How to Fill Out the Ohio Permission to Hunt Form (ODNR 8924)

The Ohio permission to hunt form, officially ODNR Form 8924 (“Permission to Enter Private Land for Recreational Activities”), is the written document a landowner signs to let you hunt or trap on their property. Ohio Revised Code 1533.17 makes written permission mandatory before you shoot, pursue, catch, kill, or injure any wild bird, waterfowl, or wild animal on someone else’s land, pond, lake, or private waters.¹ The form is free, downloadable as a PDF from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and takes a few minutes to complete.

Do You Have to Use the ODNR Form

No. The statute requires written permission; it does not require any particular document. Any writing signed by the landowner or their authorized agent satisfies the law.² The ODNR form is simply the cleanest option. It captures every detail a wildlife officer checks for, it’s instantly recognizable in the field, and landowners who have done this before will expect it.

How to Fill Out ODNR Form 8924

Form 8924 is a single page. The front has the fields you complete; the back lists conditions the sportsperson agrees to. Work through it top to bottom.

Activities and Permission Period

At the top, check or circle which activities the landowner is authorizing. The choices are Hunt, Trap, Fish, and Harvest Ginseng.³ Mark only what the owner has actually agreed to. If they’re comfortable with deer hunting but not trapping, leave Trap unchecked.

Then choose one of two permission periods:

Seasonal, valid through February 28 of the year written in. This covers a full hunting season.
Daily, with a specific start and end date. Use this for a single outing or a short window such as opening weekend.

There is no multi-year option. If you plan to hunt the same property next season, you need a new form signed for that year.³

Landowner or Agent Section

The landowner (or a person the owner has authorized to grant access) prints their name, signs, and dates the form. The form asks for the printed name, signature, and date only; there is no field for the landowner’s phone number. If an authorized agent signs on the owner’s behalf, they should note that they are signing as the owner’s agent.

Sportsperson Section

You fill out the bottom portion with the following:

Customer ID number. This is the permanent ID that ODNR assigns when you first buy a hunting or fishing license, and it stays the same year after year. If you don’t have one yet, buy your license first.⁴
Your street address, city, state, and zip code.
A telephone number where you can be reached.
Vehicle license plate number, make, and model for the vehicle you’re driving to the property. This helps the landowner and law enforcement identify who is parked on or near the land.
Your printed name, signature, and date. Print legibly.

The form does not ask for acreage, parcel numbers, or GPS coordinates. If the landowner wants you restricted to a specific section of a larger property, write that restriction in the margin or attach a separate note; nothing on the standard form captures it.³

The Liability Waiver Above Your Signature

Just above the sportsperson signature block, the form contains a liability waiver. By signing, you agree to assume all risk and release the landowner from liability for personal injuries, property damage, or loss of life connected to the permit. That language reinforces the protections already provided to landowners under ORC 1533.181, giving them the hunter’s explicit acknowledgment in writing.

The Conditions Printed on the Back

The reverse side lists six conditions you agree to when you sign:

Respect the rights of the property owner.
Handle firearms carefully.
Do not damage fences, buildings, or other property.
Do not litter or dump rubbish.
Obey all hunting laws and Division of Wildlife regulations.
The permit is valid only on the issuing landowner’s land and only for the dates specified.

The last one is the one hunters misjudge most often. A signed form is not a roaming pass. It covers one landowner’s property for the dates on the front. If you cross onto a neighboring parcel, you need a separate form signed by that neighbor.³

Carrying the Form and Showing It on Request

Once the form is signed, you have to carry it on your person the entire time you’re hunting or trapping. Leaving it in the truck’s glove box does not satisfy the statute; it needs to be on you in the field.¹

You must produce it immediately when asked by a wildlife officer, constable, sheriff, deputy sheriff, police officer, any other law enforcement officer, or the landowner or their agent. The statute names all of those people specifically.¹ Telling an officer that the owner said it was fine will not substitute for the written document.

What Happens If You Hunt Without It

Hunting or trapping on private land without written permission is a fourth-degree misdemeanor. ORC 1533.99 sets the default penalty for violations of Chapter 1533 that don’t specify their own, and that default is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.⁵ A fourth-degree misdemeanor carries up to 30 days in jail.⁶

A conviction can also trigger license revocation or suspension by ODNR, and a wildlife officer can seize any game taken during the violation. For most hunters, losing privileges for a season is the harder consequence.

Practical Tips

Print legibly. Wildlife officers read these forms in every kind of weather, and smudged handwriting invites questions in the field.
Carry a spare blank in your pack. If a neighboring owner invites you over mid-hunt, you can get it signed on the spot instead of stepping onto their land undocumented.
Protect it from the elements. A zip-lock bag or waterproof pouch keeps the form readable through rain, snow, and sweat.
Get a new one each season. Seasonal permissions expire February 28. Last year’s form will get you cited.
Every hunter carries their own. Permission is individual. A form signed for your hunting partner does not cover you.

1
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 1533.17 – Hunting Without Permission
2
Farm Office. Ten Legal Tips for the Fall Hunting Season
3
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Permission to Enter Private Land for Recreational Activities
4
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Buy Hunting Licenses and Permits
5
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 1533.99 – Penalties
6
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2929.24 – Definite Jail Terms for Misdemeanors