Michigan Disabled Hunting License: Permits and How To Apply

A Michigan disabled hunting license can mean several different things depending on your situation. Qualifying disabled veterans can get resident hunting and fishing licenses free of charge, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also issues special permits that let hunters with disabilities hunt from a stationary vehicle, from a wheelchair or power scooter, with a crossbow or modified bow, or under a mentor if a developmental disability prevents completing hunter safety. Which one fits you depends on whether your disability is service-connected, affects mobility, limits your use of standard archery equipment, or requires guardian-supported participation.

Free Licenses for Disabled Veterans

Under MCL 324.43537, a Michigan resident who qualifies as a disabled veteran can obtain any resident hunting or fishing license that does not require a lottery at no cost.¹ This is a full waiver, not a discount. It covers base licenses, deer licenses, turkey licenses, small game, and fishing licenses. Lottery tags, such as elk, are not included.

You qualify if you meet one of two definitions:

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has determined you are permanently and totally disabled as a result of military service and entitled to benefits at the 100% rate, for a disability other than blindness.
The VA has rated you individually unemployable due to service-connected disability.

You must be a Michigan resident, and the DNR can ask for proof of eligibility at any time. A VA letter confirming your rating satisfies that requirement, and you have to carry that proof with you while hunting or fishing and produce it if a conservation officer or peace officer asks.¹

Permit To Hunt From a Standing Vehicle

If a permanent disability keeps you from walking in a hunting situation, MCL 324.40114 authorizes the DNR to issue a permit to hunt from a stationary motor vehicle. The statute names paraplegics, amputees, and people permanently disabled by disease or injury. With the permit and the correct hunting license, you can take game, including deer of either sex, from or upon a stationary motor vehicle during the open season.²

The DNR’s medical certification form recognizes these qualifying conditions:

Amputation of a lower limb or lower body extremity needed for stable walking.
Spinal cord injury causing permanent non-ambulatory status.
Any condition requiring permanent use of a wheelchair or other mobility device.
Any other permanent disability, diagnosed by a licensed physician, that prevents walking, with an explanation of how.

Certification has to come from a licensed physician or a licensed physical or occupational therapist, who signs the DNR’s form attesting that you meet one of the qualifying conditions.³ The permit is not an exemption from other hunting rules. Seasons, bag limits, safety zones, and discharge restrictions still apply.

Hunting From a Wheelchair or Power Scooter

Holders of the standing vehicle permit get a second accommodation that’s easy to miss. Under MCL 324.40111, if you hold a valid standing vehicle permit and a valid base license, you may possess a loaded firearm on a personal assistive mobility device such as a wheelchair or battery-powered scooter and discharge it from the device, provided the device is not moving.⁴ Michigan defines a personal assistive mobility device broadly to include any device designed solely for use by someone with a mobility impairment, including battery-powered ones.

You may also transport or possess an uncased firearm with a loaded magazine on the device if the action is open. Without the standing vehicle permit, the ordinary rules on uncased firearms in vehicles and on motorized devices would keep you from doing this.⁴

Disability Bow Permit

If a physical disability keeps you from using standard archery equipment, the DNR can issue a disability bow permit allowing you to hunt with a crossbow or a modified bow during archery seasons, including the late Upper Peninsula archery season and the bear archery-only season. This permit targets upper-body limitations rather than the mobility limitations that drive the standing vehicle permit.

Certification is automatic if you have an amputation of a body extremity needed for stable use of conventional archery equipment, a spinal cord injury leaving you permanently non-ambulatory, or a permanent wheelchair restriction. Otherwise, a physician, physical therapist, or occupational therapist can certify you based on one of these functional tests:⁵

Inability to draw and hold 35 pounds of resistance for four seconds.
Failed grading of shoulder and elbow flexion and extension on a manual muscle test.
Impaired range of motion in the shoulder or elbow.

