Pennsylvania hunting license

How much is a Pennsylvania hunting license?

A resident adult Pennsylvania hunting license costs $20.97 for ages 17 through 64, as listed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for the current license year. The nonresident adult license is $101.97. Those odd cents are part of the published price, so expect to see them at checkout.

The base license packs in a lot. The general license covers small game and includes one antlered deer tag, one fall turkey tag and one spring turkey tag. A resident who only hunts rifle deer and turkey can be fully licensed for about twenty dollars.

Add-ons are where the total grows. Residents pay $16.97 for archery, $11.97 for muzzleloader, $16.97 for bear and $3.97 for migratory game birds. Antlerless deer licenses are $6.97 for residents and are sold in rounds. The table below compares the main options; the full list, with every age category, is on the Game Commission's license types page.

Prices are set per license year and can change, so check the current figures before you buy for a new season. Budget for the add-ons too: a resident who also bowhunts and hunts bear adds roughly another $34 to the base price.

Who needs Hunter-Trapper Education in Pennsylvania?

Every license buyer, of any age, must first complete a Hunter-Trapper Education course. Pennsylvania has no birth-year grandfather date, so a 40-year-old first-time hunter takes the same class as a 12-year-old. Certificates from other states are accepted, which helps hunters who moved in.

You have four ways to get certified. The in-person course is free for anyone 11 and older. Pennsylvania residents can also study online: a free NRA course for ages 11 and up, a $49.95 interactive course for 11 and up, and a $34.95 course for residents 16 and older. Details and class listings are on the Game Commission's Hunter-Trapper Education page.

Not ready for a class? The Mentored Hunting Program is open to unlicensed hunters of all ages. Mentored hunters skip hunter education and hunt beside a licensed mentor at least 21 years old. Anyone 12 or older can stay in the program for up to three license years, then must pass the course and buy a license.

Where can you buy a hunting license in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania sells licenses through HuntFishPA, the state's online licensing system at HuntFish.PA.gov, and in person at Game Commission License Issuing Agents across the state. The 2026-27 general licenses went on sale June 22, 2026.

Timing matters more here than in many states. Licenses bought online arrive by mail and can take up to 10 business days, or up to 20 during busy sales periods. If opening day is close, buying in person at an issuing agent is the safer choice. Before you order online, double-check the mailing address in your HuntFishPA profile so nothing goes astray, and keep your order confirmation until the license arrives.

1. Complete Hunter-Trapper Education, or sign up for a mentored permit instead.
2. Log in to HuntFishPA or visit a License Issuing Agent.
3. Buy the general license, then add archery, muzzleloader, bear or migratory game bird licenses for your seasons.
4. Buy antlerless deer licenses during the sales rounds, and allow mailing time for your tags.

Buy a Pennsylvania hunting license on the official site

How do deer, turkey, bear and elk licenses work?

Your antlered deer tag and both turkey tags come with the Pennsylvania hunting license, so there is nothing to apply for if you hunt bucks and gobblers. Antlerless deer are separate: those licenses are sold in four rounds, online and at issuing agents. Bear requires its own bear license.

Elk is the one true draw. For 2026, hunters filed a single $11.97 application with up to five season and zone choices by July 12, ahead of the July 25 drawing. Drawn residents paid $25 for the elk license and nonresidents $250, and unsuccessful applicants earn bonus points. A valid hunting license is required to apply.

Every deer and turkey you take must be reported within 10 days, or 5 days if you made a homemade tag. You can report online, by phone or with a report card. Season details are in the 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Digest.

What license do kids need to hunt in Pennsylvania?

Children under 12 hunt on a $2.97 Mentored Youth Permit, and that permit comes with deer and turkey tags of its own. For a parent, it is an inexpensive way to bring a young child along on real hunts while they learn safe habits from a licensed mentor.

From 12 through 16, young hunters move to the Junior Hunting License, which costs $6.97 for residents and $41.97 for nonresidents. A parent or guardian must co-sign the junior license. Juniors who have not finished Hunter-Trapper Education can stay mentored for up to three license years before they need the course.

At 17, a hunter is treated as an adult and buys the general license at the adult price. Families who start with the mentored permit and move to a junior license keep the same rhythm each year: renew before the July 1 license year starts, and plan around the add-ons each season needs.

How much is a nonresident Pennsylvania hunting license?

A nonresident adult pays $101.97 for the annual license, which includes the same antlered deer tag and two turkey tags residents receive. Visitors pay more for add-ons: archery is $26.97, muzzleloader $21.97, bear $36.97 and antlerless deer $26.97.

For a short bird or rabbit trip, look at the Nonresident 7-Day Small Game License for $31.97. It is open to hunters 12 and older but does not cover deer, bear, elk or turkey. Waterfowl hunters using it also need the nonresident migratory game bird license and a federal duck stamp.

Hunting a border county? Our New York hunting license and Ohio hunting license guides cover the neighbors to the north and west.

Other rules for your Pennsylvania hunting license

Licenses follow a July 1 to June 30 license year; the 2026-27 licenses are valid July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, whenever you buy them. Compare seasons and prices across the country on our hunting license by state map.

• Fluorescent orange: 250 square inches on the head, chest and back combined, visible 360 degrees, during all small game seasons and the firearms deer, bear and elk seasons, archers included. It is not required in archery seasons or for turkey, waterfowl or doves.
• Landowner licenses: residents who own 80 or more contiguous acres enrolled in a Game Commission public access program can buy a $4.97 Resident Landowner Hunting License. Owners of 50 or more acres can get landowner antlerless deer licenses from the county treasurer.
• Seniors: residents 65 and older pay $13.97 for an annual license, or buy a Senior Lifetime Hunting License for $51.97 or a Senior Lifetime Combination for $101.97, with free yearly renewals for tags.
• Military: resident active military, National Guard and Reserves pay $2.97, as do veterans with a 60 to 99% war-related disability.