New Hampshire hunting license

How much is a New Hampshire hunting license?

A resident New Hampshire hunting license costs $32.00 for hunters aged 16 to 67, as listed by New Hampshire Fish and Game for the current license year. That Regular Hunting License covers small game and comes with one deer tag, so a typical firearms deer hunter needs nothing else for that first deer. Residents who also fish can buy the hunt and fish combination for $56.00.

The listed price already includes a $1 agent fee, but two other charges land at checkout. Every hunter pays a $2.50 habitat fee once per year, and each license form carries a $2 transaction fee at an agent or $2.75 online. Add-ons are priced separately: archery $32, muzzleloader $16, turkey $16 and bear $16 for residents.

One license does not cover every method or species. Bowhunters add the Archery License, muzzleloader hunters add the Muzzleloader License, and turkey and bear each need their own license. Fees are set each year and can change, so confirm them on the licenses and fees page of the official digest before you buy.

Who needs hunter education in New Hampshire?

Hunters 16 and older who have never held a hunting license must pass a Hunter Education course. New Hampshire uses that simple test rather than a birth-year cutoff, so an adult who bought a license before, here or elsewhere, shows the old license instead of a course card.

There are two ways to get certified. You can take an in-person course, or you can do the online course and finish it with a field day and practical field exam. The online route is open to students 12 and older. Course schedules and registration are on huntnh.com, and the hunter education section of the digest explains the requirement.

If you took a course in another state, keep the card handy. Proof is checked when you buy your first license, and having it ready keeps the sale quick at an agent or online.

• Apprentice Hunting License: lets someone without hunter education or a past license hunt for one year only.
• The apprentice must be accompanied, within sight and hearing, by a properly licensed person 18 or older.
• It costs the same as a regular resident or nonresident license, and it is a one-time deferral.

Where can you buy a New Hampshire hunting license?

Online at huntnh.com is the most convenient route for most hunters. You can also buy from a license agent around the state, at Fish and Game Department headquarters in Concord, or at the Region 1, 2 and 4 offices, which helps if you want to ask questions in person.

Think through your season before checkout. A deer hunter who also bowhunts, chases turkeys in spring and sits a bear bait needs four separate purchases, and buying them together means one transaction instead of several. If you are unsure which license fits, the staff at headquarters or a regional office can help.

1. Have your hunter education card or a previous hunting license ready. Without either, choose the Apprentice Hunting License.
2. Pick the Regular New Hampshire hunting license or the hunt and fish combo, then add archery, muzzleloader, turkey, bear or pheasant licenses as needed.
3. Buy online at huntnh.com, from a license agent, or at a Fish and Game office, and expect the habitat fee and transaction fee.
4. Carry the license afield and register any deer you take within 24 hours.

Buy a New Hampshire hunting license on the official site

How do deer tags and the moose lottery work in New Hampshire?

Your Regular Hunting License comes with one deer tag, which covers a typical firearms deer season. Archery and muzzleloader seasons need their own licenses, turkey and bear each need a separate license, and hunters who want extra deer in certain units can buy a Special Unit L Deer Permit ($26, one tag) or Special Unit M Deer Permit ($36, two tags).

Deer must be registered within 24 hours, online or at the closest open registration station, and the hunter who took it must register it. Online registration shuts off during the first 2 days of muzzleloader season and the first 3 days of firearms season, when every deer goes to a station in person. The deer hunting regulations list the details.

Moose is the one hunt you cannot simply buy. Permits are drawn by lottery each June, with a $15 application fee for residents and $25 for nonresidents. Applications for the 2027 hunt open in late January 2027, and your odds rise each consecutive year you apply thanks to bonus points. Watch the moose hunt lottery page for the dates.

Practically, that means two kinds of planning. Deer, turkey and bear hunts are a matter of buying the right licenses before the season opens, while a moose hunt starts with an application in winter and a June drawing, months before you ever step into the woods. If you plan to hunt deer on opening weekend of firearms season, know where your nearest registration station is before you go out.

Do kids need a license to hunt in New Hampshire?

No regular hunting or archery license is required under age 16, and New Hampshire sets no minimum hunting age. That makes it an easy state for a parent to bring a young hunter along. The catch is supervision: youth must hunt with a properly licensed adult 18 or older who stays within sight and hearing.

Some tags still apply to kids. Youth who hunt turkey or bear need those licenses, and young deer hunters can use the special youth deer tag. Every deer still has to be registered within 24 hours, so teach the young hunter the registration step along with the shot.

Plan ahead for age 16. That is when a regular license becomes required, and a new hunter at that point needs a hunter education card. Taking the course early, the online version is open at 12, means the switch is seamless. More detail is in the digest's youth hunting section.

What do nonresidents pay to hunt in New Hampshire?

The nonresident Regular Hunting License is $113.00 for hunters 16 and older, with small game and one deer tag included. Nonresidents usually pay more than residents, and the add-ons follow that pattern: archery $83, turkey $31 and bear $48. The nonresident hunt and fish combination is $151.00.

Bird hunters have cheaper choices. A Nonresident Small Game license is $53, and the 3-Day Small Game license is $25 for consecutive days, which suits a weekend grouse or woodcock trip. Pheasant and waterfowl need extra licenses on top of either one.

Visitors need the same proof as residents: a hunter education card or a past hunting license, or they can use the apprentice license for one year. Heading across the border too? Compare the Maine hunting license and Vermont hunting license, or browse every hunting license by state.

What other rules should New Hampshire hunters know?

A New Hampshire hunting license runs on the calendar year, valid January 1 through December 31, so a license bought in the fall expires at year end. Budget for a new license each January if you hunt the whole year.

• Hunter orange: New Hampshire Fish and Game recommends wearing fluorescent or blaze orange gear (hat, vest, jacket) for safety. Check the current digest for any season-specific rules.
• Landowners: resident landowners and their children under 16 can hunt and trap on their own land in season without a regular license. Special licenses such as archery, muzzleloader, turkey and pheasant are still required.
• Seniors: residents 68 and older born in 1948 or later pay $7 for a hunt and fish combo, $3 for archery and $3 for muzzleloader.
• Milestone license: residents born in 1947 or earlier get a free, permanent license.
• Lifetime: resident lifetime licenses are available by calling (603) 271-3422, and a newborn lifetime hunt and fish gift certificate costs $304.50 before the child's first birthday.
• Military: residents on active duty stationed outside the state may qualify for free temporary licenses.