To hunt legally in Nevada you need a hunting license issued by the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), and the Nevada hunting license requirements turn on three things: your age, whether you qualify as a resident, and whether you have completed hunter education. A resident adult hunting license costs $38. Nonresidents cannot buy a hunting-only license at all and must purchase a $155 combination hunting and fishing license. Big game hunting adds a separate tag drawn by lottery, and waterfowl hunting adds federal credentials on top of the state license.
Who Needs a License and at What Age
Resident children under 12 can hunt small game without a license. Big game is off limits to anyone under 12 unless they participate in a youth program established under state law.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 502.010 – License or Permit Required for Hunting or Fishing; Exceptions; Limitations on Hunting by Minors From age 12 up, a license is required, and hunters between 12 and 17 need a parent or legal guardian to sign the application.
There is one path onto the field without hunter education: the apprentice hunting license. It costs $15, is available only to someone who has never held a hunting license in any state, and requires direct supervision by a licensed mentor who is at least 18. The mentor must stay within close visual and verbal contact and be able to take control of the apprentice’s firearm at any moment.2Nevada Public Law. NRS 502.066 – Issuance of Apprentice Hunting License Apprentices cannot draw tags, so big game is excluded, and you can only hold an apprentice license once in your lifetime.
Hunter Education
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1960, must show proof of completing a hunter education course before NDOW will sell them a license. The course covers firearm safety, hunting laws, survival skills, wildlife identification, and ethical shot placement. Certificates from any other U.S. state or Canadian province are accepted as long as you can produce the original card showing your education number and the issuing state’s logo or seal. A previous hunting license showing a hunter education number also works.3Nevada Department of Wildlife. Hunter Education
If you completed the course elsewhere and no longer have your card, contact that state’s wildlife agency for a duplicate before trying to buy a Nevada license. Without documentation, NDOW will not issue one.
Resident or Nonresident
Nevada charges residents far less and allocates them a larger share of tags, so the state defines residency carefully. To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen or lawfully present, and during the six months before applying you must have maintained your principal and permanent home in Nevada, been physically present except for temporary trips, and not purchased or applied for a hunting license based on residency in another state.4Nevada Legislature. NRS Chapter 502 – Licenses, Tags and Permits Owning property in Nevada does not count on its own.
Full-time students at a Nevada college or university who have been physically present for at least six months qualify as residents even if their permanent home is elsewhere.4Nevada Legislature. NRS Chapter 502 – Licenses, Tags and Permits Active-duty military stationed in Nevada can buy a $15 serviceman specialty combination license regardless of how long they have been in the state.5Nevada Department of Wildlife. Apply and Buy Hunting
First-time applicants need government-issued identification. Returning hunters can use their NDOW customer identification number. Nevada also belongs to the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, so a hunting license suspension in another member state can block you from getting a Nevada license.6CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts. Wildlife Violator Compact
License Types and Fees
Nevada leans heavily on combination licenses that bundle hunting and fishing, especially for nonresidents. The current prices from the NDOW fee schedule:5Nevada Department of Wildlife. Apply and Buy Hunting
- Resident adult hunting (18+): $38
- Resident adult combination hunting and fishing (18+): $75
- Youth combination (ages 12–17, resident or nonresident): $15
- Nonresident adult combination (18+): $155
- Nonresident one-day combination, upland game and waterfowl plus fishing, consecutive days only: $23
- Apprentice hunting, any residency, ages 12+, sold at NDOW offices only: $15
There is no standalone nonresident hunting-only license. Nonresidents who want to hunt must take the $155 combination license or the $23 one-day permit.
Specialty Licenses at $15
Several groups qualify for a $15 specialty combination license covering a full year of hunting and fishing, with documentation required:
- Senior residents age 65 or older with at least six months of Nevada residency
- Disabled veterans (requires a veteran disability license application)
- Severely disabled residents (requires proof of qualifying disability)
- Active-duty military with current service orders
- Native American residents at $10, the one specialty license priced differently
Applications are available on the NDOW website or at NDOW offices.7Nevada Department of Wildlife. Special Licenses and Permits The statutory fee schedule sets these prices in NRS 502.240.8Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 502.240 – Fees for Licenses and Permits
Tags for Big Game
A hunting license alone covers general hunting privileges. Most big game species require a separate tag, allocated through a lottery draw. You apply during a designated window, pay an application fee, and wait for results. Nonresidents pay more and receive a smaller share of tags.
