Tennessee Lifetime Hunting License: Cost, Coverage, and How to Apply

Tennessee residents can buy a lifetime hunting license, officially the lifetime sportsman license, from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) for a one-time fee ranging from $320 to $1,976 depending on the buyer’s age at purchase. The license covers hunting, fishing, and trapping statewide for life, with no annual renewal, and it stays valid even if you later move out of state.¹

Who Qualifies

Only Tennessee residents can buy the license. You qualify as a resident if you hold a valid Tennessee driver’s license or, if you don’t drive, have lived in the state for at least 90 consecutive days with the genuine intent to make Tennessee your permanent home. Active-duty military stationed in Tennessee and full-time students who have attended a Tennessee institution for at least six months also count as residents for licensing.

Applicants without a Tennessee driver’s license must provide two alternative documents proving residency, such as a state ID, voter registration card, utility bill, or government correspondence showing a Tennessee address.² Non-residents cannot buy the license regardless of property ownership or taxes paid in Tennessee.

Cost by Age

The fee is set by the buyer’s age at purchase, so buying younger locks in a lower price and more years of coverage.

Under 3 years old: $320
Ages 3–6: $659
Ages 7–12: $988
Ages 13–50: $1,976
Ages 51–64: $1,153
Ages 65 and older: $329
Adopted child under 13: $320

The adopted-child rate of $320 applies whether the child is three, seven, or twelve, making it noticeably cheaper than the standard youth brackets.¹ The license is non-transferable and fees are non-refundable, so treat the purchase as final.

When It Pays For Itself

Tennessee’s annual sportsman license costs $165 for residents ages 16 through 64.¹ At the adult lifetime price of $1,976, you break even after about 12 years. Someone buying at 30 who hunts into their 60s comes out well ahead, and the math improves further if TWRA raises annual fees later, since the lifetime price is locked in at purchase.

What the License Covers

The lifetime sportsman license carries every privilege of the annual sportsman license: hunting, fishing, and trapping statewide across archery, muzzleloader, and firearm seasons without supplemental weapon-specific permits. Fishing privileges include all public waters, including trout streams that would otherwise require a separate trout stamp.¹

Tennessee also exempts lifetime holders from the state Migratory Bird (HIP) Permit, though TWRA still encourages getting it since it’s free for license holders and the data informs waterfowl seasons.

What It Doesn’t Cover

A lifetime license does not replace the Federal Duck Stamp. Any waterfowl hunter age 16 or older must carry a signed Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, which costs $25 and is valid July 1 through June 30. A physical stamp or the electronic version both work, but you must have it on you while hunting.³

The license also does not exempt anyone from hunter education. Anyone age 10 or older must hold a Hunter Education Certificate before hunting in Tennessee. Children ages six through nine can hunt without the certificate or a license under supervision. Youth ages 10 through 12 who haven’t finished hunter education can use an Apprentice Hunter Education Permit to hunt supervised while they work toward certification.⁴ Parents buying a lifetime license for an infant should note this: the license gives the legal privilege to hunt, but the child still owes the hunter education course at age 10.

How to Apply

Download the lifetime sportsman license application from the TWRA website, request one by calling the Nashville office at 615-781-6500 or any regional office, or pick one up at a certified license agent location.¹

Attach proof of Tennessee residency. For most applicants that means a copy of a valid Tennessee driver’s license; without one, provide two alternative residency documents. For a minor, the parent or legal guardian submits the application with the child’s birth certificate and the parent’s proof of residency. Applications under the adopted-child rate must include adoption documentation.⁵

Payment is due in full at the time of application. TWRA accepts checks or money orders made out to TWRA, and debit or credit cards using the fields on the form. Installment plans are not offered. Submit the completed application by mail to TWRA Sales Office, P.O. Box 41729, Nashville, TN 37204, by fax to 615-837-4262, or in person at a TWRA regional office. Expect confirmation within several weeks. A bounced check will get the application rejected and can trigger additional penalties.

After You Have the License

Every hunter in Tennessee, lifetime holders included, must check in harvested big game by midnight on the day of the kill. This applies to deer, turkey, and other big game. You can use the TWRA On The Go smartphone app, which works without cell service and uploads once you regain signal, or you can cut a temporary transportation tag from your license printout, attach it to the animal before moving it, and complete the check-in online at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com or at a physical check station before midnight. Big game must be checked in before you give it to another person or transport it out of state.⁶

If your license is lost or damaged, reprint it through GoOutdoorsTennessee.com. For a legal name change, bring supporting documents (marriage certificate, court order, or updated driver’s license) to a TWRA regional office; address changes need proof of your new residency. If you move out of state, the license stays valid; you’ll follow Tennessee regulations when you return but won’t need to buy anything new. The license cannot be transferred to another person under any circumstances.¹

1
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. License Structure and Fees
2
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. TWRA Miscellaneous License Application
3
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Buy a Duck Stamp or Electronic Duck Stamp (E-Stamp)
4
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Youth Hunting in Tennessee
5
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. TWRA Application for TN Resident Lifetime Sportsman License
6
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Tag Before You Drag, Game Check In Procedures