There is no minimum age to hunt in Missouri. A child of any age can legally hunt most wildlife, and the real question of how old you have to be to hunt in Missouri is really a question about which rules apply at which age. Supervision, permits, and hunter education requirements shift at three key thresholds: 6, 11, and 16.
Age Thresholds at a Glance
Missouri layers its rules by age band rather than setting a single starting age.
- Under 6. A child can hunt most small game and other wildlife, but not deer or turkey. No permit is required, and the child must be in the immediate presence of a qualified adult mentor.
- Ages 6 through 10. Youth deer and turkey permits become available at half the resident price. During any firearms season, the child still must hunt in the immediate presence of a qualified adult mentor. Hunter education certification is not yet available at this age.
- Ages 11 through 15. The minimum age to take the hunter education course is 11. Once certified, a youth can hunt on their own. Without certification, a mentor is still required. Youth permit prices still apply.
- Age 16 and up. Full adult permit pricing applies. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1967 must have hunter education certification, or an Apprentice Hunter Authorization, to hunt during a firearms season.
One rule cuts across the younger bands: anyone 15 or younger, resident or not, can hunt most wildlife other than deer and turkey without buying a permit at all. Uncertified youth still need a mentor regardless of the species.
When Hunter Education Kicks In
Missouri requires hunter education certification for anyone born on or after January 1, 1967 who wants to hunt during a firearms season or serve as a mentor. The youngest age at which a child can take the course and pass the exam is 11.
You do not need certification if you were born before January 1, 1967, if you are 15 or younger and hunting with a qualified mentor, if you are a landowner hunting your own property with a resident landowner permit, or if the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Protection Division has granted you a disability exemption. Adults 16 and older who want to try hunting before committing to the course can buy an Apprentice Hunter Authorization instead, valid for up to two permit years under a mentor.
Certificates from other states are generally accepted in Missouri, and Missouri’s certificate is recognized in all 50 states through the International Hunter Education Association.
Who Counts as a Qualified Mentor
Any young hunter who has not completed hunter education must stay in the immediate presence of a qualified adult mentor. In Missouri, “immediate presence” means close enough for normal conversation without shouting.
The mentor must be at least 18 years old, must hold a valid hunter education certificate or have been born before January 1, 1967, and must be properly licensed for the species and season, except during certain youth-only seasons where a permit is not required. This is enforceable. Mentoring a youth or apprentice hunter without the proper hunter education credential is a citable violation, and the fine plus court costs runs roughly $172 in many Missouri courts.
Youth Deer and Turkey Seasons
Missouri sets aside youth-only portions of firearms deer season each year. For 2026, those portions fall on October 24–25 and November 27–29. Youth ages 6 through 15 get first access to deer before the general firearms season opens.
During the youth-only firearms deer portions, the accompanying adult does not need a deer permit but must still be 18 or older and meet the hunter education requirement. The mentor cannot hunt deer during these weekends. Youth spring turkey season works the same way: no turkey permit needed for the mentor. During the regular spring turkey season, though, a mentor accompanying a youth must hold a valid spring turkey permit, filled or unfilled.
Youth 15 or younger are also exempt from the antler-point restriction during archery deer season and all portions of firearms deer season.
Permits and Prices for Young Hunters
Hunters ages 6 through 15 buy deer and turkey permits at half the standard resident price. A Firearms Any-Deer Hunting Permit for a youth runs $9.75, and a Firearms Antlerless Deer Hunting Permit is $3.75. The reduced pricing applies to both residents and nonresidents in that age range.
Permits are available through the MDC website, from more than a thousand vendors around the state, or at any MDC office. The signed permit must be carried while hunting, either on paper or in the MO Hunting app.
Again, hunters 15 or younger pursuing species other than deer or turkey do not need a permit, though uncertified youth still need a mentor.
Turning 16: What Changes
At 16, a hunter is treated as an adult. Full-price permits apply, and hunter education certification becomes mandatory for anyone born on or after January 1, 1967. Migratory bird rules also kick in: hunters 16 and older must buy a Missouri Migratory Bird Hunting Permit ($7.50) to pursue ducks, geese, doves, or other migratory birds, and waterfowl hunters 16 and older must also carry a valid Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. Hunters under 16 are exempt from both.
A 16-year-old who has not completed hunter education can still get into the field through the Apprentice Hunter Authorization, a $10 credential good for one permit year and available for a maximum of two years. It covers any firearms permit except black bear and elk, and it requires hunting in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult mentor.
Penalties for Getting It Wrong
Hunting violations in Missouri are misdemeanors. A resident hunting without the required permit faces roughly $50 in fines plus court costs, totaling about $147. Nonresidents pay closer to $247. Hunting without required hunter education certification runs about $172. Hunting on a suspended or revoked license is a Class A misdemeanor with substantially higher fines.
These penalties apply even when the hunter is a minor, but in practice the adult mentor typically bears responsibility when supervision rules are broken. That makes the mentorship requirements worth taking seriously on both sides.