Non-Resident Arkansas Duck Hunting License: Fees and WMA Permits

To hunt ducks in Arkansas as a non-resident, you need four credentials at minimum: a non-resident small game hunting license, the Arkansas Waterfowl Stamp, a Federal Duck Stamp, and a free Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration. If you plan to hunt public Wildlife Management Areas, add a free WMA General Use Permit and a paid Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit. Everything on the state side can be bought in a single checkout through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) online portal, and your privileges are active the moment payment clears.¹

The Four Credentials Every Non-Resident Needs

Arkansas does not bundle waterfowl into one license. Each item below covers a separate legal requirement, and missing one makes the hunt illegal.

State hunting license. You have two sensible options. The Nonresident Annual Small Game Hunting License (code NRH) is $110 and runs through June 30. The Nonresident 5-Day Small Game Hunting License (code SG5) is $80 and covers five consecutive days from the date you pick at purchase. Both cover ducks. A Nonresident Annual All Game license (NBG) exists at $410, but it mainly adds deer and is unnecessary for a waterfowl-only trip.²

Arkansas Nonresident Waterfowl Stamp (DSN). $50, valid through June 30, required for any waterfowl hunting in the state. A physical stamp is mailed for collectors, but the code on your license is your proof in the field.¹

Federal Duck Stamp. $25, required nationwide for anyone 16 or older hunting migratory waterfowl. You can buy a physical stamp (which you must sign across the face) or an electronic version. Under the Duck Stamp Modernization Act, the e-stamp is your legal proof of purchase through June 30 of the following year, so you don’t have to wait for the paper stamp to arrive before hunting.³⁴

HIP registration. Free, done through the AGFC website, the AGFC app, or at a regional office. You must carry proof of registration while hunting ducks, geese, doves, coots, woodcock, snipe, rails, and gallinules.⁵

Hunting Public Land: The WMA Permits

Most non-residents come to Arkansas for the flooded timber on public Wildlife Management Areas, which means two extra permits on top of the four above.

First, every hunter needs the free WMA General Use Permit. Second, non-residents specifically must buy a Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit. Two versions are sold: a 3-day permit (NW3) at $40, covering three consecutive days, or a 30-day permit (NW30) at $200, introduced in late 2023 for hunters spending more time in the state. You can buy up to ten 3-day permits per season. All WMA waterfowl permits are non-refundable and non-transferable to other people or dates.⁶⁷

Hunting a WMA without the correct permit is a Class 2 violation, carrying a fine of $250 to $2,500 and up to 60 days in jail.⁸

What the Trip Actually Costs

A short public-land trip runs at least $195: the 5-day license ($80), the state waterfowl stamp ($50), the Federal Duck Stamp ($25), and one 3-day WMA permit ($40). A full-season public-land hunter using the annual license and the 30-day WMA permit pays $385 before any processing fees.

How to Buy It All

The AGFC online licensing portal is the fastest route. Create a customer account, add each item to your cart, and check out. Your privileges are active immediately, and you can store the credentials on your phone or print them. Licenses are also sold by phone at 833-345-0325, at AGFC regional offices, and at authorized retail vendors. The Federal Duck Stamp can be purchased through the AGFC checkout as an e-stamp, or separately at a U.S. Post Office or through the USPS online store.¹⁵

Have this ready before you start. The system will not let you proceed without it:

Full legal name
Current mailing address
Date of birth
Social Security Number
Basic demographic information (gender, height, eye color, race)
Hunter education certification number, if applicable

A driver’s license number is optional but speeds things up.⁹

Hunter Education

Anyone born after 1968 must carry a valid hunter education certificate while hunting in Arkansas. The state accepts certificates from other states and Canadian provinces, so most non-residents just bring the card they already have.¹⁰

If you are 16 or older, born after 1968, and have never completed a hunter education course, you can request a free Deferred Hunter Education Code (DHE) instead. The DHE lets you hunt legally, but only while in the immediate presence of an adult at least 21 years old who either holds a hunter education certification or was born before 1969.¹¹

Shot and Shotgun Rules

Two federal equipment rules catch first-time waterfowl hunters more than anything else.

