How Much Does a Hunting License Cost in Tennessee?

A Tennessee hunting license costs $33 a year for a resident Combination Hunt/Fish, or $165 for the all-inclusive Annual Sportsman that covers every game type and supplement. Non-residents pay $305 for an Annual All Game license, or $214 for a seven-day version. What you actually spend depends on what you hunt, because the basic combo license does not cover deer, bear, elk, turkey, or waterfowl without add-ons.

Resident License Prices

Tennessee builds its resident licenses around a base combo license, then layers on supplemental licenses for specific game. The main options for residents ages 16 to 64:

Combination Hunt/Fish: $33. Basic hunting and fishing only. No big game, waterfowl, or trapping.
Annual Sportsman: $165. All-inclusive. Covers hunting, trapping, and fishing with no supplements needed, plus free quota hunt applications.

Younger and older residents pay much less:

Junior Hunt/Fish/Trap (ages 13–15): $9, and must be purchased before the 16th birthday.
Annual Senior Citizen Hunt/Fish/Trap (65+): $4, available on the 65th birthday.
Senior Sportsman (65+): $49 for the all-inclusive version.
Permanent Senior Citizen Hunt/Fish/Trap: $49 one-time, valid for life.

Supplemental Licenses for Big Game, Waterfowl, and Trapping

If you buy the $33 Combo Hunt/Fish, you need a supplemental license before hunting deer, elk, bear, turkey, or waterfowl. Which one depends on your weapon and quarry:

Big Game Gun Supplemental: $33
Big Game Archery Supplemental: $33
Big Game Muzzleloader Supplemental: $33
Waterfowl Supplemental: $37
Trapping Supplemental: $33

Annual Sportsman and Lifetime Sportsman holders skip all supplements.¹

When the Sportsman License Pays Off

The math tilts toward the Sportsman quickly. The $33 combo plus one Big Game Gun supplement is already $66. Add archery for a second season and you’re at $99. Add muzzleloader and you hit $132. At $165, the Sportsman covers all of that plus trapping and waterfowl, and the paperwork is one line instead of four.¹

Non-Resident Prices

Out-of-state hunters pay considerably more, though short-duration options soften the cost for a single trip:

Annual All Game: $305
7-Day All Game: $214
Annual Small Game/Waterfowl: $110
7-Day Small Game/Waterfowl: $61
Annual Junior All Game (ages 13–15): $41
7-Day Junior All Game (ages 13–15): $26
Annual Junior Hunt/Fish, No Big Game (ages 13–15): $10

Non-resident children 12 and under do not need a license at all.²

Native Tennessean Discount

If you were born in Tennessee but live out of state, you can apply for a Native Tennessean annual license and buy at resident rates. Apply directly through TWRA with proof of Tennessee birth.³

Lifetime Sportsman Licenses

Tennessee sells lifetime licenses priced by age at purchase. Each covers everything the Annual Sportsman does, including supplement exemption and free quota permit applications:

Infant (under 3): $320
Toddler (ages 3–6): $659
Youth (ages 7–12): $988
Adult (ages 13–50): $1,976
Older Adult (ages 51–64): $1,153
Senior (65+): $329
Adopted child (under 13): $320

For a 30-year-old hunting every year, the $1,976 adult tier pays for itself against the $165 Annual Sportsman in about twelve years.¹

Reduced-Fee Licenses for Disabilities

Residents with qualifying disabilities pay $10 or less:

Disabled Resident Under 18 (Hunting and Fishing): $5
Wheelchair Hunting and Fishing: $10
Disabled Veteran Hunting and Fishing: $10

Eligibility and documentation vary by license; check with TWRA for specifics.¹

Extra Costs Beyond the License

A license alone will not always put you legally in the field. Two categories to plan for:

Waterfowl hunters 16 and older need a signed Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp — the duck stamp — valid July 1 through June 30. A receipt does not count; you must carry the physical signed stamp or a valid e-stamp.⁴ Every migratory bird hunter in Tennessee, resident or not, also needs a state Migratory Bird Permit for $1, which handles the federal HIP survey requirement. Add it at checkout on GoOutdoorsTennessee.com.²

Wildlife Management Area permits apply on top of your regular licenses if you hunt on a WMA. Sportsman and Lifetime Sportsman holders don’t need a WMA permit for small game and waterfowl, but every hunter needs a WMA Big Game permit to pursue deer, bear, elk, or turkey on a WMA.⁵

Who Can Hunt Without Paying

A license isn’t required for residents under 13, though hunter education rules still apply for ages 10 to 12.⁶

Tennessee also exempts a wider farmland circle than many states. Resident landowners, their spouses, children, and children’s spouses can hunt on their farmland without a license, and they don’t have to live on it. Resident tenants who actually live on and work agricultural land can hunt there with the owner’s permission, and their spouses and dependent children are covered too. Resident grandchildren and great-grandchildren under 16 can hunt on farmland owned by a resident grandparent or great-grandparent. First cousins who jointly own farmland qualify, along with their children.

One limit: the exemption does not extend to land jointly owned by unrelated people, so a hunting club that co-owns a tract cannot use it.¹

Where to Buy

The fastest route is TWRA’s online portal at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com, open around the clock, with the option to print or pull the license up on your phone. Processing fees apply on every purchase.¹

In person, licenses are sold at authorized agents statewide, including sporting goods stores, general retailers, and many county clerk offices. TWRA regional offices sell them directly as well. Bring valid ID, proof of Tennessee residency for a resident license, and your date of birth.⁷

Are Prices Changing Soon?

No. TWRA had proposed a license fee increase for July 1, 2025, then withdrew it after the Tennessee legislature committed to alternative funding. Current fees remain in place with no scheduled increase.⁸

1
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. License Structure and Fees
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eRegulations. Tennessee Hunting License Fees
3
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Native Tennessean Annual License Application
4
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp (E-Stamp)
5
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. TWRA Wildlife Management Areas
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Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Youth Hunting In Tennessee
7
Go Outdoors Tennessee. Official Tennessee Fishing and Hunting Licenses
8
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. TWRA Withdraws License Fee Increase – Legislature Commits to Alternative Funding