A resident hunting license in Arizona costs $37, and a non-resident combination hunt and fish license — the only option available to out-of-state hunters — costs $160.1Arizona Game and Fish Department. Hunting Licenses Both are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase, and anyone 10 or older needs one before taking wildlife in the state.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 17-331 – License or Proof of Purchase Required That base license is only the starting point. If you plan to hunt big game, waterfowl, or doves, you’ll pay more.
What Each License Type Costs
Arizona residents can pick either a hunting-only license or a combo that adds fishing. Non-residents only get the combo. Short-term options exist for brief trips, and youth pricing is the same whether you live in state or not.
- Resident general hunting: $37. Covers small game, predatory animals, fur-bearing animals, and upland game birds.
- Resident combination hunt and fish: $57.
- Non-resident combination hunt and fish: $160.1Arizona Game and Fish Department. Hunting Licenses
- Resident short-term combo: $15 per day.
- Non-resident short-term combo: $20 per day.3Cornell Law School. Arizona Admin Code R12-4-102 – License, Permit, Stamp, and Tag Fees
- Youth combination hunt and fish (ages 10 through 17): $5, resident or non-resident.1Arizona Game and Fish Department. Hunting Licenses
Expect a small processing fee of a few dollars on top of the listed price when buying online or through an authorized vendor.
None of these base licenses cover big game. Hunting deer, elk, turkey, or anything else classed as big game requires a separate tag.
Big Game Tags Are Where the Real Money Is
Nearly all big game hunt permit-tags in Arizona are awarded through a lottery-style draw run by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.4Arizona Game and Fish Department. Big Game Hunt Draw You must hold a valid hunting license before you can even apply. The tag fee is on top of the license cost, and non-residents pay roughly five times what residents pay.
Tag fees (including the application fee bundled in):
- Deer: $58 resident, $315 non-resident
- Elk: $148 resident, $665 non-resident
- Turkey: $38 resident, $105 non-resident
- Bighorn sheep: $313 resident, $1,815 non-resident
- Bison, bull or any: $1,113 resident, $5,415 non-resident
- Bison, cow or yearling: $663 resident, $3,265 non-resident5eRegulations. Arizona Hunting Licenses and Fees
Running the math: a non-resident planning an elk hunt is looking at $160 for the combination license plus $665 for the tag, so budget at least $825 before travel, gear, or outfitter costs. A resident deer hunter pays $37 plus $58, or $95 total.
There is one notable exception to the draw. Arizona offers an over-the-counter archery deer season where you can buy a nonpermit-tag without entering the lottery. Residents buy it from any license dealer or Game and Fish office; non-residents must buy theirs online on a first-come, first-served basis. The tag is valid for a single calendar year.6Arizona Game and Fish Department. Over-the-Counter Archery Deer Hunting
Stamps for Birds and Waterfowl
If migratory birds are on your list, add stamps to the base license. Arizona’s state migratory bird stamp costs $5 and covers doves, band-tailed pigeons, snipe, coots, moorhen, and waterfowl.1Arizona Game and Fish Department. Hunting Licenses
Hunting ducks, geese, or swans also requires a federal duck stamp, which costs $25 and is required of all waterfowl hunters 16 and older nationwide.7U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp (E-Stamp) You can buy an electronic version through Arizona’s online licensing system, and a digital screenshot or mobile wallet pass counts as valid proof in the field. The e-stamp is good from the date of purchase through the following June 30. A physical stamp is mailed to you after March 10 of the following year.
Dove hunters only need the $5 state stamp. Waterfowl hunters need both. Stamp prices are the same for residents and non-residents.
Who Qualifies for Resident Pricing
Given the gap between resident and non-resident costs, residency is worth getting right. Arizona law defines a resident as someone who has been domiciled in the state for at least six consecutive months immediately before applying and who does not claim residency in any other state.8Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 17-101 – Definitions A valid Arizona driver’s license or state ID is the standard proof.
Every applicant also has to provide a Social Security number, a federal requirement tied to child support enforcement.9AZGFD Draw. Disclaimer You’ll also need your full legal name, current address, and physical description including height, weight, and eye color. Make sure everything matches your state-issued ID.
Where to Buy and What You’ll Need
The fastest route is the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s online portal. Pick the license type, enter your personal information, pay with a card, and a digital copy lands in your email right away. You can print a copy to carry in the field.1Arizona Game and Fish Department. Hunting Licenses Traditional paper licenses are no longer sold at dealer locations, but many authorized vendors can process your purchase through the department’s online system on your behalf.4Arizona Game and Fish Department. Big Game Hunt Draw
For big game draw applications, you’ll need your customer ID and the four-digit hunt number from the current regulations booklet. Draw results and bonus point balances live inside your AZGFD portal account, so set one up before any deadline.
One cost-saver worth knowing: completing a certified hunter education course earns a lifetime bonus point that gets added to every future draw application, which improves your odds for species where tags are hard to come by. Arizona residents can finish the course entirely online; non-residents must take a version with an in-person field day.10Arizona Game and Fish Department. Hunter Education Classes