Yes. To buy your first Ohio hunting license you must complete an approved hunter safety course in Ohio, and the rule applies to residents and non-residents alike. The only ways around it are to have held a hunting license before, to qualify for a narrow exemption, or to buy an apprentice license and hunt under supervision while you decide whether to take the course.
Who Needs the Course
Ohio law says no hunting license can be issued unless you show one of three things: a previously held hunting license (or evidence of one), a certificate from an approved hunter education course, or proof of equivalent training accepted by the Division of Wildlife chief.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1533.10 – Hunting Licenses; Fees So if you’ve ever held a hunting license anywhere, your path forward is already clear. If you haven’t, you need the course.
Ohio accepts hunter education cards from other states and Canadian provinces as equivalent training. Bring the card to any license agent and you can buy an Ohio license without repeating the course.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1501:31-29-01 – Hunter Education Course Student Requirements
Ways to Skip or Delay the Course
The Apprentice Hunting License
Ohio’s apprentice hunting license lets you hunt before you’ve taken the course. There’s no limit on how many years in a row you can buy one, but an apprentice license never counts toward the hunter education requirement; when you move to a regular license, you still have to complete the course.3Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2025-26
You must be accompanied at all times by a licensed hunter who is at least 21 years old. “Accompanied” in Ohio means staying close enough to maintain uninterrupted visual and auditory contact without electronic devices, and a single mentor cannot supervise more than two apprentice hunters at once.3Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2025-26 An apprentice license costs the same as a regular one.
Landowners and Their Families
If you’re an Ohio resident who owns land in the state, you can hunt on that land without a license, which also means you don’t need hunter education for that purpose. The exemption extends to your parents, your children of any age, and your grandchildren under 18. Tenants living on the land and their children are covered too.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 1533.10 – Hunting Licenses; Fees
Spouses of resident landowners are not on that list. If your spouse wants to hunt on your land, they need a license and hunter education like anyone else.
Active-Duty Military on Leave
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty can hunt in Ohio while on leave or furlough without a hunting license, so the hunter education requirement doesn’t apply either. Carry your military ID or other proof of active-duty status in the field. Deer and wild turkey still require separate permits, though you qualify for the resident permit rate regardless of where you’re stationed.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Section 1533.12 Once you’re no longer on active duty, you need a regular license, and that means completing the course if you’ve never held one before.
How to Take the Course
Ohio offers two paths: classroom courses taught by volunteer instructors and Division of Wildlife staff, and self-paced online courses through approved providers. The ODNR website lists scheduled classroom courses by region.
Online courses run roughly three to four hours and you work through them at your own pace. You need to be at least 12 years old to take an approved online course. The course ends with a final exam that requires a score of at least 75% to pass. Ohio-approved online providers let you print your certificate immediately after passing, with no in-person field day required.
Classroom courses cover the same material in a group setting, usually in a single day. Topics include safe handling of firearms and other hunting implements, hunting ethics and tradition, wildlife conservation, and Ohio hunting laws. Both formats satisfy the same legal requirement, so pick whichever fits your schedule.
What It Costs
In-person courses run by ODNR and its volunteer instructors are free. Third-party online courses charge fees that vary by provider. License fees for the 2025–2026 season:5Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Buy Hunting Licenses and Permits
- Resident adult, 1-year: $19.00
- Resident youth (under 18) or senior (65+), 1-year: $10.00
- Non-resident adult, 1-year: $180.96
- Apprentice licenses: same prices as above by category
Deer permits, turkey permits, and wetlands habitat stamps cost extra on top of the base license. Factor those in before the season starts.
After You Pass
Your Ohio hunter education certification is good for life. You never have to retake the course, and the certificate is recognized by every other state and Canadian province that accepts standard hunter education.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code Rule 1501:31-29-01 – Hunter Education Course Student Requirements Keep the card somewhere safe and carry proof whenever you hunt.
Lost it? Online providers typically let you reprint the certificate through their website. For classroom graduates, the ODNR Division of Wildlife can help with a replacement. Having your full name, date of birth, and the approximate year you completed the course speeds things up.
Trapping and Archery
If you plan to trap furbearing animals, hunter education alone isn’t enough. You also need a separate trapper education course before you can buy a regular fur taker permit, and the Division of Wildlife offers a home-study trapper certification course for Ohio residents.6Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Trapper Education An apprentice fur taker permit is available if you’d rather try trapping under supervision first.
Archery is simpler. Ohio does not require a separate bowhunter education course; your standard hunter education certificate covers archery seasons. Some other states do require bowhunter education for their archery seasons, so check before you hunt out of state with a bow.