Hawaii hunting license

How much is a Hawaii hunting license?

A Hawaii hunting license costs $20.00 for residents and $105.00 for nonresidents, as listed by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources for the current license year. Each total is really two purchases: the license itself ($10 resident, $95 nonresident) plus a $10 Wildlife Conservation Stamp that every hunter must carry. You may see the lower license-only figures quoted on the eHawaii license page; the fee table there shows the full amount with the stamp.

The base license and conservation stamp cover game mammals such as pigs, goats, deer and sheep. If you plan to hunt game birds, add a $10 Game Bird Stamp. Some hunting units also need a lottery tag or permit before you can hunt them, so the license is the starting point rather than the whole cost for every hunt.

Prices change from one license year to the next, so treat these figures as current rather than permanent and confirm the total at checkout. The table below lists each item separately. For most residents the math is simple: $20.00 to hunt pigs and goats, $30.00 once you add birds. Nonresidents pay $105.00 for mammals and $115.00 with the bird stamp.

Do you need hunter education for a Hawaii hunting license?

Yes, nearly everyone needs hunter education certification before buying a license here. The only exception is narrow: you were born before January 1, 1972 and you held a state hunting license issued before July 1, 1990. Both conditions must apply, so an older hunter who never bought a license here before 1990 still needs the course.

The minimum age for certification is 10. DLNR offers an online course that takes about three to four hours and costs $24.95; details are on the hunter certification page. There is no apprentice or mentored license that lets you skip the course and hunt first, which sets Hawaii apart from many mainland states.

Already certified in another state? Nonresidents with an out-of-state hunter education card can request a free Letter of Exemption instead of retaking the course here.

If you are new to hunting, take the course well before the season. Certification is a one-time step, and the card you earn is the document vendors and the online system look for when you buy, so keep a copy with your other hunting papers.

How to buy a Hawaii hunting license

The quickest way is online through the eHawaii hunting license system, which also handles the required stamps in the same order. You can also buy in person at a Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) office in Honolulu, Lihue, Wailuku, Lanai City, Hilo or Kamuela, or from a registered hunting license vendor. A parent or guardian has to make the purchase for anyone under 18.

Have your hunter education card or exemption letter ready before you start, since the license cannot be issued without proof of certification. Online buyers can print their documents right away, which helps if you are flying in shortly before a hunt and cannot reach an office.

If you prefer to buy in person, call the DOFAW office first to confirm its hours, since island offices keep their own schedules.

1. Finish hunter education, or if you are certified elsewhere, request a Letter of Exemption with your out-of-state card.
2. First-time nonresident buyers: submit the exemption request form and wait for approval before trying to buy.
3. Buy the license plus the $10 Wildlife Conservation Stamp online, at a DOFAW office or from a registered vendor.
4. Add the $10 Game Bird Stamp if you will hunt birds, and apply for any lottery tags the unit you want to hunt requires.

Buy a Hawaii hunting license on the official site

Do you need tags for deer, pigs or goats?

Feral pigs and goats need no separate tag: the base license plus the conservation stamp covers them. Deer and mouflon are different. Mouflon sheep and axis deer on Lanai, and black-tailed deer on Kauai, can only be hunted through a lottery, with tags or permits issued to the hunters drawn.

Application windows for those lotteries are announced season by season rather than on a fixed calendar, so watch the DLNR game mammal page and its hunting announcements. Wherever a hunting area has a check station, you must check in before you hunt and check out when you leave.

For a typical first hunt on public land, pigs and goats are the simplest place to start, because the license and conservation stamp are all the paperwork you need beyond permission or access rules for that area. Lottery species take more planning, so read each announcement closely for the island, unit and season it covers.

If you are drawn, follow the tag instructions that come with the permit, since they set the unit and dates you can hunt.

What are the youth hunting rules in Hawaii?

There is no free or discounted license for kids in Hawaii; a young hunter pays the same as an adult. A child can earn hunter education certification starting at age 10, and a parent or guardian must buy the license for anyone under 18.

Two more rules apply in the field. Hunters 15 and under who use a firearm need a permit from their county police department, and youth hunters must be accompanied by a licensed adult who is not hunting. Plan both before the trip, since the police permit is a separate step from the license.

Because the course is open from age 10, many families have a child certified a year or two before the first hunt. That leaves the license, the police permit if a firearm is involved, and finding an adult mentor as the remaining steps once the child is ready.

Can nonresidents hunt in Hawaii?

Yes. A nonresident Hawaii hunting license costs $105.00, which is the $95 license plus the $10 conservation stamp. It is an annual license only: Hawaii lists no one-day, three-day or week-long option for visitors, so even a single trip means buying the full license.

Visiting from the mainland, for example after hunting on a California hunting license? Before your first purchase, submit the exemption request form with your out-of-state hunter education card. Once approved, you receive a free Letter of Exemption and can buy online. Give yourself time before the trip, because you cannot complete the purchase until that step is done.

Nonresidents also need the $10 Game Bird Stamp to hunt birds, bringing the total to $115.00, and the same lottery rules apply to deer and mouflon. The license expires on June 30 like every other, so a visitor buying in late spring gets a short window for the price.

One useful detail for service members: active-duty military stationed in Hawaii count as residents, so they pay the resident price.

If you are planning a guided or private-land hunt, ask your host which island and unit you will be on, then check whether that area needs a lottery permit or has a check station. Sorting that out before you book flights saves surprises on arrival.

Other rules to know before you hunt

Your license runs from the day you buy it through June 30, the end of the state fiscal year. A license bought now stays valid until June 30, 2027, so buying late in the year gives you less time for the same price. A few other rules are worth knowing, and our hunting license by state guide compares them with the rest of the country.

Rules on public hunting areas, including which days, units and methods are open, are set by DLNR and can change between seasons. Read the current hunting announcements and unit rules for the island you plan to hunt before each trip, and carry your license, stamps and any lottery permit together so you can show them if asked.

• Private land: no landowner exemption is listed. DLNR says you need a valid license plus the landowner's permission.
• Seniors: residents 65 and older get a free license but still buy the $10 conservation stamp, and the bird stamp for birds.
• Kalaupapa patients also receive a free license.
• Hunter orange and gear rules: check the DLNR hunting pages for current requirements on public hunting areas.
• Check stations: check in and out wherever the area has one.
• Lifetime license: none is listed on the official pages, so plan on renewing each year.