A physician can also recommend the permit for other temporary or permanent conditions, including neuromuscular disorders. Unlike the standing vehicle permit, this one can cover temporary disabilities. To apply, call the DNR at 517-284-6057 or download the application from the DNR accessibility page.⁵

Modified Bow Permit for One-Arm Use

MCL 324.40114 also authorizes a separate permit for hunters who are permanently disabled, have full use of only one arm, and cannot hold, aim, and shoot a standard bow. With this permit you can hunt with a bow modified for one-arm operation during the open season for any game your license covers. The DNR investigates the applicant’s ability before issuing it, so expect a functional assessment as part of the process.²

Mentored License for Adults With Developmental Disabilities

Michigan’s mentored hunting program isn’t limited to children. Under MCL 324.43520, the DNR can issue a hunting license to an adult with a developmental disability who has a court-appointed guardian and is unable to obtain hunter safety certification.⁶ MCL 324.43517 sets the terms for the hunt itself: the mentor must be at least 21, hold a valid hunting license (not an apprentice license), and accompany the hunter at all times.⁷ All other hunting laws still apply during mentored hunts.

How To Apply

The application route depends on which accommodation you need.

Disabled Veteran Free License

Purchase any resident license through the DNR’s online system, at a retail license agent, or at a DNR office. Bring VA documentation showing your 100% disability rating or individually unemployable status, and carry that documentation with you when you hunt or fish.

Standing Vehicle Permit

Complete the DNR’s Medical Certification form (PR9409). You fill in your personal information; a licensed physician or licensed physical or occupational therapist fills in and signs the medical section confirming your qualifying condition.³ Submit the completed form to the DNR for review.

Disability Bow Permit

Call the DNR at 517-284-6057 or download the application from the DNR accessibility page. A physician, physical therapist, or occupational therapist certifies the condition.⁵

Mentored Hunting License

The guardian applies through the standard license process. The hunter must follow all requirements of the mentored hunting program established by the Natural Resources Commission.⁶

What Still Applies When You Hunt

Every disability permit carries the same baseline: you have to comply with all other hunting laws and rules.² The standing vehicle permit lets you hunt from a stationary vehicle; it does not override safety zones, discharge restrictions, trespassing laws, or season boundaries. The disability bow permit and mentored license work the same way.

Neither the standing vehicle permit nor the disability bow permit replaces a hunting license. You still need the appropriate base license and any species-specific license for whatever game you are after.²

Michigan requires every hunter to carry their license and show it on demand to a conservation officer, law enforcement officer, or the landowner. Since March 2018, an electronic copy satisfies that requirement.⁸ Carry your standing vehicle permit or bow permit alongside the license, and, if you’re using the disabled veteran waiver, carry your VA proof too.

Hunting without a proper license is a misdemeanor under MCL 324.43560, punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a fine of $25 to $250 plus costs, or both. Failing to display a license on request is a civil infraction with a fine of up to $150.⁹ Misrepresenting a disability to get a free license or special permit puts your license at risk of revocation on top of criminal exposure.

Out-of-State Hunters and Federal Land

Michigan does not offer free or discounted licenses to non-resident disabled veterans; non-residents pay the standard non-resident rates. Michigan’s disability permits are not automatically recognized in other states, and other states’ disability certifications do not automatically qualify you for a Michigan permit. If you plan to hunt outside Michigan, check that state’s DNR for its own program.

On federal land in Michigan, the free lifetime America the Beautiful Access Pass waives entrance fees and gives 50% off some amenity fees for U.S. citizens and permanent residents with a permanent disability, but it does not cover state hunting license fees.¹⁰ You still need the Michigan licenses and any disability permits described above.

1
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.43537 – Restricted or Senior All-Species Fishing License; Disabled Veteran
2
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.40114 – Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Excerpt)
3
State of Michigan / Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Medical Certification Hunt From Standing Vehicle Application for Persons With a Permanent Disability
4
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.40111 – Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Excerpt)
5
State of Michigan. Bow Permits for Hunters With Disabilities
6
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.43520 – Hunting License; Issuance to Minor Child
7
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.43517 – Hunting by Minor Child or Adult Who Has a Developmental Disability; Order Establishing Mentored Hunting Program
8
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.43516 – Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Excerpt)
9
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.43560 – Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Excerpt)
10
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Federal Recreation Passes