You can legally hunt bears in California, but only black bears, and only if you hold a California hunting license, a bear tag, and use nonlead ammunition. The season generally runs from mid-August through late December, and it can close early if the statewide quota of 1,700 bears is reached. Miss a step — the tag, the ammo rule, the reporting deadline — and you are looking at fines, a misdemeanor, or both.
License and Tag Requirements
Two documents are mandatory: a California hunting license, which covers birds and mammals generally, and a bear tag, which is specific to bears and limits you to one adult bear per license year.1California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bear Hunting
If you have never held a hunting license in any state or Canadian province, you must complete a hunter education course before buying a California license. California accepts hunter education certificates from every other state and province, so an existing certificate carries over. You also qualify without a certificate if you hold a current hunting license, or one from either of the two previous years, from another state or province.2California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Frequently Asked Questions About California Hunter Education
The hunter education course has no minimum age, but you must be at least 12 years old to purchase a bear tag.3California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 4751
When and Where You Can Hunt
The season splits into archery and general phases. For the 2025–2026 license year, archery season runs August 16 through September 7 across all bear hunting zones. General season opens with deer season in zones A, B, C, D, X8, X9A, X9B, X10, and X12, and continues through December 28. Several other zones, including X1, X2, X3a, X4, X6a, X6b, X7a, and X7b, open October 11 and close December 28.1California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bear Hunting
CDFW can close the season early once the statewide quota of 1,700 bears is reached. The department publishes a Black Bear Hunting Area Map each year showing which zones are open. Check it before you go, because boundaries and dates shift from year to year.
Legal Methods and What’s Prohibited
You can take a bear with a centerfire rifle loaded with expanding or soft-nose projectiles, a shotgun firing single slugs, or a bow and arrow. Whatever firearm you choose, state law requires nonlead ammunition for all wildlife hunting in California, a rule in force since July 1, 2019 under Assembly Bill 711. A first violation carries a $500 fine; a second or subsequent offense ranges from $1,000 to $5,000.4California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Nonlead Ammunition in California Copper and copper-alloy bullets are the common substitutes, and CDFW maintains a list of certified projectiles.
Several methods are flatly off-limits:
- Using dogs to pursue bears, banned year-round under Fish and Game Code section 3960.
- Baiting, meaning placing food or attractants to lure bears.
- Iron, steel-jawed, or any other metal-jawed traps.5California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 4750
- Shooting any bear cub, or any female accompanied by cubs.1California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bear Hunting
What It Costs
For the 2025–2026 license year:
- Resident bear tag: $61.30
- Nonresident bear tag: $387.85
- Resident hunting license: $62.90
- Nonresident hunting license: $219.81
These fees are adjusted annually under Fish and Game Code section 713, so confirm current amounts before you buy.6California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hunting License Items and Fees
You can buy a tag online through the CDFW Automated License Data System, at a CDFW license sales office, or through any authorized license agent. You need a valid hunting license number first, and you are limited to one tag per license year; buying a second can result in denial of future tags. Sign the tag as soon as you receive it. An unsigned tag is not valid.7Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 708.12 – Bear License Tags
What to Do After a Kill
The reporting clock starts the moment the bear is down. Fill out every portion of the tag legibly and permanently, punch out the notches for the month and date, and attach one part of the tag to the bear’s ear immediately. That tag must stay on through the remainder of the open season and for 15 days after the season closes.5California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 4750
Within 10 days of the kill, bring the skull to CDFW. A department representative will inspect it, tag it, and remove a premolar tooth for biological data. Keep the skull and the portion of the head including both ears intact until that inspection is done.1California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bear Hunting
After a successful harvest, return the report card portion of your tag to CDFW immediately once it has been countersigned. Even if you did not harvest a bear, you still must return the report card by February 1 of the current license year, either in person at any CDFW office or by mail. Failing to return the card is a violation whether you hunted or not.7Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 708.12 – Bear License Tags
Bear Meat and Parts
Keeping the meat for personal use is fine. Selling it is not. California prohibits the sale or purchase of any bear parts, including meat, skin, hide, teeth, claws, and gall bladders. Possessing more than one gall bladder is treated as presumptive evidence that you are holding them for sale.8Justia Law. California Fish and Game Code – Chapter 9 Bear You also must retain the bear’s skin and the part of the head containing both ears through the open season and for 15 days after it ends, so CDFW can verify the harvest.
Penalties
Fish and Game Code violations are misdemeanors by default.9California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 12000 Hunting a bear without a valid license or tag, hunting out of season, or exceeding your bag limit carries a fine of $250 to $2,000, up to one year in county jail, or both.10California Legislative Information. California Fish and Game Code 12002.1
One narrow exception: if you are cited for not having your license or tag on you but can produce a valid one in court, and the hunt was otherwise legal in every respect, the court may reduce the charge to an infraction with a fine of $50 to $250. That exception does not help a hunter who never had a license or tag at all.
Lead ammunition is a separate offense: $500 for a first infraction, up to $5,000 for repeat offenses. Courts can also revoke hunting licenses and seize firearms in poaching cases, and the penalties stack. A hunter using lead ammo without a tag can face charges under multiple code sections at once.
Taking the Bear Out of State
Federal law adds a layer on top of California’s rules. The Lacey Act makes it a federal offense to transport wildlife across state lines if it was taken in violation of state law. If every piece of your California hunt was legal, including the reporting, you can take the bear home. If any part of the hunt violated state law, moving the animal across a state line turns that violation into a federal case as well.11U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lacey Act Finish your CDFW reporting before you cross a state line, and keep your validated tag and any CDFW paperwork with the animal during transport.