Maine hunting license

How much is a Maine hunting license?

A resident Maine hunting license for big game costs $26.00 for hunters 16 and older, and the nonresident version is $115.00, as listed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for the current license year. The big game license is the one most adults buy. It covers all legal species, including deer, bear, moose, raccoon and bobcat, along with small game.

If you only chase birds and rabbits, a resident Small Game license is $15, and residents who also fish can buy a hunt and fish combo for $48. Species permits are added on top of the base license: turkey is $20, an antlerless deer permit is $12 and a muzzleloader permit is $13. Nonresidents have more choices, shown in the table below, from a 3-day small game license to an archery-only license.

One thing to budget for: the posted fees do not include the agent fee charged at the point of sale. Prices can change from one license year to the next, so check the current list before you buy. The full price list sits on MDIFW's hunting licenses and permits page.

Do you need hunter safety for a Maine hunting license?

Yes, unless you have hunted as an adult before. Maine does not use a birth-date cutoff the way most states do. Instead, anyone buying an adult firearms license must show either that they held an adult firearms hunting license in Maine in any year since 1976, or that they passed an approved hunter safety course.

Bowhunting has its own rule. To buy an archery license you need a separate archery course, unless you held an archery license after 1979.

The firearms course is easy to fit in for adults: hunters 16 and older can complete it fully online. Students aged 10 to 15 take the same material but must also attend an in-person skills session. Course listings are on the firearms hunter safety page.

• Apprentice option: hunters 16 and older who never held an adult license or took the course can buy an Apprentice Hunter License ($26 resident, $115 nonresident).
• Apprentices hunt with a supervisor 18 or older who has been licensed for the prior 3 years.
• The apprentice license can be bought up to 5 times and does not allow moose hunting.

Where can you buy a hunting license in Maine?

The quickest way is online through MDIFW's license site at mefishwildlife.com. You can also buy in person at the department office in Augusta, or from one of the many licensing agents around the state, which include sporting goods stores, convenience stores, town clerks and turnpike service centers. If you have a question about which license fits your hunt, MDIFW's licensing line is (207) 287-8000.

Before you check out, have your proof of an earlier adult license or your hunter safety certificate handy, since the sale depends on it. It also helps to know which permits you want, because turkey, muzzleloader and antlerless deer permits sit on top of the base license and are easy to miss.

1. Find your proof of hunter safety or an earlier adult firearms license (since 1976). If you have neither, take the course or choose the apprentice license.
2. Decide on the base license: Big Game, Small Game, Archery or a combo, then the species permits you need (turkey, antlerless deer, muzzleloader).
3. Buy online at mefishwildlife.com, at the Augusta office, or from a licensing agent, and expect an agent fee on top of the listed price.
4. Carry your license while hunting and register any deer, bear, moose or turkey you take.

Buy a Maine hunting license on the official site

How do deer, moose and turkey permits work in Maine?

The big game license covers deer, but several hunts need an extra permit. Antlerless deer, moose and, in some cases, bear require one, and both moose and antlerless deer permits are handed out by lottery rather than sold over the counter. Turkey hunters buy a turkey permit on top of their license.

The moose permit lottery opens each spring. For 2026, applications were taken online from April 1 to May 18, 2026; dates for the next lottery are posted on MDIFW's moose permit page once set.

In practice, that means a moose or antlerless deer hunt starts months before the season with a lottery application, while turkey and muzzleloader permits can simply be added to your license. The base license alone will not let you take an antlerless deer or a moose.

Registration is required after the shot. Bear, deer, moose and turkey must all be registered at a registration station, and turkey can also be registered online. The 2026-27 hunting lawbook explains each permit and the registration rules in detail.

What is a junior Maine hunting license?

Hunters under 16 buy a junior license, which costs $8 for residents and $35 for nonresidents. There is no minimum age to get one. It is a good value, because it includes turkey, bear, muzzleloader and several other permits.

Junior hunters do not hunt alone. Kids aged 10 to 15 must hunt with an adult supervisor, and hunters under 10 must have the supervisor stay within 20 feet. Course students aged 10 to 15 also need an in-person skills session. For parents, the usual path is a junior license first, then the hunter safety course before the hunter turns 16 and needs an adult license. Full details are on MDIFW's junior hunters page.

What does a nonresident Maine hunting license cost?

The Nonresident Big Game license is $115.00 and covers big and small game, with species permits extra. Nonresidents usually pay more than residents, and Maine also offers lighter options for visitors who only want birds or a short bowhunt.

A nonresident Small Game license is $75, and a 3-Day Small Game license is $50 for three consecutive days, which suits a long weekend trip. Bowhunters can choose a Nonresident Archery license for $75 or a 6-Day Archery license for $26. There is also a nonresident hunt and fish combo for $169. Residents have no short-term license, so the 3-day and 6-day options are for nonresidents only.

Which license makes sense depends on the hunt. A deer or bear trip calls for the full big game license, while a bird hunter who will only be in the woods a few days may save money with the 3-day small game license.

Visitors need the same hunter safety proof as residents. If you are planning a trip that crosses into New England, compare the New Hampshire hunting license rules too, or browse every hunting license by state.

What other rules apply to Maine hunters?

Maine licenses follow the calendar year. It is valid from January 1, or the day you buy it, through December 31, so a license bought in October only covers the rest of that year. Plan your purchase around the seasons you actually want to hunt.

• Hunter orange: during the deer firearms and muzzleloader seasons, anyone hunting any species with a firearm, muzzleloader or crossbow wears two articles of orange, a solid orange hat plus a torso garment at least 50% orange. Bowhunters are exempt.
• In wildlife management districts open to moose hunting, one article of orange is required; the lawbook lists the dates.
• Landowners: Maine residents and their immediate family may hunt without a license on land they own and live on if it is 10 or more contiguous acres. This exemption does not cover moose.
• Lifetime licenses: residents can buy one for $150 (age 5 and under) or $300 (ages 6 to 15), with reduced prices from $50 down to $10 for ages 65 to 69. Nonresident lifetime licenses are $450 or $900.
• Seniors 70 and older pay a one-time $8 for all privileges.
• Veterans with a service-connected disability of 50% or more get a free license with most permits, and paraplegic hunters also hunt free.