In Alabama, a youth hunting license isn’t actually required: children under 16 can hunt without buying any hunting license at all, whether they live in Alabama or are visiting from out of state.1Outdoor Alabama. Who is Exempt from Purchasing Recreational Licenses? That exemption ends on the day they turn 16. Before then, and after, several other rules still apply: a Conservation ID for harvest reporting, hunter orange during gun deer season, bag limits, and either hunter education or adult supervision once a license comes into the picture.
The Age Cutoff
Any hunter under 16 is exempt from the hunting license requirement in Alabama. Residency doesn’t matter. The exemption ends on the 16th birthday, and from that day forward a standard hunting license must be purchased before heading into the field.
For a new 16-year-old resident, the two common options are the All Game license at $34.35, which covers deer and turkey along with other legal game, and the Small Game license at $22.75, which covers everything except deer and turkey.2Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Resident Both include Wildlife Heritage License privileges.
Conservation ID: What Exempt Youth Still Need
Being license-exempt doesn’t mean a child can hunt deer or turkey anonymously. Alabama ties every harvest to a Conservation ID (CID) number through its Game Check reporting system, and that applies to hunters of every age. Without a CID, a young hunter has no way to file the harvest report the law requires.
A parent can set up a CID through the ADCNR online licensing portal or the Outdoor Alabama app. Select “Game Check H.E.L.P. Number” from the license type menu and enter the child’s Social Security Number. The CID appears on the confirmation page and the printed document.3Outdoor Alabama. How to Obtain a CID Number – License Exempt Youth Age 15 and Younger Have your child memorize the number. It stays with them through their hunting career.
Hunter Education and the Supervision Rule
Anyone born on or after August 1, 1977, must complete an approved hunter education course to hunt without supervision. ADCNR opens the course to anyone 10 or older, though completion isn’t required until age 16 when a license becomes mandatory.4Outdoor Alabama. Hunter Safety Education Getting it done well before the 16th birthday is the easier path.
Two formats are available. The traditional classroom course is free, taught by ADCNR personnel and volunteer instructors, and runs a minimum of eight hours plus a written exam. The online course is self-paced, with ADCNR suggesting about eight hours to complete it. After passing, the hunter receives a certification card, which must be presented at the first license purchase so the license is issued without restriction.4Outdoor Alabama. Hunter Safety Education Certificates earned in other states are honored in Alabama, and vice versa.
If the Course Isn’t Done
A hunter can still buy a license without having completed the course, but the license will carry a “supervision required” status on its face. Under that status, the hunter may only hunt while supervised by a licensed hunter who is at least 21 (or the hunter’s parent), who has met the education requirement themselves, and who does not hold a “supervision required” license. The supervisor has to stay within 30 feet and keep normal voice control at all times.5Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 9-11-44.1 – Certification of Completion of Approved Hunter Education Course Required for Issuance of License Penalty Supervision Required Status Thirty feet is tight. In practice, the supervisor is standing next to the youth, not waiting in the truck.
Harvest Reporting Applies to Youth Too
Every deer or turkey harvest in Alabama has to be reported through Game Check within 48 hours. Age and license status don’t change the obligation.6Legal Information Institute. Alabama Administrative Code r. 220-2-.146 – Game Check System While in the field, the hunter must carry either a paper Deer and Turkey Harvest Record or a phone with the Outdoor Alabama app ready to log the harvest. The system generates a confirmation number that goes on the harvest record. Missing the 48-hour window or hunting without the harvest record is a violation, so treat it as part of the hunt from the first season on.
Hunter Orange
During gun deer season, youth deer season, and muzzleloader deer season, hunters pursuing any game species must wear hunter orange above the waist. The minimum is 144 square inches of blaze orange on an outer garment or a full-size blaze orange hat.7Alabama Administrative Code. Rule 220-2-.85 Narrow exceptions apply to nighttime raccoon and fox hunting, turkey hunting, and migratory birds.
A few situations don’t require orange: hunters in an elevated stand 12 feet or more above the ground, hunters inside an enclosed box stand, and hunters inside a vehicle. But walking between a vehicle and a stand more than 20 feet away does require it. The orange has to be solid blaze orange. Camo-patterned orange and shades of red don’t count.7Alabama Administrative Code. Rule 220-2-.85
Special Youth Hunting Days
Alabama sets aside youth-only hunting days each season for deer, turkey, and waterfowl. For these events, “youth” means a hunter who has not yet turned 16. Each youth must be accompanied by an adult supervisor who is at least 21 (or the youth’s parent) and holds all required licenses and stamps. One adult may supervise no more than two youth, and the adult must stay within 30 feet of each one.8Alabama Administrative Code. Rule 220-2-.119 – Special Youth Hunting Day Regulations for Deer, Turkey, and Waterfowl
Only one firearm is allowed per youth, and only the youth may use a firearm to hunt during these days.9Legal Information Institute. Alabama Administrative Code r. 220-2-.119 – Special Youth Hunting Day Regulations for Deer, Turkey, and Waterfowl The supervising adult is along for safety and coaching, not to shoot. For the 2025–2026 deer season, special youth gun dates fall in late October through mid-November depending on the hunting zone, and typically allow either-sex harvest.10Outdoor Alabama. Deer Season Dates shift by zone each year, so check the ADCNR site before the season.
When Youth Still Need a Separate License
Two situations create a license requirement even for hunters under 16.
The first is hunting white-tailed deer or feral swine over bait on private or leased land. The Bait Privilege License has no exemptions whatsoever. Hunters under 16, residents over 65, and landowners hunting their own ground all have to buy one. The resident cost is $16.35.11Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Alabama Bait Privilege License Hunting over bait is prohibited on all public land, including Wildlife Management Areas.
The second is waterfowl. State waterfowl regulations apply to youth, and that includes the state duck stamp and Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification. The federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, which costs $25, is required only for hunters 16 and older, so under-16 waterfowl hunters are exempt from the federal stamp itself.12U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp (E-Stamp)
Buying the First License at 16
When your child turns 16 and it’s time for a real license, Alabama offers three ways to buy. The ADCNR licensing portal at alabamainteractive.org handles online purchases with immediate confirmation. Phone orders go through 1-888-848-6887, with additional fees. In-person purchases are available at any county Probate Office or authorized license agent.
Every applicant, including minors, must provide a Social Security Number. State and federal law both require it.13Outdoor Alabama. License Information Bring the hunter education certification card to the purchase so the license is issued without the “supervision required” tag. Once issued, the license can be printed or stored on a phone, and either is valid in the field.