Lead shot has been banned for all waterfowl hunting nationwide since 1991. You must use approved non-toxic shot such as steel, bismuth, or tungsten-based loads, each of which must contain less than 1 percent residual lead.¹² If you are borrowing ammunition or bringing shells left over from upland season, check every box before heading to the blind.

Your shotgun must also be plugged so it cannot hold more than three shells total. The plug must be a one-piece filler that cannot be removed without disassembling the gun.¹³ Game wardens check it regularly.

Season Dates and Bag Limits

Arkansas splits its regular duck season into three segments timed around migration. For the 2025–2026 season, those segments are:

November 22 to December 1, 2025
December 10 to 23, 2025
December 27, 2025 to January 31, 2026

These dates change every year under federal frameworks, so confirm the current schedule on the AGFC waterfowl page before your trip.¹⁴

The daily bag limit is six ducks, with species sub-limits inside that six: no more than four mallards (only two of which can be hens), three wood ducks, three pintails, two redheads, two canvasbacks, two black ducks, one mottled duck, and one scaup. Species not on that restricted list, including teal, can be taken up to the full six-bird limit. Possession is three times the daily bag, or 18 ducks.¹⁴

Shooting Hours

On most WMAs, shooting runs from 30 minutes before sunrise to noon during regular duck season. Some WMAs have different rules in the annual guidebook entry for the specific area, so check it. On private land, shooting hours follow the statewide framework of 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.¹⁴

Transporting Your Birds

Federal law requires that the head or one fully feathered wing stays attached to each duck while you transport it from the field to your home or a processing facility. The rule lets enforcement officers identify species and sex on sight, which matters given the sub-limits above. Doves and band-tailed pigeons are exempt; ducks are not.¹⁵ Don’t breast out your birds in the field. Wait until you get home or to a processor.

Hunters Under 16

Non-residents under 16 do not need a state hunting license, state waterfowl stamp, Federal Duck Stamp, or HIP registration to hunt ducks in Arkansas. Youth hunters who have not completed hunter education must hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed adult at least 21 years old.¹⁶¹⁰

Penalties

Most waterfowl offenses in Arkansas (hunting a WMA without the proper permit, exceeding a bag limit, shooting outside legal hours) are Class 2 violations. A conviction brings a fine of $250 to $2,500, up to 60 days in jail, and possible suspension or revocation of hunting privileges in the state.⁸

Federal penalties stack on top. Violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $15,000, up to six months in jail, or both. Knowingly taking a migratory bird with intent to sell it is a felony carrying up to two years in prison. In either case, the government can seize firearms, decoys, boats, and other equipment used in the violation.¹⁷

1
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Hunting License Descriptions and Fees
2
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. D1.01 – Licenses, Permits, Stamps, Tags, Costs, and Expiration Dates
3
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp (E-Stamp)
4
Congress.gov. S.788 – Duck Stamp Modernization Act of 2023
5
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Register With HIP Before Waterfowl Hunting
6
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. New 30-Day Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Permit Available for Nonresidents
7
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. 24.09 – Nonresident Waterfowl Hunting Permit Requirements on WMAs
8
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. 01.00-I – Penalties Upon Conviction
9
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Licensing Frequently Asked Questions
10
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. 03.16 – Hunter Education Certificate Requirements
11
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Hunter Education
12
eCFR. 50 CFR 20.21 – What Hunting Methods Are Illegal
13
eCFR. 50 CFR Part 20 – Migratory Bird Hunting
14
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules and Regulations
15
eCFR. 50 CFR 20.43 – Species Identification Requirement
16
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. 03.04 – Nonresident Hunting License Requirements
17
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 707 – Violations and Penalties