Florida hunting license exemptions cover six groups: children under 16, residents aged 65 and older, people hunting on their own homestead, residents certified as totally and permanently disabled, active-duty military home on leave, and anyone hunting wild hogs on private land with the owner’s permission. The exemptions come from Florida Statute 379.353, and each has conditions attached. Miss the fine print and a wildlife officer can write a $50 civil citation on the spot.
Children Under 16
This is the broadest exemption in the statute. No hunting license is required, and the waiver extends to the standard permits as well: deer, turkey, wildlife management area, and even the federal duck stamp. Youth under 16 are the only group exempt from both state and federal waterfowl requirements.
Florida Residents 65 and Older
Residents who are 65 or older are exempt from the hunting license and most associated permits. You need to carry proof of both age and Florida residency while in the field, and a valid Florida driver’s license or state ID handles both at once. If you want a dedicated document, the FWC offers an optional no-cost Resident 65+ Hunt/Fish Certificate through GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or any county tax collector office.
Homestead Property Owners
You do not need a hunting license to hunt on your own homestead. The exemption also covers hunting on the homestead of your spouse or minor child, and minor children can hunt on a parent’s homestead without a license.
The word that trips people up is “homestead.” It means the property where you actually reside. Land you own but don’t live on doesn’t qualify. Property leased to a hunting club or run as a commercial operation also falls outside the exemption. People often assume any land they own counts, and it doesn’t.
Totally and Permanently Disabled Residents
Florida issues a no-cost hunting and fishing license to residents certified as totally and permanently disabled. Acceptable certifying sources are the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Social Security Administration, the Railroad Retirement Board, or a workers’ compensation judge of compensation claims.
How long the license lasts depends on who certified the disability. Certifications from the VA, the military, or workers’ compensation produce a license valid for five years. A Social Security Administration certification produces a license valid for two years, after which you need to submit fresh proof of continued disability.
Effective July 1, 2024, the statute added a separate category for honorably discharged veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or greater. These licenses are also valid for five years.
The disability license works as a full hunting and fishing license and includes most standard permits, including deer, turkey, wildlife management area, archery, crossbow, and muzzleloading gun permits. You can apply through the FWC or at a county tax collector office.
Active-Duty Military on Leave
Florida residents in the U.S. Armed Forces who are stationed outside the state are exempt from the hunting license and most permits when they are home on leave for 30 days or less. Carry your official leave orders in the field so you can show them if a wildlife officer stops you. The exemption also covers Florida’s waterfowl, turkey, wildlife management area, archery, crossbow, muzzleloading gun, and migratory bird permits.
If you want year-round coverage instead of only leave windows, the FWC sells a Military Gold Sportsman’s License for $20 per year, a sharp discount from the $100 standard version. It bundles hunting, saltwater and freshwater fishing, and the common hunting permits. Active-duty and retired Florida resident military can verify eligibility online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
Wild Hogs on Private Land
Wild hogs aren’t classified as game animals in Florida, which creates a separate exception from the license statute. You can hunt them year-round on private land with the landowner’s permission, no license required, no permit required, including hunting at night with a gun and light. The state wants hogs removed because of the agricultural damage they cause.
This only applies on private land. On a wildlife management area or other public land, standard license and permit rules apply along with season dates and method restrictions.
Hunter Safety Is Not Waived
None of the age-based exemptions remove the hunter safety requirement. Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must complete an approved hunter safety course before hunting with a firearm, bow, or crossbow in Florida. If you’re 16 or older and haven’t taken the course yet, a deferral lets you hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed adult who is at least 21 and has already satisfied the requirement.
Federal and Migratory Bird Requirements
Being exempt from a Florida license doesn’t exempt you from federal rules. Anyone 16 or older hunting migratory waterfowl must buy and carry a current Federal Duck Stamp, valid July 1 through June 30 of the following year.
Florida separately requires a no-cost migratory bird permit for doves, ducks, geese, snipe, woodcock, and other migratory species. Hunters under 16 and residents 65 and older are exempt from this permit. Everyone else needs one in addition to a hunting license, and it has to be in hand before you hunt.
Penalties if You Claim an Exemption You Don’t Qualify For
Hunting without a license when no exemption applies is a Level One noncriminal infraction. The first-time civil penalty is $50 plus the cost of the license or permit you should have had. If you’ve committed the same violation within the previous 36 months, the penalty rises to $250 plus the license cost.
In either case, you can usually resolve the citation by buying the missing license, providing proof, and paying the civil penalty. Refusing the citation, failing to pay, or skipping a county court appearance escalates the matter to a second-degree misdemeanor, which carries criminal consequences.