Kansas hunting license

How much is a Kansas hunting license?

A resident Kansas hunting license costs $27.50 for one year, and a nonresident pays $127.50, as listed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) for the current license year. Those are the base annual licenses. Deer and turkey permits are separate purchases on top, so most big game hunters spend more than the license price alone.

Residents have a few ways to save if they hunt every fall. A 5-year resident hunting license is $102.50, and a resident hunt and fish combo is $47.50 for a year. Residents 65 to 74 pay $15 for an annual license. Nonresidents can bundle hunting and fishing for $192.50. Every online purchase also adds an internet convenience fee, so the checkout total runs a little above the listed price.

A quick way to choose: if you hunt in Kansas every year and plan to stay a resident, the 5-year license at $102.50 costs less than buying four annual licenses at $27.50. If you also fish, compare the $47.50 combo against buying the two licenses separately. Seniors 65 to 74 get a 5-year option too, at $52.50. Whatever you pick, budget separately for deer and turkey permits, which are priced on their own.

Who needs hunter education to hunt in Kansas?

Anyone born on or after July 1, 1957 must pass hunter education before hunting in Kansas. Because that cutoff date reaches so far back, even hunters close to 70 may need a course. Hunters under 27 also have to carry their hunter ed card while they hunt, so keep it in your wallet or pack along with your license.

Kansas gives you two course formats. Adults 18 and older can take a free online-only course with no field day. The hybrid course is open to students 11 and up and finishes with a 4-hour field day. Students must be at least 11 years old to certify. Course listings are on the KDWP hunter education page.

Not ready to take the class yet? Hunters 16 and older can buy an apprentice license instead, up to two times, at the same price as the regular license ($27.50 resident, $127.50 nonresident). Apprentices must hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed adult 18 or older. Youth 15 and under may hunt without hunter ed as long as an adult is directly supervising them, and hunter ed is not required to hunt your own land. The apprentice route is handy for a friend trying hunting for the first time, but once the two apprentice licenses are used, the course is required.

Where can you buy a hunting license in Kansas?

The fastest way is online through GoOutdoorsKansas.gov, the official KDWP license system, or in the Go Outdoors KS app on your phone. If you would rather talk to someone, the license line at 1-833-587-2164 runs from 6am to 9pm.

You can also walk into a KDWP office or any of the more than 600 license vendors across the state. Whichever route you choose, have your hunter education number handy if you were born on or after the 1957 cutoff. If you plan to apply for a deer or turkey draw, set up your GoOutdoorsKansas account well before the window opens so you are not creating a login on deadline day.

1. Confirm you have hunter education, or decide to buy an apprentice license instead.
2. Open the GoOutdoorsKansas license portal or the Go Outdoors KS app and look up or create your customer record.
3. Pick your license: annual, 5-year, combo, youth multi-year or lifetime.
4. Add any deer or turkey permits you need, pay, and save the license to your phone or print it.

Buy a Kansas hunting license on the official site

Are deer and turkey permits included with a Kansas hunting license?

No. Deer and turkey each need their own permit on top of the license. Residents can buy any-season whitetail, archery and muzzleloader deer permits over the counter from Aug 5 through Dec 31. The resident either-species firearm permit is sold by draw only, and every nonresident deer permit is draw-only too. In practice, a resident whitetail hunter can usually buy everything in one checkout, while nonresidents and anyone after the either-species firearm permit have to plan around an application window.

Turkey works the same way. Residents buy turkey permits over the counter everywhere except Unit 4, and nonresident spring turkey is draw-only. For 2026, KDWP listed these application windows: nonresident deer April 1 to 24, resident either-species or either-sex firearm deer May 12 to June 12, and nonresident spring turkey plus Unit 4 resident spring turkey January 13 to February 13. Apply through GoOutdoorsKansas.gov or by phone. If you hold an electronic tag, you report your harvest in the app.

Draw results take time, so a nonresident deer hunt in the fall really starts with an application in April. Missing the window usually means waiting a year. Residents who only hunt whitetails with a bow, muzzleloader or any-season permit can skip the draw entirely and buy over the counter once sales open on Aug 5.

Do kids need a license to hunt in Kansas?

Resident kids under 16 do not need a hunting license in Kansas. They still need a deer permit to hunt deer, and resident youth deer permits cost between $12.50 and $22.50. Because they can hunt without hunter ed only under direct adult supervision, many families have kids take the course early.

Once a resident turns 16, the best deal is often the one-time multi-year youth license. Residents 16 to 20 can buy it for $42.50, or $72.50 as a hunt and fish combo, and it stays valid until December 31 of the year they turn 21. That can cover several seasons for less than the cost of two annual licenses. It is a one-time purchase, so buying it at 16 rather than 19 gets the most seasons out of it.

What does a nonresident Kansas hunting license cost?

A nonresident Kansas hunting license is $127.50 a year, and every nonresident hunter needs one at any age. Nonresidents under 16 pay a reduced $42.50, and the nonresident hunt and fish combo is $192.50. There is no 1-day, 3-day or 7-day hunting license on the KDWP fee list, so even a weekend upland bird trip means buying the annual license. Nonresidents usually pay several times what residents do, and Kansas is no exception.

Planning a deer or turkey hunt from out of state takes more lead time. All nonresident deer permits and nonresident spring turkey permits are awarded by draw, so mark the application windows months ahead. Hunters coming in from next door may also want to compare the Missouri hunting license and Oklahoma hunting license rules, or browse every hunting license by state.

What other rules come with a Kansas license?

A few rules catch first-time Kansas hunters. Most annual licenses expire 365 days from the date you buy them, not on a fixed calendar date, so check your expiration before each season. Multi-year and lifetime licenses are the exception. Rules can change from year to year, so read the current regulations on the KDWP website before you go.

Before each trip, check the expiration date on your license in the app and confirm any deer or turkey permit matches the unit and season you plan to hunt. If you bought an electronic tag, make sure the app is installed and signed in, since that is where you report a harvest.

• Hunter orange: during any open firearm or muzzleloader deer season, deer hunters and anyone helping them wear an orange hat plus at least 200 square inches of orange on the upper body, with 100 visible from the front and 100 from the back.
• Landowners: farm or ranch owners, agricultural tenants and immediate family living with them need no hunting license on that land. Deer permits are still required, and Hunt-Own-Land permits are $22.50 for residents and $87.50 for nonresident landowners.
• Seniors and veterans: residents 75 and older need no license. Free licenses are offered, as funding allows, to active Kansas National Guard members and resident disabled veterans rated 30% or more.
• Lifetime option: residents with one year of residency can buy a lifetime hunting license for $502.50, or a lifetime hunt and fish combo for $962.50, with quarterly payment plans available.