Michigan hunting license

How much is a Michigan hunting license?

A resident Michigan hunting license starts with the base license at $11.00 for ages 17 to 64, while nonresidents 17 and older pay $151.00, as listed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for the current license year. Every hunter in the state needs a base license. On its own it is valid for small game, so squirrels, rabbits and most upland birds are covered without anything else.

Deer are an add-on. A single deer license (one kill tag) is $20 and the deer combo license (two kill tags, regular and restricted) is $40 for residents. The universal antlerless deer license is $20 for everyone. Residents who also fish can choose the hunt/fish combo at $76, and nonresidents pay $266 for the same combo.

A typical resident deer hunter pays $11 for the base license plus either $20 for a single deer license or $40 for the combo, so $31 to $51 before any antlerless tags. Antlerless hunting in the DMU 487 area uses a separate $5 license, and bear, elk and the Pure Michigan Hunt each have their own application fees.

Think of it as building a license from pieces: the base license first, then each species license you need. Seniors and youth pay less, as the table below shows. Prices can change from one license year to the next, and the DNR posts the full schedule in its 2026 deer hunting regulations summary.

Do you need hunter safety for a Michigan hunting license?

Yes, if you were born on or after January 1, 1960. To buy a base license you must show a hunter education certificate or an earlier hunting license (an apprentice license does not count). A valid certificate from another state also meets the rule, which helps hunters who moved in or are visiting.

Michigan offers classroom courses around the state, plus an online or home-study course that you finish with an in-person field day. You can search classes and field days on the DNR recreational safety education page, where you can also print a replacement certificate.

If you want to try hunting before taking the course, Michigan has two programs that skip the requirement for now. The apprentice route works for most new adults, and the mentored route covers young kids and hunters with developmental disabilities.

• Base apprentice license: for residents and nonresidents 10 and older without a certificate, sold for up to two license years.
• Apprentices hunt with a mentor 21 or older who holds a regular base license and a license for the same game.
• Mentored youth and inclusive mentored licenses are exempt from the hunter education rule.

Where can you buy a hunting license in Michigan?

You can buy online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses, in the free Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, or at any license agent across the state. Agents include many sporting goods and retail stores, and the DNR keeps a searchable list at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenseAgents.

The app is handy if you hunt deer. Deer licenses bought there can come as an eHarvest tag on your phone instead of a paper kill tag, depending on where you buy. If you hold a state driver's license or ID, you do not need the separate $1 DNR Sportcard.

Check your cart before paying, especially the choice between a single deer license and the combo, since you cannot hold both.

1. Confirm you can buy: have your hunter education certificate if you were born in 1960 or later, or pick the apprentice license.
2. Buy the base license first, then add species licenses such as a single deer or deer combo license.
3. Purchase online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses, in the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app, or from a license agent.
4. Carry your license and kill tags afield, and report any deer you harvest through the DNR website or app.

Buy a Michigan hunting license on the official site

How do deer, bear and elk licenses work in Michigan?

Deer and turkey licenses are added to your base license, while bear and elk are handed out through drawings. When you buy a deer license you choose how many antlered deer you want a chance at: the single deer license gives one kill tag, and the deer combo gives two. You cannot hold both.

Reporting is mandatory. Every successful deer hunter, including those using a deer management assistance permit, must report the harvest through the DNR website or the Hunt Fish app. Each paper or eHarvest tag carries a license number used in the report.

Bear and elk work differently. For 2026, the application period for both drawings ran May 1 to June 1, with results posted June 22. The elk drawing is for residents only, and hunters apply for one hunt choice. The DNR elk regulations summary lists quotas and application rules.

Universal antlerless deer licenses are a separate purchase from your single or combo license. Use limits apply in some Upper Peninsula units and Lower Peninsula counties, and several Upper Peninsula units are closed to them entirely, so check the map in the regulations before you buy extra antlerless tags.

If you plan a bear or elk hunt, mark early spring on your calendar, since the drawing comes months before the season.

What licenses can kids get in Michigan?

Kids 9 and younger hunt through the mentored youth license, a $7.50 package that covers small game, waterfowl, spring and fall turkey, deer, trapping and fishing. They must hunt with a qualified mentor who is at least 21, has hunting experience and holds a regular base license. The package stays valid for the whole license year even if the child turns 10.

From 10 through 16, young hunters buy a youth base license for $6, and youth deer licenses cost the same as adult ones. Nonresidents under 17 may buy the resident base license.

A youth hunter 10 to 16 who has passed hunter education still must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older, unless hunting on land where a parent or guardian regularly lives. Youth 16 and under are also exempt from antler point restrictions in every season.

For families, a common path is the mentored youth package while a child is under 10, then a hunter education course and the $6 youth base license. Taking the course early also lets a young hunter drop the apprentice route and hunt under the regular adult rules once they turn 17.

What does a nonresident Michigan hunting license cost?

The nonresident base license is $151.00 for hunters 17 and older, and nonresident deer licenses are added on top. A single deer license is $20 and the deer combo is $190 for nonresidents. The nonresident hunt/fish combo is $266.

Bird hunters on a short trip have a cheaper path. Nonresidents can skip the annual base license and buy a small game 3-day license for $50 or a 7-day license for $80. These short licenses cover small game only.

Owning land in Michigan does not make you a resident for license purposes; residency depends on where you live, study or are stationed. Visitors need the same hunter education proof as residents. Hunting across the border too? Compare the Wisconsin hunting license and Ohio hunting license, or see every hunting license by state.

What other Michigan hunting license rules should you know?

Your base license runs through March 31, so a 2026 license stays valid through March 31, 2027. Buying late in the season still only covers you to that date, then a new license is needed for April.

Before each season, reread the current regulation summaries. The DNR updates them every year, and details such as antler point restrictions, crossbow rules and late-season dates can shift even when license prices stay the same.

• Hunter orange: deer hunters using a firearm must wear a hunter orange cap, hat, vest, jacket or rain gear as the outer layer, visible from all sides. Camouflage that is at least 50 percent orange counts. Archery hunters are exempt during archery seasons.
• Landowners: there is no landowner exemption. A base license is needed for small game even on your own enclosed farmland where you live.
• Seniors 65 and older: base license $5, single deer license $8 and deer combo $28.
• Veterans: Michigan resident veterans rated 100 percent disabled or individually unemployable get non-drawing hunting licenses free.
• Military: full-time active-duty members who keep Michigan residency have license fees waived, except for drawings.
• Lifetime licenses: none are listed on current DNR pages, so check with the Michigan DNR if you hold an older one.