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Georgia Hunting License Guide
All 53 license, pass and stamp rows WRD lists for 2026-27, resident and nonresident prices side by side, the free Harvest Record, the migratory bird license, lifetime and honorary licenses, hunter education and the Apprentice license.
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Which Georgia license fits your hunt
Georgia licenses run 365 days from the day of purchase, not on a fixed calendar. The Harvest Record and the migratory bird license are the exceptions and run March through February.
Resident deer or turkey hunter, 16 to 64
Hunting license $15.00 plus big game license $25.00, $40.00 before the transaction fee. The $65.00 Sportsman’s license bundles both with fishing and trout. Add the free Harvest Record.
Nonresident deer or turkey hunter
Nonresident hunting license $100.00 plus big game $225.00, $325.00 for a year. One-day versions run $20.00 and $130.00, with cheaper extra days.
Duck, goose or dove hunter
A hunting license, the GA Waterfowl and Migratory Bird License at $5.00, and for ducks and geese at 16 or older the federal duck stamp, listed at $29.00.
Resident under 16
Need only a Harvest Record for alligator, bear, deer and turkey; no hunting, big game or migratory bird license required.
Never took hunter education
The Apprentice Hunting and Fishing License, $5.00 a day for residents, lets a newcomer hunt before taking the course. Deer, turkey or bear still need the big game license.
Walking a WMA without a license
Visitors 16 and older need the Georgia Lands Pass: $30.00 resident, $60.00 nonresident. The separate WMA license was discontinued in 2017.
Sources: licenses, permits and passes; license requirements; land access, verified October 13, 2026.
Every Georgia license price, resident and nonresident
53 rows in 6 groups, as printed for 2026-27. Prices are before the transaction fee of $3 online and at retail outlets; $5 by telephone.
Hunting, big game, combo and Sportsman’s licenses
| License, pass or stamp | Term | Resident | Nonresident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combo Hunting & Fishing License | Annual (365 days) | $30.00 | $150.00 | |
| Combo Hunting & Fishing License, one-day | One day (+$1.00 per additional day, up to 11 consecutive days) | $5.00 | $30.00 | Resident one-day hunting is sold as this combo. |
| Apprentice Hunting & Fishing License | One day (+$1.00 per additional day, up to 11 days) | $5.00 | $30.00 | For hunters 16+ who have not completed hunter education; includes saltwater and general freshwater fishing and WMA/PFA access. Big game license still needed for deer, turkey or bear. No hunter education required. |
| Hunting License | Annual (365 days) | $15.00 | $100.00 | Residents 16-64. All nonresidents (nonresidents under 16 hunting small game exempt). |
| Hunting License, one-day | One day (+$6.00 per additional day) | – | $20.00 | Resident one-day: see combo. |
| Big Game License | Annual (365 days) | $25.00 | $225.00 | Required in addition to a hunting license for deer, bear and turkey; not required on own/immediate-family land, for anyone under 16, or for Honorary, Sportsman's or Lifetime Sportsman's holders. Nonresidents 16+ hunting big game. |
| Big Game License, one-day | One day (+$2.00 per additional day) | $10.00 | $130.00 | |
| Sportsman's License | Annual (365 days) | $65.00 | $400.00 | Residents 16-64. Includes hunting, big game, fishing and trout; migratory bird license free; duck stamp and harvest record still required. |
| Sportsman's License, one-day | One day (+$3.00 per additional day) | $25.00 | $170.00 |
Harvest Record, migratory bird license and stamps
| License, pass or stamp | Term | Resident | Nonresident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Record (alligator, bear, deer, turkey) | Annual (March-February) | Free | Free | Required for anyone hunting alligator, bear, deer or turkey regardless of age or license; available from March 1 for the upcoming season. All nonresident big game hunters must obtain one. |
| GA Waterfowl and Migratory Bird License | Annual (March-February) | $5.00 | $5.00 | Required for anyone 16+ (who needs a hunting license) hunting doves, ducks, geese, woodcock, snipe, coots, rails or gallinules. Free for resident landowners hunting their own land and for Sportsman's, Youth Sportsman's, Disability Sportsman's, Disability Hunting, Honorary and Lifetime Sportsman's holders. |
| Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) | Valid from purchase through June 30 | $29.00 | $29.00 | Required for waterfowl hunters 16+, including resident landowners and family. E-stamp via GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com; physical stamp mailed after March 10. Price per WRD 2024 license changes page (effective Aug. 1, 2024); the 2026-27 guide does not print a price. |
