conservation Access Pass is needed for your vehicle. That pass is separate from your license, so add it in the same visit if you plan to hunt those areas.

1. Pass Basic Hunter Education if you were born after January 1, 1967.
2. Log in to Digital DNREC, visit a license agent, or call the Dover licensing desk at 302-739-9918.
3. Buy your adult, junior or 3-day license, or request a free License Exempt Number if you qualify.
4. Add antlered deer tags, extra antlerless tags or a Conservation Access Pass if you need them.

Buy a Delaware hunting license on the official site

How do deer and turkey tags work in Delaware?

Your adult license already includes a harvest report card with four antlerless deer tags, and antlered tags are bought separately. Delaware limits each hunter to two bucks a year. Residents reach that through the Hunter's Choice tag plus the Quality Buck tag, and a Quality Buck must have at least a 15-inch spread.

Every deer and turkey must be registered within 24 hours. You can do it online through Digital DNREC or by calling 1-855-335-4868. Keep your report card with you, since the tags on it are what you use in the field. Once all four antlerless tags are used, you can buy more for $20 each rather than stopping for the year.

Turkey hunting on public land is handled by lottery. Permits for State Wildlife Areas and National Wildlife Refuges are drawn, and applications for the 2027 spring season must be postmarked by January 8, 2027. If you hunt turkey on private land with permission, you do not need the lottery permit, but you still register the bird. Full details are in the 2026-27 Delaware hunting and trapping guide.

Do kids need a license to hunt in Delaware?

Children under 13 do not need a license, but they must get a free License Exempt Number and hunt under direct supervision of a licensed or exempt adult who is 21 or older. Delaware sets no minimum age for youth hunts, so even very young hunters can go afield with the right adult.

At 13, a hunter moves to a junior license. It costs $5 for residents and $50 for nonresidents and covers ages 13 to 15. At 16, residents move to the $39.50 adult license.

Remember the hunter education rule applies by birth date, and every young hunter today was born well after 1967. That means a teen needs a certificate before buying the junior license, and since students can certify at 10, many families finish the course before the child turns 13. The free in-person class or the online course with a field day both work.

How much is a nonresident Delaware hunting license?

An annual nonresident license costs $199.50 for hunters 16 and older and includes four antlerless deer tags. Antlered Deer Tags and Quality Buck Tags are $50 each on top. Like the resident license, it runs from July 1 through June 30, so buying early in the summer gives you the full year.

For a short trip after ducks or small game, look at the Non-Resident 3-Day Hunting License. It costs $75.00 and covers three consecutive days of small game and waterfowl hunting. It is not valid for deer or turkey, so deer hunters need the annual license.

Military members stationed in Delaware pay resident rates. Hunting across the line too? Compare the Maryland hunting license and Pennsylvania hunting license guides, or browse every hunting license by state.

What other rules do Delaware hunters follow?

Delaware licenses run July 1 through June 30, so a license bought in November is good until the end of the following June. Here are the other rules most worth knowing.

Carry your license, harvest report card and any exempt number while hunting, and keep the deer and turkey registration number (1-855-335-4868) saved in your phone for the 24-hour deadline.

• Hunter orange: whenever deer may be taken with a firearm, anyone hunting anything except migratory birds must show at least 400 square inches of orange on the head, chest and back combined.
• State Wildlife Areas: small game hunters there must wear hunter orange at all times, not just during firearm deer seasons.
• Farm families: residents who own or live on a Delaware farm of 20 or more acres, and family living there, can hunt that farm without a license. They still need a free License Exempt Number. Similar rules cover nonresident farm owners and occupants.
• Seniors: residents 65 and older hunt without a license but need a free License Exempt Number.
• Veterans and military: veterans with a service-connected disability of 60% or more are exempt, and residents back from Iraq or Afghanistan service get 12 months free.
• Lifetime: no lifetime hunting license is listed. The $65 senior lifetime pass is a vehicle Conservation Access Pass, not a license. See the DNREC exemptions page for details.