State license guide · checked October 2026
New Mexico hunting license
The Game-Hunting License everyone starts with, the stamps that ride along with it, and how the big game draw, hunter education and youth rules work for the current license year.
The short answer
How do you get a New Mexico hunting license?
You get a New Mexico hunting license, called the Game-Hunting License, through the department's Online Licensing System, by phone at 1-888-248-6866, or from a license vendor. It costs $25 for residents and $90 for nonresidents, plus a vendor fee. Hunters under 18 need a Hunter Education or mentor-youth number first.
How much is a New Mexico hunting license?
A resident New Mexico hunting license costs $25 and a nonresident one costs $90, as listed by the New Mexico Department of Wildlife for the current license year. The official name is the Game-Hunting License. On its own it covers small game, meaning upland birds and migratory game birds, and it is the license you must hold before you can apply for or buy any deer, elk, turkey or other big game license.
Two small add-ons catch first-timers. Every hunter 18 or older also needs the $4 Habitat Management and Access Validation (HMAV), which is mandatory for hunting, fishing and trapping. If you plan to hunt on Forest Service or BLM land, add the $10 Habitat Stamp as well. A license vendor fee is charged on top of these prices, so the total at checkout is a little higher than the sticker price.
Residents who also fish can pick the Game-Hunting and Fishing License for $42 instead. Big game licenses are separate purchases on top of the base license, and the table below lays out the main options side by side.
| Type | License and what it covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Resident | Game-Hunting License (resident) Covers small game (upland game, migratory birds) and is required before buying any big-game or turkey license, which are sold separately. Adults 18+ also need the $4 HMAV; a $10 Habitat Stamp is needed on Forest Service/BLM land. Vendor fee applies. Game-Hunting & Fishing combo is $42. | $25 |
| Nonresident | Game-Hunting License (non-resident) Small game; required before big-game or turkey licenses (e.g. turkey $125, bear $360). Plus $4 HMAV (18+) and $10 Habitat Stamp on USFS/BLM land. A 4-day Temporary Game-Hunting License is $40 but cannot be used to buy big-game or turkey licenses. | $90 |
| Short-term | Non-residents can buy a Temporary Game-Hunting License good for 4 days for $40. It does not allow purchase of big-game or turkey licenses. No resident short-term license is listed. | |
| Youth | Hunters 17 and under at purchase can buy reduced-fee junior licenses (Junior Game-Hunting License $10 resident, $20 non-resident). All hunters 17 and younger must have a Hunter Education number or a mentor-youth number. The $4 HMAV applies only to ages 18+. | |
| Lifetime | No general lifetime hunting license is listed for sale. Residents who are 100% disabled from military service can get a free Lifetime Game-Hunting & Fishing License. | |
| Discounts | Residents 65+ and disabled residents: Senior/Disabled Game-Hunting License $15. Resident active-duty military and honorably discharged veterans get 50% off most licenses. Disabled veterans: $10 hunting & fishing combo; 100% disabled veterans get a free lifetime license. SNAP participants get 25% off. |
Who needs hunter education in New Mexico?
Only hunters 17 and younger must have hunter education in New Mexico: they need a Hunter Education number, or a mentor-youth number, before they can buy a Game-Hunting License. Adults are not required to take the course, with one big exception. On White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss, every hunter of any age must show proof of a state-certified course.
Hunters 9 and older can earn the number through an online course. If you prefer a classroom, the department also offers an optional field-day course for students 10 and older. Course listings are on the New Mexico hunter education page.
First-time hunters aged 8 to 17 can start sooner through the Mentor-Youth program. They pass an online quiz, get a mentor-youth number and hunt beside an adult mentor. The number is good for two consecutive license years. Ages 8 and 9 are limited to small game, and ages 10 to 17 can also hunt deer, pronghorn, turkey and javelina.
Where do you buy a New Mexico hunting license?
