An Alabama nonresident hunting license runs $173.90 for three days, $246.60 for ten days, or $399.50 for the full season, based on current prices for the 2025–2026 license year, which runs September 1 through August 31.1Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Non-Resident Depending on where you hunt and what you pursue, you may also need a Wildlife Management Area license, a federal duck stamp, or Harvest Information Program registration on top of the base license.
License Options and Prices
Alabama sells nonresidents two trip licenses and one annual license. Each one covers all legal game species during the period it’s active, and the clock starts at the exact date and time you choose at purchase.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 9-11-49 – Nonresident Hunting Licenses – Trip All Game
3-Day Trip All Game License — $173.90
Valid for 72 consecutive hours from the start time you pick.1Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Non-Resident Choose that start time carefully. A 6:00 a.m. Friday start runs through early Monday morning.
10-Day Trip All Game License — $246.60
Valid for 240 consecutive hours from your chosen start time.1Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Non-Resident This one fits a longer trip or a hunt that spans multiple regions and species.
Annual All Game License — $399.50
Covers the full September 1 through August 31 license year.1Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Non-Resident Two 10-day trips already cost more than the annual, so if you’re coming back, this pays off fast.
Add-Ons You May Need
The base license doesn’t cover every situation. Three common add-ons trip up out-of-state hunters.
Wildlife Management Area License
Hunting deer, turkey, or waterfowl on any Alabama Wildlife Management Area requires a separate WMA license. Nonresident cost is $22.75.1Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Non-Resident The rule reaches further than active hunting: you need the WMA license to possess a firearm, trap, or bow on WMA land at all, with limited exceptions.3Alabama Administrative Code. Rule 220-2-.55 – Wildlife Management Areas of Alabama
Federal Duck Stamp
Waterfowl hunters must carry a valid Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. The 2025–2026 stamp is $25 and is valid July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.4USPS. Spectacled Eiders 2025-2026 Federal Duck Stamps Sign the stamp in ink across its face before you hunt. You can buy it at a post office, online through USPS, or from select license vendors.
Harvest Information Program Registration
Federal and state law require HIP registration before hunting migratory birds in Alabama, covering doves, ducks, geese, woodcock, rails, snipe, sandhill cranes, and gallinules. Register at the time of license purchase, through any license vendor, or online, and carry proof in the field.5Outdoor Alabama. What is HIP? Hunting migratory birds without HIP certification can result in a citation from state or federal conservation officers.6U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Migratory Bird Harvest Surveys – What We Do Alabama exempts hunters under 16 and those 65 or older from HIP.
Age and Hunter Education
Nonresidents 16 and older must carry a valid nonresident hunting license. Hunters 15 and under are exempt from the license requirement itself, though they still have to follow bag limits, season dates, and supervision rules.1Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Non-Resident
Alabama recognizes hunter education certificates issued by other states through the International Hunter Education Association reciprocity system. If your home state required a hunter education course, bring the certificate or card with you.
Reporting Deer and Turkey Harvests
Any hunter who takes a deer or turkey in Alabama must record the harvest immediately, before field dressing or moving the animal. You need either a paper Deer and Turkey Harvest Record form or the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ approved mobile app on your phone before you enter the field.7Cornell Law Institute. Alabama Admin Code Rule 220-2-.146 – Game Check System – Deer and Turkey This applies whether you’re licensed or not; there’s no age or disability exemption. The record captures date, time, county, and species. Load the app or print the form ahead of your trip. Cell service in Alabama’s backcountry is unreliable.
How to Buy Your License
The fastest route is myoutdooralabama.com. You can pay by debit or credit card, print the license immediately, add a WMA license, and complete HIP registration in the same transaction.8Outdoor Alabama. Hunting and Fishing Licenses Portal Authorized license agents across the state can also issue your license in person on the spot.1Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Non-Resident Mail-in applications exist but take longer and don’t work for last-minute trips. Federal law requires you to provide your Social Security number on the application under child support enforcement provisions in 42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(13).
Penalties for Hunting Without a License
Alabama treats hunting without a required license as a criminal offense. The general charge is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine between $75 and $250 per offense, and the statute treats nonresidents separately, with potentially different penalties.9Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 9-11-51 – Hunting Without License
The consequences don’t stop at the state line. Alabama belongs to the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a reciprocal agreement among 47 member states.10National Center for Interstate Compacts. Wildlife Violator Compact A wildlife violation in Alabama can trigger a license suspension back home, and if your home state suspends your hunting privileges, Alabama will honor that suspension and deny you a license.