Sample tag fees:5Nevada Department of Wildlife. Apply and Buy Hunting
- Mule deer: $30 resident, $240 nonresident
- Desert bighorn sheep: $120 resident, $1,200 nonresident
Tags are also available outside the draw through landowner damage compensation tags ($50 for mule deer and antelope regardless of residency), first-come-first-served offerings, and auctions or raffles run by nonprofit conservation organizations.5Nevada Department of Wildlife. Apply and Buy Hunting
Bonus Points
If you apply and don’t draw, your unsuccessful application converts into a bonus point for that species category, as long as you have an active hunting or combination license on file at draw time. Points are species-specific and often broken down by class; elk, for example, has separate tracks for antlered, antlerless, and spike. More points mean more random draw numbers in the next lottery. Skip two consecutive years of applying for a species and you lose all accumulated points for that category.9Nevada Department of Wildlife. How Do Bonus Points Work in Nevada
Harvest Reporting
Every tag holder must file a harvest questionnaire by January 31 following the season, whether the tag was filled or not. Late-season hunts ending in February have until the end of that month, and turkey hunts follow their own deadlines. Reports go in online at ndowlicensing.com or through the NDOW app.
Miss the deadline and you are suspended from applying for that species the following year. You can lift the suspension by completing the questionnaire and paying a $50 penalty before the next application period closes. Miss that window too and you are locked out for the full year.10Nevada Department of Wildlife. What Is a Harvest Questionnaire
Waterfowl and Migratory Birds
Hunting waterfowl and other migratory birds in Nevada requires three things in addition to your state hunting license: a Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, a Federal Duck Stamp, and compliance with federal bag limits and season dates.
You get a HIP number during the license purchase process at ndowlicensing.com by answering a short survey about your previous year’s migratory bird hunting. Even lifetime license holders must renew HIP registration every year, and you need separate HIP certification for every state where you hunt migratory birds.5Nevada Department of Wildlife. Apply and Buy Hunting
The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, usually called the duck stamp, costs $25 and runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. You can buy an electronic version through ndowlicensing.com or directly from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.11Ducks Unlimited. Ducks Unlimited and Partners Celebrate 2025-2026 Federal Duck Stamp First Day of Sale
Hunting on Public Land
Most Nevada hunting happens on federal public land, and in general no separate federal hunting permit is needed. Bureau of Land Management lands are open to hunting under state licensing and tags.12Bureau of Land Management. Nevada Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting National forests follow the same principle.13U.S. Forest Service. Hunting Specific areas may still be closed or have vehicle restrictions, so check with the local BLM field office or Forest Service ranger district before your hunt.
Penalties for Hunting Without the Right Paperwork
Nevada treats big game violations as serious crimes. Killing a big game animal outside the legal season, without a valid tag, using someone else’s tag, hunting outside your designated unit, or using an aircraft to locate game can all be prosecuted as a felony. Knowingly possessing an unlawfully killed big game animal is a gross misdemeanor.14eRegulations. Nevada Hunting Demerits and Penalties
Civil penalties stack on top of criminal charges. Unlawfully killing or possessing a trophy big game mammal carries civil penalties of $5,000 to $30,000; non-trophy big game, bobcat, swan, or eagle runs $250 to $5,000.15Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 501.3855 – Civil Penalties Nevada law also authorizes forfeiture of firearms, ammunition, vehicles, aircraft, and any equipment used to facilitate the unlawful killing or possession of big game.16Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 501.3857 – Forfeitures
Serious violations lead to license suspension or permanent revocation, and through the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, a Nevada revocation blocks you in other member states and vice versa.6CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts. Wildlife Violator Compact Providing false information to obtain a tag is a gross misdemeanor on its own; if you harvest an animal with that fraudulent tag, the charge escalates to a felony.