You buy it online through the department's Online Licensing System, by calling 1-888-248-6866, at a department office, or at a licensed vendor. The same online account handles draw applications, draw results and harvest reports, so it pays to set it up once and keep your login handy.
Timing matters more here than in most states. The license year runs April 1 to March 31, and over-the-counter sales for the new year open March 25. Before that date, the only way to buy next year's Game-Hunting License and stamps is through a draw application. If you apply for the big game draw, the license comes bundled into that purchase.
- If you are 17 or younger, get a Hunter Education number or a mentor-youth number first.
- Create or log in to your account on the Online Licensing System, or call 1-888-248-6866.
- Buy the Game-Hunting License, plus the $4 HMAV if you are 18 or older and the $10 Habitat Stamp for Forest Service or BLM land.
- Add any over-the-counter turkey, bear or private-land licenses, or enter the big game draw.
How does the big game draw work in New Mexico?
Most public-land licenses for deer, elk, pronghorn, oryx, ibex and bighorn sheep are issued by random draw, and New Mexico gives no preference to applicants who missed out in earlier years. Every year is a fresh roll of the dice, so a first-time applicant has the same odds as someone who has applied for a decade. That makes it worth applying even if you only hunt here occasionally.
For 2026, the big game draw closed March 18 at 5 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time, with results posted April 22. Bear and turkey draw permits had an earlier deadline of Feb. 11. Dates and hunt codes are on the applications and draw page.
Not everything is a lottery. Turkey, bear and cougar licenses are sold over the counter for public land, and private-land licenses for deer, pronghorn, oryx and Barbary sheep are over the counter too. Harvest reports are mandatory for deer, elk, pronghorn, turkey and several other species, and missing the deadline gets all of your next-year draw applications rejected.
What does a youth hunting license cost in New Mexico?
Hunters 17 and younger pay $10 for a resident Junior Game-Hunting License or $20 for the nonresident version. That is a steep discount from the $25 and $90 adult prices, and it covers the same small game privileges.
Every young hunter still needs a Hunter Education number or a mentor-youth number before buying. The $4 HMAV does not apply to anyone under 18, which keeps the total low. Big game licenses for youth are bought on top of the junior license, the same way adults add them, and the mentor-youth number only works for deer, pronghorn, turkey, javelina and small game.
How much does a nonresident pay to hunt in New Mexico?
Visitors pay $90 for the Game-Hunting License, which they need before adding big game. Over-the-counter examples include turkey at $125 and bear at $360. Nonresidents also pay the $4 HMAV if 18 or older, the $10 Habitat Stamp on Forest Service or BLM land, and the vendor fee, so budget for the full stack rather than the base price.
A bird hunter on a short trip can use the Temporary Game-Hunting License: $40 for 4 days. It cannot be used to buy big game or turkey licenses, so anyone planning a turkey or deer hunt needs the annual $90 license instead.
Planning a hunt across the line? See the Colorado hunting license guide to the north or the Texas hunting license guide to the east.
Other New Mexico license rules to know
Licenses expire March 31 no matter when you bought them, so a license bought in February is only good for a few weeks. Compare other states on our hunting license by state map, and read the full licenses and permits page for anything not covered here.
- Blaze orange: not required by state law in most places. Hunters on military reservations need 144 square inches (a vest on Fort Bliss), and firearm elk hunters on Valles Caldera National Preserve need 244 square inches. The department strongly recommends orange everywhere else.
- Private land: you need written permission from the landowner to hunt or trap on private property. For any license exemption for landowners themselves, check with the New Mexico Department of Wildlife.
- Seniors and disabled residents: the Senior or Disabled Game-Hunting License is $15, or $20 with fishing.
- Military and veterans: residents on active duty or honorably discharged get 50% off most licenses, disabled veterans pay $10 for a hunting and fishing combo, and 100% disabled veterans get a free lifetime license.
- SNAP: residents in the program can get 25% off licenses for the following year.
Official links
Official New Mexico hunting links
Every link below goes straight to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish or its official license system, checked October 2026. Bookmark the ones you need before the season.