| Saltwater Information Permit (SIP) | Annual | Free | Free | Fishing only; listed for completeness of Sportsman's privileges. |
Youth, senior, disability and veteran licenses
| License, pass or stamp | Term | Resident | Nonresident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disability Hunting License | Annual | $3.00 | – | Permanently and totally disabled Georgia residents (certified by VA, SSA, Medicaid, Medicare or Railroad Retirement); paper application only. |
| Disability Hunting License, three-year | Three years | $9.00 | – | |
| Optional Youth Sportsman's License | Multi-year, valid until 17th birthday | $15.00 | – | Resident youth 15 and under; all hunting and fishing privileges incl. big game and trout. Hunter education required at 16. |
| Nonresident Youth Sportsman's License | Annual | – | $50.00 | Nonresident youth 15 and under; all hunting and fishing incl. big game and trout, except the alligator harvest permit. |
| Senior Sportsman's License (65+) | Annual | $7.00 | – | Residents 65+ born on or after July 1, 1952. |
| One-Time Honorary Veteran's License | One year (one time only) | Free | – | Georgia resident veterans with 90+ consecutive days active duty, honorably discharged on or after July 1, 2005; DD-214 and DNR application. |
| Disability Sportsman's License | Annual | $5.00 | – | |
| Disability Sportsman's License, three-year | Three years | $15.00 | – |
Lifetime licenses
| License, pass or stamp | Term | Resident | Nonresident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infant Lifetime Sportsman's License (under 2) | Lifetime | $500.00 | $500.00 | Lifetime licenses include hunting, big game, WMA access, fishing, trout, migratory bird and alligator permit if drawn; harvest record, migratory bird license and SIP still obtained free annually; federal duck stamp extra. |
| Youth Lifetime Sportsman's License (2-15) | Lifetime | $600.00 | – | |
| Adult Lifetime Sportsman's License (16-49) | Lifetime | $750.00 | – | |
| Older Adult Lifetime Sportsman's License (50-59) | Lifetime | $375.00 | – | |
| Senior Discount Lifetime Sportsman's License (60-64) | Lifetime | $315.00 | – | |
| Senior Lifetime Sportsman's License (65+) | Lifetime | $70.00 | – | Born July 1, 1952 or later. |
| Senior Lifetime Hunting License (65+) | Lifetime | $35.00 | – | |
| Free Senior Lifetime Sportsman's License | Lifetime | Free | – | Residents born on or before June 30, 1952; optional plastic card $10. |
| Military and Veterans Lifetime Sportsman's License | Lifetime | $600.00 | – | WRD lifetime page: ages 18-49, active military (CAC or LES) or honorably discharged veterans with 90 days federal active duty (DD-214). |
| Non-resident Grandchild Lifetime Sportsman's License (2-15) | Lifetime | – | $1,500.00 | Grandchild of a resident paid Lifetime License holder (free Senior Lifetime does not qualify). |
Alligator, trapping and shooting preserve
| License, pass or stamp | Term | Resident | Nonresident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quota Alligator Harvest Permit | Seasonal | $75.00 | $250.00 | Only for hunters selected in the alligator quota draw. Free for Lifetime Sportsman's, Disability Sportsman's, Disability Hunting, Honorary and resident Optional Youth Sportsman's holders selected. Not included in Nonresident Youth Sportsman's. |
| Trapping License | Seasonal | $40.00 | $325.00 | Requires a forfeiture bond (see application at GoHuntGeorgia.com). |
| Shooting Preserve License | Two-year | $12.00 | $12.00 | Covers pen-raised game birds and fishing within licensed shooting preserves; not needed by holders of an active Georgia hunting license. |
| Shooting Preserve Lifetime License | Lifetime | $75.00 | $75.00 |
Land access and the license card
| License, pass or stamp | Term | Resident | Nonresident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Lands Pass | Annual | $30.00 | $60.00 | For persons 16+ entering a WMA or PFA without a Georgia hunting or fishing license that allows state-land use (exclusions apply; see georgiawildlife.com/LandAccess). |
| Durable license hard card (optional) | – | $5.00 | $5.00 | Plus transaction fee; WRD 2022 change note lists the hard card at $6.00 (flagged). Lifetime license card $10.00. |
A dash means that version is not sold. The duck stamp price comes from a 2024 WRD page, and the hard card is listed at $5 in the guide and $6 in an older WRD note. Sources: eRegulations license table; licensing help; license changes, verified October 13, 2026.
Free and add-on items most Georgia hunters forget
The Harvest Record costs nothing but is required at every age for deer, turkey, bear and alligator. Waterfowl and dove hunters need their own state license on top of the hunting license.
