North Carolina hunting license

How much is a North Carolina hunting license?

A resident North Carolina hunting license (State Hunting) costs $32, and the nonresident annual State Hunting license costs $124, as listed by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for the current license year. Both cover statewide hunting, including game lands, but neither one includes big game, the state waterfowl privilege or the federal duck stamp.

So the real price depends on what you chase. A resident who wants deer or turkey adds the $18 Big Game Hunting privilege to the $32 license, for $50 total. The other route is the resident Comprehensive Hunting license at $49, which bundles big game, game lands and waterfowl into one purchase (the Bear Management E-Stamp and federal duck stamp are still separate).

Every order carries a $5 transaction fee, so buying everything in one cart costs less than several small orders. Reciprocal prices apply to residents of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, so hunters from those states should check the eRegulations license table for their own fee.

A quick way to compare: a resident deer hunter pays $50 for State Hunting plus big game, or $49 for Comprehensive, which also adds waterfowl and game lands. If you plan to hunt ducks as well as deer, Comprehensive is usually the simpler buy. Small game hunters who never chase deer, bear or turkey can stop at the basic $32 license.

Do you need hunter education for a North Carolina hunting license?

Yes, at any age, unless you already held an NC hunting license issued before July 1, 2013. To buy, you show a hunter education certificate of competency, that older license, or a Hunting Heritage Apprentice Permit.

The state sets no minimum age for the course. Free classroom courses run in all 100 counties, and online and virtual options are accepted too, so you can pick whatever fits your schedule. Certificates from the course are what license sellers ask to see. Class listings and the online choices are on the NCWRC hunter education page.

The apprentice permit is the way in for adults who want to try hunting before taking the class. It lets you buy a license and hunt only when a licensed adult 18 or older stays within sight and hearing of you. It lasts as long as the license you bought with it, so plan to finish the course before your next purchase.

Where do you buy a hunting license in North Carolina?

Go Outdoors North Carolina (gooutdoorsnorthcarolina.com) is the official online store, and its app works the same way on a phone. You can also call 833-950-0575, visit a Wildlife Service Agent, or walk into NCWRC headquarters in Raleigh.

For a standard deer season, plan one order with the license, the big game privilege and any bear e-stamp so you only pay the $5 transaction fee once. Residents comparing options can price State Hunting plus big game against Comprehensive Hunting in the same cart before paying.

1. Get your hunter education card, find your pre-2013 NC license, or choose the Hunting Heritage Apprentice Permit.
2. Open Go Outdoors North Carolina, call 833-950-0575 or visit a Wildlife Service Agent.
3. Add State Hunting plus the Big Game Hunting privilege, or the resident Comprehensive Hunting license.
4. Pay the $5 transaction fee and keep your license and Big Game Harvest Report Card with you.

Buy a North Carolina hunting license on the official site

How do deer, bear and turkey permits work in North Carolina?

Deer, bear and wild turkey all require the Big Game Hunting privilege (residents get it inside the Comprehensive license) and a Big Game Harvest Report Card, paper or electronic. Bear hunters also need the $15 Bear Management E-Stamp, which expires June 30.

When you take an animal, validate the report card at the kill site before moving it. Then register the harvest by noon the day after. The big game harvest reporting rules list the registration methods, including online and the Go Outdoors North Carolina app, and what to do if you carry a paper card.

North Carolina has no statewide big game draw. Quota permit hunts on special areas are drawn instead: applications open July 1, each hunt lists its own deadline, and each application costs $8 and is not refundable.

Do kids need a license to hunt in North Carolina?

No. Youth under 16 are exempt from the hunting license. A young hunter without a hunter education certificate must hunt with a properly licensed adult, while one who has passed the course may hunt alone but must carry the certificate.

License-exempt youth still need paperwork for big game. They pick up a free License-Exempt Big Game Harvest Report Card before hunting deer, bear or turkey, plus a free Bear Management E-Stamp for bear. Because the course has no minimum age, many families finish it early so a teen can hunt without an adult at their side.

Teens turning 16 during the year move onto the same license rules as adults, so check the date of birth before a season starts. A young hunter who already passed hunter education can buy a license straight away, while one who has not can use the apprentice permit with a licensed adult nearby.

What does a nonresident pay to hunt in North Carolina?

A nonresident annual State Hunting license costs $124 and covers small game and game lands only. For deer, bear or turkey, add the nonresident Big Game Hunting privilege at $124 for the year. Bear hunters also buy the $294 nonresident bear license and the $15 e-stamp.

Short visits have a cheaper path. The State Hunting 10-Day license is $99 and the Big Game Hunting 10-Day privilege is another $99, each good for the ten days printed on it. Residents of neighboring reciprocal states pay different amounts, so compare with the South Carolina hunting license or Virginia hunting license guides if you live next door.

Other rules for North Carolina hunters

Privilege licenses and stamps run 12 months from purchase unless the item says otherwise, and short-term licenses cover only the dates shown. Check the NCWRC license types and fees page for the full list, or compare states on our hunting license by state map.

• Hunter orange: anyone hunting deer during a deer firearms season wears orange visible from all sides, including archers on Sundays and everyone on Youth Deer Hunting Days. Firearm hunters after bear, feral swine, rabbit, squirrel, grouse, pheasant or quail need an orange cap or outer garment.
• Landowners: an owner, or a person leasing land primarily for cultivation, plus a spouse and dependents under 18 living with them, may hunt that land without a license. They still need the free License-Exempt Big Game Harvest Report Card for deer, bear or turkey, and are exempt from the orange rule there.
• Lifetime: resident Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting is $326. Lifetime Sportsman (hunting plus inland fishing) is $652 for residents 12 and older, $456 for ages 1 to 11, $261 for infants, $326 at age 50 and up, and $20 for seniors. Nonresident adults pay $1,563.
• Disabled hunters: resident disabled veterans and totally disabled residents can buy the combination hunting and inland fishing license for $15, or a sportsman version for $131.