Buy or renew
- Buy a New Mexico hunting license online (NMDOW Online Licensing System)Licenses, draw applications, results and harvest reports in one account.
- License vendor listStores that sell licenses in person; a vendor fee applies.
Licenses and fees
- New Mexico hunting licenses and permitsOverview of required licenses, stamps and over-the-counter options.
- Over-the-counter license fees, 2026-27 (PDF)Game-Hunting License, junior, senior and nonresident prices.
- Draw license fees, 2026-27 (PDF)
Hunter education
- New Mexico hunter educationOnline course and field day options; required for hunters under 18.
- Mentored-Youth Hunting ProgramLets first-time hunters 8 to 17 hunt with a mentor before hunter ed.
Regulations and seasons
Tags, permits and harvest reporting
- Big game draw applications and deadlines
- How the New Mexico draw works
- Mandatory harvest reportingRequired for deer, elk, pronghorn, turkey and other species.
- Elk private land authorizations (EPLUS)
Youth, lifetime and special licenses
Questions
New Mexico hunting license questions
Can I buy a New Mexico hunting license online?
Yes. The department's Online Licensing System sells the Game-Hunting License, stamps and over-the-counter big game licenses, and it also handles draw applications and harvest reports. You can buy by phone at 1-888-248-6866 or at a license vendor instead. Expect a vendor fee on over-the-counter purchases.
Do adults need hunter education to hunt in New Mexico?
No, not for most hunting. The requirement covers hunters 17 and younger, who need a Hunter Education or mentor-youth number. The exception is White Sands Missile Range and Fort Bliss, where hunters of every age must prove they passed a state-certified course, and mentor-youth hunters are not allowed.
When do New Mexico hunting licenses expire?
Every license expires March 31. The license year starts April 1, and licenses for the new year go on sale over the counter on March 25. Before that, you can only buy them by applying for the big game draw, which bundles the license into your application.
Does New Mexico use preference points for the draw?
No. New Mexico runs a random draw and gives no preference to applicants who were unsuccessful in past years. Your odds depend on the hunt you choose, not on how long you have been applying, so newcomers and veterans start on equal footing.
Is there a lifetime hunting license in New Mexico?
There is no general lifetime license for sale. The only lifetime option listed is free: residents who are 100% disabled as a result of military service can get a Lifetime Game-Hunting and Fishing License through a Disabled Veteran Card issued by the department.
What is the HMAV and do I need it?
The Habitat Management and Access Validation is a $4 validation required for hunting, fishing and trapping by anyone 18 or older. It is separate from the $10 Habitat Stamp, which you only need on Forest Service or BLM land. Most adult hunters end up buying both.
How old do you have to be to hunt in New Mexico?
Kids can start at 8 through the Mentor-Youth program, hunting small game beside a mentor until age 10. From 9 they can take the online hunter education course, and from 10 the field-day course. Mentor-youth hunters 10 to 17 can also hunt deer, pronghorn, turkey and javelina.
Sources
Checked against official New Mexico sources
Every price and rule on this page comes from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish or its official license and regulations pages, checked October 2026. Prices and rules change each license year, so confirm on the state site before you buy. HuntReserve doesn't sell licenses or take a fee.
- wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/download/04-over-the-counter-otc-license-fees/?wpdmdl=52835
- wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/hunting/licenses-and-permits/license-requirements-fees
- wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/hunting/applications-and-draw-information
- wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/hunting/licenses-and-permits
- wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/download/2026-2027-new-mexico-hunting-rules-and-info/?wpdmdl=52826
- wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/education/hunter-education
Hunting nearby
License guides for neighboring states
Crossing a state line to hunt? You need a nonresident license from the state you hunt in. See all 50 states on the map →
For outfitters in New Mexico
Every hunter licensed
before opening day.
HuntReserve has each hunter in a party upload their license and sign your waiver from their phone, scans the ID and flags expired or mismatched documents before the hunt.