An alligator tag in Texas costs $21 for a wild-caught hide tag in a non-core county, which is what most hunters on private land will pay. That single fee is the headline number, but it isn’t the whole picture: tag fees run from $5 up to $126 depending on the category, and you’ll also need a hunting license before you can hunt at all.
Every Tag Fee, by Category
Texas uses CITES tags (named for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) to track every alligator taken in the state. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) sets the fees under the Texas Administrative Code, and the price depends on which tag applies to your situation.1Legal Information Institute. 31 Texas Administrative Code 53.8 – Alligator Licenses, Permits, Stamps, and Tags
- Wild-caught hide tag, non-core counties: $21 per tag.
- Farm-raised alligator hide tag: $5 per tag, available to licensed alligator farmers.
- Commercial wildlife management area hide tag: $126 per tag.
- Alligator management tag: $6.
- Alligator export fee: $5 per alligator not already accompanied by a valid hide tag.
In core counties, the pricing works differently. TPWD issues CITES tags directly to landowners based on biological assessments of their property, and the landowner doesn’t pay a separate per-tag charge beyond the application. If you hunt in a core county, you’re hunting under the landowner’s tag allocation rather than buying your own tag.2Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Alligator Regulations
The Hunting License You Also Need
The tag fee doesn’t cover the license. Every alligator hunter in Texas needs a valid hunting license, whether resident or non-resident. A resident hunting license costs $25.3Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Hunting Licenses Non-residents need a non-resident general hunting license.2Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Alligator Regulations So a resident hunting a wild alligator on private land in a non-core county is looking at roughly $46 before any gear, access fees, or travel.
When You Pay the Tag Fee
The $21 non-core fee isn’t paid up front. You hunt first and pay after.
Non-Core Counties
You don’t need a tag in hand before hunting. After a kill, you attach a Wildlife Resource Document to the alligator, then within 72 hours mail the Non-Core Alligator Hide Tag Report (form PWD 304A) to TPWD along with the $21 fee by check or money order. TPWD then mails you the permanent CITES tag.1Legal Information Institute. 31 Texas Administrative Code 53.8 – Alligator Licenses, Permits, Stamps, and Tags The 72-hour deadline is strict; TPWD can refuse to issue additional tags to anyone who fails to file required reports.2Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Alligator Regulations
Core Counties
Core county tags are issued to the landowner, not sold to individual hunters. The landowner (or an agent) submits form PWD 369 to TPWD, which schedules a site inspection and biological assessment. The number of tags allocated depends on the survey results for that property and varies year to year.4Legal Information Institute. 31 Texas Administrative Code 65.49 – Alligators Tags are tied to the inspected property and cannot be moved to a different tract. You cannot hunt in a core county unless you physically possess a valid, unused CITES tag before you start.2Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Alligator Regulations
Public Hunt Drawing Costs
If you don’t have access to private land, TPWD runs an alligator hunt drawing on several wildlife management areas. The fee structure is separate from the private-land tag process:
- Application fee: $3 per adult.
- Hunt permit fee: $80 per adult at Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA and J.D. Murphree WMA.
- Hunt permit fee: $130 per adult at Guadalupe Delta WMA and Mad Island WMA.
- Youth hunters pay no fee.
Each drawn hunter gets a bag limit of one alligator, and group sizes range from one to four people depending on the area.5Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Alligator Hunt Category Details The WMA permit fee is paid instead of the $21 non-core tag fee, not on top of it, since the WMA hunt operates under its own permit system.
The Cost of Skipping the Fees
Hunting without the right tag or license is more expensive than paying up front. Possessing an untagged alligator hide or undocumented alligator parts is illegal under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code. TPWD can refuse to issue you additional hide tags if you don’t file required reports or return unused tags. Hunting without a license or taking alligators without proper tags can bring misdemeanor or felony charges depending on the circumstances, and a conviction can disqualify you from obtaining nuisance alligator control permits later on.6Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Alligators in Texas – Rules, Regulations, and General Information