New Jersey hunting license

How much is a New Jersey hunting license?

A resident New Jersey hunting license for firearms costs $27.50 for hunters aged 16 to 64, and the Bow and Arrow license is $31.50, as listed by NJ Fish and Wildlife for the current license year. New Jersey splits gun and bow into separate licenses, so a hunter who wants both seasons buys both, or picks the All-Around Sportsman license at $72.25, which bundles firearm, bow and fishing.

Permits come on top. Hunting with a rifle needs a $10.50 rifle permit, deer permit seasons need zone permits ($28 each for adults), and bear and spring turkey have their own permits. Seniors 65 and older pay less: $15.50 for firearm and $16.50 for bow.

A simple way to budget: start with the license that matches your weapon, then list every season and species you plan to hunt. A deer hunter using a shotgun in a permit season needs the Firearm license plus a zone permit, while a spring turkey hunter needs a license plus a lottery permit. Bowhunters who also want the firearm seasons should look at the All-Around Sportsman license, which puts firearm, bow and fishing on one $72.25 license.

Read the table below as a menu rather than a single price. A shotgun deer hunter, a bowhunter and a turkey hunter can all end up with different totals. The full list sits on the digest's licenses, permits and fees page, and fees can change from one license year to the next.

Who needs hunter education to hunt in New Jersey?

Everyone does. New Jersey has no birth-year cutoff: every hunter age 10 and older needs a hunter education course completion card to get a first regular license. A change this year matters for newcomers: a hunting license from another state is no longer accepted as proof, so you need the course card itself.

The course comes in two parts. First, complete the HunterCourse.com online program and pass its test. Then attend a mandatory in-person live-fire range session, which runs March through November. Until the range day is done you are not certified, so the online portion alone will not get you a license. Registration details are on the digest's license information page.

Range sessions are limited to the March to November window, so new hunters who want to be ready for fall should register early in the year.

• Apprentice license: lets new hunters try it before taking the course, with bow at 14 and older and firearm at 18 and older.
• Apprentices hunt under a licensed mentor 21 or older and pay the same fees as regular licenses.
• The limit is two apprentice licenses per type per lifetime.
• Not valid for black bear, coyote or fox, rifles, or deer in the muzzleloader season.

Where can you buy a New Jersey hunting license?

Returning hunters can buy online anytime at NJFishandWildlife.nj.gov/licensesalessite/, or at any license agent. First-time hunters and those new to New Jersey must go in person to an agent with their hunter education card, unless their certification already shows in the license system.

Plan your purchase around the season. Permits are specific to a zone and season, so pick your zones first. Bear and turkey hunting each need a permit, and turkey permits come through a lottery in late winter, so put that date on the calendar before you buy anything else.

1. Finish the HunterCourse.com online program and the live-fire range session to earn your course completion card.
2. Choose a Firearm, Bow and Arrow or All-Around Sportsman license, plus any rifle, deer, turkey or bear permits.
3. Buy your first New Jersey hunting license in person at a license agent; later licenses can be bought online.
4. Carry your license while hunting and report any deer by 10 p.m. on harvest day.

Buy a New Jersey hunting license on the official site

How do deer permits and the turkey lottery work?

Some deer seasons need only the license; others need permits. In license seasons such as Fall Bow, your license is enough. In the permit seasons, you need a zone-specific antlerless permit, and you can add an optional buck permit if you want to take an antlered deer. Adults pay $28 for a zone permit and youth pay $12.

Every deer must be reported through the Automated Harvest Report System by 10 p.m. on the day you take it. Black bears are different: they need a bear permit and a physical check at a station. Details are in the deer hunting regulations.

Spring turkey permits are awarded by lottery. For the 2027 season, apply from January 25 to February 22, 2027, with a $2 nonrefundable fee per application. The lottery runs February 24, winners must claim permits by March 18, and leftover permits go on sale March 22, 2027. See the turkey hunting page for periods and areas.

Are youth hunting licenses free in New Jersey?

Yes. Youth Bow and Arrow and Youth Firearm licenses are free for hunters aged 10 to 16. That is one of the better deals in the region, but the free license is not a shortcut around training: youth still need the hunter education card to get one.

The minimum hunting age is 10. Hunters aged 10 through 13 must be accompanied by a licensed adult 21 or older. A youth license stays valid until December 31 of the year the hunter turns 16, and after that the hunter moves to a regular license.

Youth permits are discounted too. A youth deer permit costs $12 instead of $28, which keeps a first deer season cheap for families. Because the course includes a live-fire range day held only March to November, families should book it well before the fall seasons.

What does a nonresident pay to hunt in New Jersey?

Nonresidents 16 and older pay $135.50 for the Firearm license and $135.50 for the Bow and Arrow license. Nonresidents usually pay more than residents, and in New Jersey the gap is wide, so decide whether you really need both weapons before you buy.

Bird hunters on a short trip have a cheaper path: the Non-Resident 2-Day Small Game Firearm license costs $36.50 and is valid through the day after you buy it. It does not cover deer, black bear or turkey. A separate one-day Firearm license ($12.50, resident or nonresident) is only for commercial shooting preserves.

For a deer trip, a nonresident needs the license for the weapon being used, plus a zone permit for any permit season. Turkey and bear also require permits, and spring turkey permits come through a late-winter lottery, so a spring trip has to be planned months ahead.

Visitors face the same hunter education rule, and an out-of-state license no longer counts, so bring your course card. If you hunt across state lines, compare the Pennsylvania hunting license and New York hunting license rules, or see every hunting license by state.

What other rules should New Jersey hunters know?

Every New Jersey hunting license follows the calendar year and expire December 31, regardless of when you buy. The rifle permit runs on a different schedule, July 1 through June 30, so a rifle hunter may renew the two at different times of year.

• Hunter orange: firearm hunters wear a solid fluorescent orange cap or an outer garment with at least 200 square inches of orange, visible from all sides. Bowhunters must also wear it during the Six-day Firearm Season.
• Ground blinds: archery deer and bear hunters in a ground blind while a firearm deer season is open must display 200 square inches of orange.
• Farmers: occupant farmers on qualifying farmland, and immediate family, can hunt the farm where they live without a license or rifle permit, but need a Conservation ID (CID) number.
• Disabled veterans: residents with a service-connected disability of any degree get free hunting licenses and permits.
• National Guard: active New Jersey National Guard members get free licenses.
• Lifetime: the digest lists no lifetime hunting license; check with NJ Fish and Wildlife for current options.