How to Get a Hunting License in Alabama: Fees and Permits

To get a hunting license in Alabama, residents and non-residents 16 and older apply through the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), and most first-time buyers born on or after August 1, 1977 must finish a hunter education course first.¹ A resident all-game license costs $34.35 for the 2026 license year; non-residents pay $399.50 for the same annual privileges.² You can buy online, by phone, or at an authorized agent, and depending on what you hunt and where, you may need add-on permits on top of the basic license.

Do You Actually Need a License?

Anyone 16 or older who hunts in Alabama needs a valid hunting license.³ Several groups are exempt from the base license, though:

Children under 16 do not purchase a license, but must be accompanied by a licensed adult in most situations.³
Residents 65 and older are exempt from the hunting license, freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses, state duck stamps, and WMA licenses. Proof of Alabama residency and age, such as a driver’s license, is enough.⁴
Resident landowners and their resident family members hunting only on their own land do not need a license.⁴
Active-duty service members stationed in Alabama for 30 days or more qualify for resident pricing. Alabama residents home on military leave are fully exempt from the hunting license, though they still need any required permits and tags.⁵

One boundary to the exemptions: the baiting privilege license and the nighttime feral swine and coyote license have no exemptions at all. Seniors, landowners, and everyone else must still buy those if the activity applies.⁴

Hunter Education

If you were born on or after August 1, 1977, you must complete an approved hunter education course before you can buy a license.¹ The course covers firearm safety, wildlife identification, conservation, and survival. ADCNR offers both a self-paced online version and a traditional classroom option. Once you pass, you receive a permanent certification number that stays attached to your profile for life.

You can start as early as age 10, but the requirement itself does not kick in until you turn 16.¹ Hunters born before August 1, 1977 are grandfathered in.

The Apprentice Option

Alabama’s Wildlife Heritage Act of 2007 lets you buy a license under a “supervision required” status before finishing hunter education. You can hunt as long as you stay within 30 feet of a properly licensed hunter who is at least 21 years old and does not themselves hold a “supervision required” license.¹ It is a way to try the sport, not a permanent substitute. To hunt independently, you still have to complete the course.

Penalties for Hunting Without a License

Hunting without a required license is a Class C misdemeanor. Residents face fines of $75 to $250 per offense. Non-residents face a minimum fine of three times the cost of the annual non-resident license they should have bought, which works out to at least $1,198.50 for all-game.⁶

What to Gather Before You Apply

Have the following in front of you:

Alabama driver’s license or state ID for identity and residency. Residency requires at least 90 continuous days of living in Alabama before applying.⁷
Your Social Security Number. Federal law requires every state to collect SSNs on recreational license applications for child support enforcement. Alabama keeps the number on file rather than printing it on the license.⁸
Your Hunter Education Certificate number, if the requirement applies to you. Without it, your license will issue with “supervision required” status.
Payment. Credit card, debit card, or cash depending on where you buy.

Check that your address on file matches your current residence before you check out. A mismatch can throw off your residency status and fee bracket.

Where to Buy

Online

The fastest option for most people is the ADCNR portal at OutdoorAlabama.com. Pick your license types, enter your information, pay with a card, and download a PDF of your license right away.⁹ You can also call 1-888-848-6887, though a phone convenience fee applies.

In Person

Authorized license agents include most sporting goods stores and bait-and-tackle shops, county probate offices, license commissioner offices, and ADCNR district offices.⁹ They use the same centralized system as the website and can issue your license on the spot.

The Outdoor Alabama App

The Outdoor Alabama mobile app displays your license digitally and handles WMA check-ins and Game Check harvest reporting in one place.¹⁰ Carrying a printed backup is a practical precaution, since phone batteries and cell service both fail in the field.

Resident Fees for 2026

Alabama’s license year runs September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026, and every recreational license expires on August 31. Fees for residents:²

All-Game Hunting: $34.35. Covers deer, turkey, and all other game species.
Small Game: $22.75. Covers birds, squirrels, rabbits, and similar species, but not deer or turkey.
Wildlife Management Area License: $22.75.
Wildlife Heritage License: $13.95.
State Duck Stamp: $12.10.
Baiting Privilege: $18.45.
Nighttime Feral Swine and Coyote License: $18.00.

