Nevada hunting license

How much is a Nevada hunting license?

An annual adult resident Nevada hunting license costs $38, and nonresident adults pay $155 for an annual combination license, as listed by the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) for the current license year. A $1 processing fee is added at checkout. The license lets you hunt upland game and waterfowl during open seasons.

Residents who also fish can buy the Annual Adult Combination License for $75 instead of the hunting-only license, which is worth it if you will spend even a few days on the water. Nonresidents do not get a hunting-only adult option; the $155 license covers both hunting and fishing. The one exception is nonresident college students attending school in Nevada, who can buy an adult hunting license for $38.

Big game is priced separately. A deer, elk, antelope or other big game tag comes on top of the license, and most of those tags are won in a draw rather than bought over the counter. Resident deer tags are $30 and nonresident deer tags are $240, so a deer hunt costs far more than the license alone. NDOW's hunting license page has the full fee list.

Do you need hunter education to hunt in Nevada?

Yes, if you were born after Jan. 1, 1960: you must show proof of hunter education before NDOW will sell you a hunting license. Proof can be a hunter education card from any state or Canadian province, or a previous license showing a hunter education number. Hunters born on or before that date can buy without it.

Adults have the easiest route. Students 18 and older can get certified entirely online, with no in-person class to schedule. Students under 18 complete home study first, using either a workbook or an approved online course, and then attend an in-person certification class. Classes fill up in the months before fall seasons, so younger students do best signing up early.

If you took a course years ago and lost the card, a past license that shows your hunter education number works as proof. Course formats and contacts are on NDOW's hunter education page.

Not certified yet? Nevada sells an Annual Apprentice Hunting License for $15 to residents and nonresidents 12 and older. It is available only at NDOW offices, so plan an office visit if you want to go that way.

Where can you buy a hunting license in Nevada?

The main option is NDOW's online licensing site, ndowlicensing.com, where one account handles your license, tag applications and post-season surveys. You can also buy from license agents around the state or at an NDOW office. NDOW's help line for licensing questions is 855-542-6369.

A few products are office-only, including the apprentice license and the specialty licenses for seniors, disabled hunters and veterans. Those need verification, so start at an NDOW office rather than online if one of them applies to you. The specialty licenses are a real savings, so it is worth the trip if you qualify.

1. Find your hunter education card or an older license with your hunter ed number, or plan to buy an apprentice license at an NDOW office.
2. Create or log in to your account at ndowlicensing.com and make sure your hunter education is on file.
3. Buy the hunting or combination license that fits your residency and age, and expect the $1 processing fee.
4. Apply for big game tags during the draw windows, and note your license date, since it lasts 365 days.

Buy a Nevada hunting license on the official site

How does the Nevada big game tag draw work?

Every big game species except mountain lion is tagged through a computerized draw that uses bonus points, so most hunts start with an application months before opening day. Mountain lion tags are sold over the counter. Your license alone never lets you take a deer, elk or antelope; you need the matching tag as well. Resident tags are $30 for deer, $60 for antelope and $120 for elk.

For 2026, the nonresident guided mule deer application ran Feb. 9 to March 9, the main big game draw ran March 23 to May 13 with results May 29, and the second draw ran June 8 to 15. Leftover tags then went first-come, first-served from early to mid July. Turkey has its own draw, which ran Jan. 12 to 26. Dates for 2027 had not been posted when this page was checked.

If you do not draw in the main round, the second draw and the first-come, first-served sale give you two more chances at leftover tags. Keep your license current and your account details up to date through the summer so you can act as soon as each window opens.

After the season comes a step many hunters forget. Every big game tag holder must submit a hunt survey questionnaire by Jan. 31, or Feb. 28 for hunts that close later, even if they did not fill the tag. Skipping it brings a $50 penalty, as the 2026 big game regulations explain.

How old do you have to be to hunt in Nevada?

A license is required starting at age 12, and youth 12 through 17 buy a $15 Youth Combination License, whether they are residents or nonresidents. Kids under 12 do not need a license and may not hunt big game.

Supervision is the other piece. Hunters under 14 must hunt with supervision, while a 14-year-old with a valid hunting or combination license may hunt alone. The youth license price is the same for residents and nonresidents, which keeps a family trip from out of state affordable.

Young hunters still need hunter education before they can buy a license, and youth under 18 take the home study plus in-person class route. Youth rules are listed in the license and tag fee section of the regulations.

What does a nonresident license cost in Nevada?

A nonresident adult pays $155 for the annual combination license, plus the $1 processing fee. Big game tags cost much more for nonresidents: a deer tag is $240, an antlered elk tag is $1,200 and an antelope tag is $300, and all of them come through the draw.

That gap between resident and nonresident tag prices is the biggest cost difference in Nevada. A resident deer tag is $30 against $240 for a nonresident, and an elk tag is $120 for residents against $1,200 for a nonresident antlered elk. Many out-of-state hunters buy the license in spring, apply in the main draw, and wait on the results before booking travel.

For a short bird or duck trip, the nonresident 1-Day Combination Permit to fish and hunt upland game and waterfowl costs $23 for hunters 18 and older, and each consecutive day adds $8. A three-day weekend, for example, costs $39 in permits, well under the annual license.

Hunting the Great Basin across state lines? Compare the Utah hunting license or Arizona hunting license, or see every hunting license by state.

What other rules come with a Nevada hunting license?

A Nevada hunting license is valid for 365 days from the date of purchase, not for a set season or calendar year. That rolling date is handy, but it also means the license you bought last spring may lapse right before a fall hunt, so check the expiration before you head out or apply for tags.

Seasons, units, weapon rules and bag limits are set each year in the big game and small game regulation books. Read the current book for the species you hunt, and keep your license and tag with you in the field.

• Seniors: residents 65 and older with six months of residency can buy a Senior Specialty Combination License for $15.
• Disabled hunters and veterans: severely disabled residents and disabled veterans pay $15 for a specialty combination license, and so do servicemembers; Native Americans pay $10. Verification at an NDOW office is required.
• Hunter orange, landowner exemptions and lifetime licenses: these were not listed on the NDOW pages checked for this guide, so confirm any rules or options directly with NDOW before you rely on them.