Harvest Record and Georgia Game Check
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Who needs it | Required for anyone hunting alligator, bear, deer or turkey regardless of age or license; available from March 1 for the upcoming season. |
| How to report | Harvest Record required (free, any age); record date and county before moving the animal; report via Georgia Game Check within 24 hours (app, GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, 1-800-366-2661) and write the confirmation number on paper records. |
| Bear tagging by zone | Northern Zone: hide and skull to a Game Management office (except Fitzgerald) or approved cooperator within 3 business days (or WMA check station 8 a.m.-8 p.m.); Central Zone: Oaky Woods WMA check station noon-9 p.m. hunt day; Southern Zone: within 24 hours at Fargo or Folkston GFC offices or Dixon Memorial WMA (Sept. 24-26). Bonus-hunt bears go to the check station the day of kill. |
| Alligator tag | CITES tag mailed with permit; lock through the skin within 6 in. of the tail tip; stays on until hide is tanned, mounted or exported. Report via Game Check within 24 hours. |
| WMA bonus deer | Not recorded on Harvest Record or Game Check; checked at the area check station the day of kill. |
GA Waterfowl and Migratory Bird License
Required for anyone 16+ (who needs a hunting license) hunting doves, ducks, geese, woodcock, snipe, coots, rails or gallinules. Free for resident landowners hunting their own land and for Sportsman's, Youth Sportsman's, Disability Sportsman's, Disability Hunting, Honorary and Lifetime Sportsman's holders.
Federal duck stamp
Required for waterfowl hunters 16+, including resident landowners and family. E-stamp via GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com; physical stamp mailed after March 10. Price per WRD 2024 license changes page (effective Aug. 1, 2024); the 2026-27 guide does not print a price.
The old WMA license and the Lands Pass
Anyone 16+ entering a WMA or PFA needs a Georgia license allowing hunting/fishing on state land or a Lands Pass (signed areas; exclusions apply). The separate WMA license and GORP license were discontinued in 2017.
Sources: hunting information; Harvest Record and Game Check; migratory bird license; Lands Pass, verified October 13, 2026.
Georgia lifetime, senior and honorary veteran licenses
The infant lifetime license costs $500.00 and the adult one $750.00. Residents born on or before June 30, 1952 get a free senior lifetime license.
| License | Residency | Price | Who qualifies and what it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shooting Preserve Lifetime License | resident | $75.00 | – |
| Shooting Preserve Lifetime License | nonresident | $75.00 | – |
| One-Time Honorary Veteran's License | resident | Free | Georgia resident veterans with 90+ consecutive days active duty, honorably discharged on or after July 1, 2005; DD-214 and DNR application. |
| Infant Lifetime Sportsman's License (under 2) | resident | $500.00 | Lifetime licenses include hunting, big game, WMA access, fishing, trout, migratory bird and alligator permit if drawn; harvest record, migratory bird license and SIP still obtained free annually; federal duck stamp extra. |
| Infant Lifetime Sportsman's License (under 2) | nonresident | $500.00 | – |
| Youth Lifetime Sportsman's License (2-15) | resident | $600.00 | – |
| Adult Lifetime Sportsman's License (16-49) | resident | $750.00 | – |
| Older Adult Lifetime Sportsman's License (50-59) | resident | $375.00 | – |
| Senior Discount Lifetime Sportsman's License (60-64) | resident | $315.00 | – |
| Senior Lifetime Sportsman's License (65+) | resident | $70.00 | Born July 1, 1952 or later. |
| Senior Lifetime Hunting License (65+) | resident | $35.00 | – |
| Free Senior Lifetime Sportsman's License | resident | Free | Residents born on or before June 30, 1952; optional plastic card $10. |
| Military and Veterans Lifetime Sportsman's License | resident | $600.00 | WRD lifetime page: ages 18-49, active military (CAC or LES) or honorably discharged veterans with 90 days federal active duty (DD-214). |
| Non-resident Grandchild Lifetime Sportsman's License (2-15) | nonresident | $1,500.00 | Grandchild of a resident paid Lifetime License holder (free Senior Lifetime does not qualify). |
Military and Veterans lifetime ages come from the WRD lifetime page only. Sources: lifetime license rows; licensing help, verified October 13, 2026.
Georgia hunter education and the Apprentice license
The classroom course and several online options are free. The course is required of every hunter born from Jan. 1, 1961 on before a season license is sold, and the Apprentice license is the way to hunt first.
| Topic | Georgia rule |
|---|---|
| Who must take it | Everyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1961 must complete a hunter education course before buying a season hunting license. Courses certified by any state wildlife agency or Canadian province are accepted. |
| Exemptions | Not required to buy an Apprentice or other short-term license; not required to hunt one's own land or land of a parent/guardian (same household); shooting-preserve pen-raised birds may be hunted with preserve-provided safety instruction. Lifetime license buyers must complete it before hunting unless exempt. |
| Under 16 | Hunters under 16 need no course but must be under direct supervision of a licensed adult in position to take immediate control of the firearm. Exception: hunters 12-15 who have completed hunter education may hunt unsupervised (special restrictions on WMAs and federal areas). |
| Ages 16 to 25 | Must show a hunter education card when buying a season license and carry it while hunting. |
| Over 25 | Born after Jan. 1, 1961: must have completed the course but need not show or carry the card. |
| Apprentice license | Apprentice Hunting & Fishing License ($5 one day resident, $30 nonresident; extra days $1/$10 up to 11 days) lets someone without hunter education hunt; supervision is not stated as a condition in the guide. |
| Course options | Free in-person classroom course; free online course for students under 16 (HUNTINGsmart); free NRA Foundation online course for all ages; paid online providers (Ilearntohunt, HUNTERcourse.com, Hunter-ed.com incl. Spanish, HUNTINGsmart, Hunter Ed Course, Recademics). Bowhunter education optional online. Graduates get a free 3-month pass to DNR shooting ranges. |
| Lost card | Free via GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com or 1-800-366-2661. |
Sources: hunting licenses; WRD hunter education, verified October 13, 2026.