Non-Resident Fees for 2026

Non-residents pay more, but trip-length options can save money for a short visit:¹¹

All-Game Annual: $399.50
All-Game 10-Day Trip: $246.60
All-Game 3-Day Trip: $173.90
Small Game Annual: $130.25
Small Game 10-Day Trip: $79.35
Small Game 3-Day Trip: $57.40

Non-residents hunting deer or feral swine over bait on private or leased land also need the baiting privilege license at $55.70.¹²

Lifetime Resident Licenses

A lifetime resident license eliminates annual renewals, and the price depends on age at purchase, so buying one for a child locks in the lowest rate. 2026 fees:¹³

Under 2 years old: $437.35
Ages 2 through 11: $582.95
Ages 12 through 49: $728.30
50 and older: $437.35

Residents 65 and older can also buy an optional senior lifetime hunting license for $35.00, which carries proof of exempt status without the need to show a driver’s license every time.²

Add-On Permits Most Hunters Miss

The base hunting license is not always enough. Depending on what you hunt and where, add these:

Wildlife Management Areas

Hunting on a public WMA requires a WMA license ($22.75 for residents) in addition to your hunting license.² You also need a WMA Area Permit and a daily check-in permit each time you hunt, available through the Outdoor Alabama app or in paper form.¹⁴ Hunting over bait is prohibited on all WMAs regardless of whether you hold a baiting privilege license.¹²

Migratory Birds and Waterfowl

Every migratory bird hunter must register with the Harvest Information Program (HIP), a joint effort of state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that tracks harvest data. Registration is free. You identify as a migratory bird hunter when buying your license, answer a few questions about the previous season, and receive HIP certification you carry while hunting. Hunters under 16 and those 65 or older are not required to register for HIP in Alabama.¹⁵

Waterfowl hunters need both an Alabama state duck stamp ($12.10) and the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp.² The federal stamp is required for all waterfowl hunters 16 and older, and you must carry a signed physical stamp or a valid E-Stamp while hunting. A store receipt does not count.¹⁶

Baiting on Private Land

Hunting white-tailed deer or feral swine over bait on private or leased land requires the baiting privilege license. Every hunter needs it, with no age or landowner exemptions.¹² It costs $18.45 for residents and $55.70 for non-residents.

After You Buy: Harvest Reporting Is Mandatory

Alabama requires every hunter to report all deer and turkey harvests through the Game Check system. Before you move or field-dress a deer or turkey, record the harvest on a physical harvest record form or through the Outdoor Alabama app.¹⁷ You then have 48 hours from the time of harvest to report it and get a confirmation number, either through the app, online at OutdoorAlabama.com/Gamecheck, or by phone at 1-800-888-7690.¹⁸

If you take the animal to a processor or taxidermist, or hand it to another person, the recipient must have written documentation that includes your full name, conservation ID number, the Game Check confirmation number, and the date of harvest.¹⁹ Skipping that step is one of the quickest ways to turn a lawful hunt into a citation.

1
Outdoor Alabama. Hunter Safety Education
2
Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Resident
3
Outdoor Alabama. Youth Hunting
4
Outdoor Alabama. License FAQs
5
Outdoor Alabama. Military License Information
6
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 9 – Section 9-11-51
7
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 9-11-44 – Resident License – Hunting
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 666 – Requirement of Statutorily Prescribed Procedures to Improve Effectiveness of Child Support Enforcement
9
Outdoor Alabama. License Information
10
Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. Hunting & Fishing Licenses
11
Outdoor Alabama. Hunting Recreational Licenses – Non-Resident
12
Outdoor Alabama. Bait Privilege License
13
Outdoor Alabama. Lifetime Resident Hunting License
14
Outdoor Alabama. Wildlife Management Areas
15
Outdoor Alabama. What is HIP?
16
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp (E-Stamp)
17
Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 220-2-.146 – Game Check System
18
Outdoor Alabama. Outdoor Alabama Mobile App Updated for Game Check
19
Outdoor Alabama. Deer/Turkey Transfer of Possession Requirement