South Dakota hunting license

How much is a South Dakota hunting license?

A resident South Dakota hunting license for small game costs $36 for adults 18 and older, and the nonresident small game license costs $142, as listed by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) for the current license year. The small game license is the entry point: it covers pheasant, grouse, partridge, quail, cottontail rabbit, tree squirrel, and predators and varmints.

One extra purchase surprises a lot of first-timers. Anyone 18 or older who buys a small game license also has to buy a Habitat Stamp, which is $10 for residents and $25 for nonresidents. So the real starting cost is $46 for a resident adult and $167 for a nonresident adult. GFP says its listed fees already include a $6 state surcharge, but a license agent can add its own agent fee on top.

Residents who also fish can buy the Small Game and Fishing Combination for $60 instead. Deer, turkey and elk are never part of the small game license; those are separate licenses, most of them drawn by lottery. The table below shows each option, and the GFP license types page has the full list.

Do you need hunter education for a South Dakota hunting license?

Only young hunters need it. South Dakota has no birth-date cutoff: HuntSAFE certification is required for hunters ages 12 through 15, and anyone 16 or older can buy a license without a hunter education card. That makes South Dakota one of the easier states for an adult newcomer to get started.

A 12 to 15 year old who buys a youth license must already be certified. Students can take the course online, but those under 16 must also attend an in-person field day before they are certified. Class listings and sign-up details are on the GFP hunter education page.

Kids who are not certified yet can still hunt through the Mentored Hunting Program. Youth 15 and under hunt within arm's length of an unarmed adult mentor who is hunter-ed certified (the mentor must be 18 or older for small game). A mentored youth is limited to one license per season. For adults, GFP also offers a resident Apprentice Deer license to anyone 18 or older who has not held a deer license in the past 10 years.

Where can you buy a hunting license in South Dakota?

The quickest route is the Go Outdoors South Dakota website, where you create an account and print or save your license. You can also buy by phone at 605-223-7660, at GFP Wildlife Division offices, or from license agents such as sporting goods stores around the state.

Plan your cart before you check out. A resident pheasant hunter needs the small game license and the Habitat Stamp; a nonresident needs the same two items at nonresident prices. If you are after deer, elk or antelope, you will usually apply for those through a separate lottery months ahead, so buying the small game license alone will not let you hunt big game. Start on the GFP hunting and fishing license page.

1. Check your age: hunters 12 through 15 need HuntSAFE, or they can hunt as a mentored youth.
2. Log in to Go Outdoors South Dakota, call 605-223-7660, or visit a GFP office or license agent.
3. Pick the small game license (or a youth or one-day option) and add the Habitat Stamp if you are 18 or older.
4. Apply separately for any deer, elk or antelope draw, then carry your license while hunting.

Buy a South Dakota hunting license on the official site

How do deer, elk and turkey licenses work in South Dakota?

Big game in South Dakota is sold as separate licenses, and most deer, elk, antelope and turkey licenses are issued through a lottery draw that uses preference points. A preference point costs $5 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. As examples, a resident any-deer license is $45 and the nonresident version is $375. Elk licenses are for residents only, and a resident any-elk license is $195.

Draw windows open well before the seasons. For 2026, the first elk draw ran April 15 to May 19 with results on May 27, and the second ran May 28 to June 11. Elk, mountain goat and bighorn sheep applications carry a $10 fee.

West River deer had its first 2026 draw from May 27 to June 23, with more drawings through September 1 and leftover licenses sold starting September 9. Dates change every year, so check the 2026 elk application guide and GFP announcements before you plan a hunt.

Do kids need a hunting license in South Dakota?

Yes, once they hunt on their own: a hunter must turn 12 by December 31 of the license year, unless they hunt as a mentored youth under 16. Youth licenses are cheap. Youth Small Game for ages 12 through 17 costs $5 for residents and $10 for nonresidents, and a youth deer license is also $5 for residents and $10 for nonresidents.

Young hunters skip the Habitat Stamp, since it is not required with youth licenses. Residents under 18 also do not need a separate predator and varmint license. Remember that hunters ages 12 through 15 need HuntSAFE certification before buying a youth license; younger kids or those still working on the course can use the mentored program with a certified adult at their side.

How much does a nonresident pay to hunt in South Dakota?

A nonresident small game license costs $142, plus the $25 nonresident Habitat Stamp for hunters 18 and older. It is not a season-long license: it is good for 10 days, split into two 5-day periods that you choose. It also includes predator and varmint hunting and shooting preserve privileges.

Visiting waterfowl hunters work a little differently, because nonresident waterfowl licenses are available only through a draw. They cost $145 for two 5-day periods or $106 for three days. If you only plan to hunt a shooting preserve, GFP sells preserve licenses at $50 for one day, $96 for five days or $146 for the season.

Nonresident big game licenses come through the same draws as resident ones, but nonresidents cannot get an elk license at all. Planning a trip that crosses the western border? The Wyoming hunting license guide covers the rules next door.

Other South Dakota license rules to know

These are the points that matter most once you have your license. The 2026 Hunting and Trapping Handbook has the full regulations. Hunting across the northern line? Compare the North Dakota hunting license, or see every hunting license by state.

• License year: 2026 licenses run from Dec. 15, 2025 through Jan. 31, 2027, and 2027 licenses run from Dec. 15, 2026 through Jan. 31, 2028. The state migratory bird certificate runs July 1 to June 30.
• One-day option: residents 18 and older can buy a One-Day Small Game license for $15, and it does not require a Habitat Stamp.
• Hunter orange: anyone hunting big game with a firearm (except turkey and mountain lion) must wear at least one fluorescent orange or pink outer garment above the waist, such as a hat, shirt, jacket or vest.
• Landowners: resident landowners and their immediate family may hunt small game, furbearers and predators on their own land without a license. Waterfowl is also allowed, but a federal duck stamp is still required, and big game always needs a license.
• Seniors and disabled hunters: residents 65 and older can buy the Senior Combination (small game and fishing) for $43. A $10 Disability License, valid four years, is available to qualifying disabled residents, veterans rated 40% or more disabled, and former POWs.
• Military: residents on active duty stationed outside South Dakota may hunt small game free.