Buying a Georgia license: fees, residency and agents
405 stores, from Walmart and Academy to feed and hardware stores, sell licenses through the state system, found by searching the official locator county by county.
Online and by phone
Go Outdoors Georgia (GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com) sells every license and the Harvest Record online; the license line is 1-800-366-2661, where the transaction fee rises to $5.
Transaction fee and stacking
$3 online and at retail outlets; $5 by telephone. Annual licenses renewed early stack at the end of the current license (full 365 days); stacking multiple annual licenses in one transaction gives a $3 discount.
Residency
Domiciled in Georgia at least 3 months; Georgia driver's license or ID required. Nonresident full-time college students and nonresident active-duty military (and dependents) may buy resident annual/short-term licenses (not lifetime, disability or honorary). Nonresident landowners must buy nonresident licenses.
ID and carrying the license
Reliable ID and Social Security Number required to buy a license (O.C.G.A. 19-11-9.1). Licenses must be carried while hunting or assisting (electronic copies OK).
Feral hogs
Residents 16+ need a hunting license to hunt feral hogs except on land owned by them or immediate family in the same household; nonresidents need a nonresident hunting license.
Who needs a license at all
Residents 16+ need a hunting, combo or sportsman's license except on their own land or land of immediate family residing in the same household. All nonresidents need one, except nonresident small game hunters under 16; nonresidents under 16 hunting big game need a nonresident hunting license but are exempt from the big game license.
Go Outdoors Georgia license agents by region
| WRD region | License agents |
|---|---|
| Region 1 (Armuchee) | 110 |
| Region 2 (Gainesville) | 90 |
| Region 3 (Thomson) | 61 |
| Region 4 (Fitzgerald) | 45 |
| Region 5 (Albany) | 48 |
| Region 6 (Brunswick) | 51 |
Sources: transaction fees; stacking; residency and ID; license agent locator, verified October 13, 2026.
Georgia license and fee questions
How much is a Georgia hunting license for a resident?
$15.00 a year for residents 16 to 64, plus $25.00 for the big game license if you hunt deer, turkey or bear. The $65.00 Sportsman’s license covers both and fishing too.
What does a nonresident pay to hunt deer in Georgia?
$100.00 for the nonresident hunting license and $225.00 for big game, $325.00 in all before the transaction fee. The nonresident Sportsman’s license is $400.00.
Is there a one-day license?
Residents buy the one-day combo at $5.00 plus $1 for each extra day; nonresidents pay $20.00 for one day of hunting plus $6 a day after.
Do I still need a WMA license?
No. It was discontinued in 2017, and a Georgia hunting license now covers WMA hunting. Anyone 16 or older entering a WMA without one needs the $30.00 Lands Pass.
What is the free Harvest Record Georgia requires?
A free record every deer, turkey, bear and alligator hunter must carry, at any age. It runs March to February and is logged on paper, online or in the Outdoors GA app.
Does a Georgia child under 16 need any license?
Resident hunters under 16 need only the free Harvest Record for big game. Nonresidents under 16 need a nonresident hunting license for big game but no big game license.
What do seniors pay?
Residents 65 and older born on or after July 1, 1952 pay $7.00 a year or $70.00 for a lifetime license. Those born earlier get a free lifetime license.
Is there a free license for veterans?
Yes, once. The One-Time Honorary Veteran’s License is free for a year to resident veterans with 90 days of active duty discharged on or after July 1, 2005. The Military and Veterans lifetime license is $600.00.
Where do I buy a Georgia license?
Online at Go Outdoors Georgia, by phone at 1-800-366-2661, or at one of 405 license agents across the state.
What does an alligator hunter need?
A selected applicant buys the quota alligator harvest permit, $75.00 resident or $250.00 nonresident, on top of a hunting license and the Harvest Record.
One more Georgia check before opening day
Rangers enforce O.C.G.A. Title 27 and the Board rules, not this page. Keep the Outdoors GA app or the printed guide with you in the field.
Other photos on this page: davidwilson1949 (CC BY 2.0); mbarrison (CC BY-SA 2.0); Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain).