New York hunting license

How much is a New York hunting license?

A resident New York hunting license costs $22 for ages 16 to 69, as listed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for the current license year. Residents 70 and older pay $5. Nonresidents 16 and older pay $100, and the Junior Hunting License for ages 12 to 15 is $5 whether or not the young hunter lives in the state.

The base license does more than most states' entry-level options. It covers small game and also lets you hunt deer and bear with a firearm during the regular season. It comes with an antlered deer tag and a regular-season bear tag, so there is no separate bear license and no separate deer license for the regular gun season.

Everything beyond that is an add-on privilege bought on top of the base license. Residents pay $15 for bowhunting, $15 for muzzleloading and $10 for the turkey permit. The table below lays out the main fees, and the complete list is on DEC's hunting license page.

Watch for two small delivery charges. A license-issuing agent may charge $1 to print your transaction, and online or phone orders that are printed and mailed cost $2. Carrying your documents in the HuntFishNY app is the simple way to skip both.

Do you need hunter education for a New York hunting license?

Yes, if you have never held a hunting license. New York does not use a birth-date cutoff the way many states do. The test is simpler: anyone who cannot show they have ever held a hunting license must pass hunter education before buying a first one. A hunter who has been licensed before, even years ago, can show that old license instead.

The course is at least seven hours long and can be taken in person or online. Students must be 11 or older to enroll, which lines up with the minimum hunting age of 12, so a child can finish the class the year before their first season.

Bowhunters have a second hurdle. Hunting deer or bear with a bow or a crossbow requires a separate bowhunter education course, on top of standard hunter education. If you plan to start with a bow, budget time for both classes. Course listings are on the DEC hunter education page.

Where do you buy a hunting license in New York?

The main channel is DECALS, the DEC Automated Licensing System, which sells licenses online and by phone at 1-866-933-2257. Your purchase goes into a DEC customer profile, which is also where your hunter education certificate is recorded, so set that up first if you are new.

If you would rather talk to a person, about 1,200 license-issuing agents sell licenses around the state, from tackle shops to town offices. Licenses and tags can be carried in the HuntFishNY app or as paper, and the app version avoids the print and mailing charges. Buying a week or two ahead of your first hunt leaves room to fix any profile problems.

1. Pass hunter education if you have never held a hunting license, plus bowhunter education if you will hunt deer or bear with a bow or crossbow.
2. Open DECALS online, call 1-866-933-2257, or visit a license-issuing agent.
3. Buy the base license, then add bowhunting, muzzleloading or the turkey permit for the seasons you plan to hunt.
4. Load your license and tags in the HuntFishNY app or carry paper copies, and keep them on you afield.

Buy a New York hunting license on the official site

How do deer, bear and turkey tags work in New York?

Deer and bear tags come with the hunting license itself, which is unusual. You do not apply or pay extra for the antlered deer tag or the regular-season bear tag. Turkey is different: every turkey hunter needs a separate turkey permit.

New York has no big-game draw. The closest thing is the Deer Management Permit (DMP), an antlerless deer tag awarded by random computer selection. The $10 application is due October 1 each year, so if you want a chance at an extra antlerless deer, apply before the main seasons get going.

After a harvest, reporting is mandatory for deer, bear and turkey. Hunters using paper tags have 48 hours to report, and e-tag users must report immediately. Season dates and unit maps are in the 2026-27 hunting and trapping guide.

How old do you have to be to hunt in New York?

Twelve is the minimum age: children under 12 cannot hunt in New York at all. From 12 through 15, young hunters buy the $5 Junior Hunting License, which requires hunter education first. Nonresident juniors pay the same $5, which makes a family trip to New York far cheaper than the adult nonresident price suggests.

Juniors must hunt with an adult accompanist; they cannot go afield alone. Parents should also know the rule for older teens. A 16- or 17-year-old hunting big game for the first time must still be accompanied, even though they now hold a regular license.

In practice, that means a new hunter's first few seasons are always shared with an experienced adult, which is a good way to learn the ground, the tags and the reporting steps before going solo.

What does a nonresident pay to hunt in New York?

A nonresident New York hunting license costs $100 for hunters 16 and older and carries the same privileges as the resident license: small game plus deer and bear with a firearm in the regular season, with the deer and bear tags included.

Add-ons cost about double for visitors. Bowhunting is $30, muzzleloading is $30 and the turkey permit is $20. New York lists no short-term hunting license, so even a single long weekend requires the full annual license. If you hunt more than one trip a season, the annual price spreads out quickly.

Planning a hunt that crosses state lines? Compare the Pennsylvania hunting license to the south or the Vermont hunting license to the east.

Other rules that come with your license

New York runs on a fixed license year: annual licenses and privileges are valid September 1 through August 31, no matter when you buy. HIP registration and the federal duck stamp follow a July 1 to June 30 year instead. For the rules next door, browse our hunting license by state guide.

• Orange or pink: anyone hunting deer or bear with a firearm, or accompanying someone who is, must wear 250 square inches of solid or patterned fluorescent orange or pink above the waist, or a hat at least half fluorescent orange or pink. See the big game regulations.
• Farmers: resident owners primarily engaged in farming, lessees and their immediate families do not need a license to hunt small game on farmland they occupy and cultivate. The exemption covers small game only.
• Lifetime: residents of at least one year can buy a Lifetime Sportsman license (hunting, fishing and turkey) for $380 (ages 0 to 4), $535 (5 to 11), $765 (12 to 69) or $65 (70 and older).
• Military: residents with a 40% or greater service-connected disability pay $5, and free Patriot licenses go to qualifying National Guard, reserve and certain active-duty residents.