Minimum hunting age by state

The hunter education requirement is tied to license buyers 16 or older.

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Alaska residents ages 17 years or younger are not required to possess a license to hunt. Alaska residents ages 18 years or older must possess a valid license. All nonresidents, regardless of age, must have appropriate licenses and big game locking-tags. No apprentice program was found.

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Arizona residents and nonresidents 10 years and older need a valid hunting license, with a youth license covering ages 10 through 17. A person under 10 may hunt wildlife other than big game without a license only when accompanied by a properly licensed person 18 years or older. No apprentice or mentor program was found.

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AGFC publishes no minimum hunting age, and a hunting license is required at age 16 and older. Anyone born after 1968 must be hunter education certified, but children under 16 who have not completed hunter education may hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed hunter at least 21 years old.

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There is no minimum age to buy a hunting license if the applicant shows proof of hunter education, though instructors generally ask that students be at least 10. Hunters who are under 16 when the license year starts buy a Junior Hunting License; hunters 16 and older need an adult license.

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Under the apprentice certificate, apprentices must be at least 10 years old, or age 12 for big game hunting, must have a mentor with them in the field, and must be able to see and hear the mentor. An apprentice certificate may be obtained only twice.

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A person must be 12 years of age or older to hunt. Juniors ages 12 through 15 must be licensed and accompanied by a licensed hunter 18 years of age or older. A person may not supervise more than 2 minors at one time while hunting.

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Hunters under 13 must obtain a License Exempt Number and hunt under direct supervision, meaning a person 21 years of age or older is always within 30 yards and in direct line of sight. Ages 13 to 15 use a junior license. Ages 16 to 17 need parental permission, completed hunter education and a valid license. Under an August 2025 court ruling, hunters aged 18 and older no longer require direct adult supervision.

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Florida sets supervision rules rather than a minimum hunting age. Hunters under 16 need no hunting license, and minors under 16 may use firearms only when supervised by a parent or an adult acting with the parent's consent. Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975 must pass hunter safety before buying a license to hunt unsupervised.

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A Resident Hunting, Combo or Sportsman's License is required for all resident hunters 16 years of age or older, with an exception for hunting on your own land.

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Hunter education certification is required for residents 10 and older to buy a hunting license, and a certificate is issued only after the course is completed and the student is at least 10. Hunters 15 and younger who hunt with a firearm need a permit from the county police department and must be accompanied by a licensed adult.

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The Hunting Passport allows any first-time hunter, resident or nonresident, age 8 and older to try hunting for one year with an adult mentor without first completing Idaho hunter education. Holders must be 10 to hunt big game and sandhill crane, and 8 for other game birds. A mentor must be 18 or older, hold a valid Idaho license, and take no more than two mentored hunters.

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Not verified. The Illinois digest lists no minimum hunting age. Hunters under 18 use a Youth license and must be accompanied by, and under close personal supervision of, a licensed adult 21 or older. Confirm with the official regulations before you hunt.

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Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1986 must pass a DNR hunter education course or buy an apprentice license (up to three in a lifetime) and stay close to a licensed hunter 18 or older. Youth under 13 may accompany a licensed hunter 18 or older without a license if they carry no bow or firearm. Residents 17 and under can buy the youth hunt/trap license.

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Youth under 16 may hunt accompanied by a licensed adult 18 years or older without their own license. Residents under 12 can be issued a deer or turkey license if accompanied.

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Residents 15 and younger are not required to have a hunting license. Ages 16 through 74 need a resident hunting license, with a senior license for 65 through 74 and an exemption at 75 and older. All nonresidents need a license regardless of age. Youth 12 through 15 who complete hunter education may hunt without adult supervision except during designated youth seasons.

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Hunters younger than 12 are not required to purchase licenses and permits. Youth licenses cover ages 12 through 15. Hunters under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult when hunting turkey, elk, deer or bear with a firearm.

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Residents and nonresident hunters age 18 or older must have a Basic Hunting License. Those under 18 hunting game other than deer or turkey, or merely spectating, need no license, while youth hunting deer or turkey need a Youth Hunting License.

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There is no minimum age for a junior hunting license, which every hunter under 16 needs. Hunters 10 to 15 must be in the presence and effective control of a qualified junior hunter supervisor, and hunters under 10 must have a supervisor who stays within 20 feet at all times. After turning 16 a hunter may keep using the junior license for the rest of that calendar year.

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DNR states there is no minimum age to hunt in Maryland. Resident and nonresident junior licenses cover those under 16 years of age, and regular licenses begin at 16.

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You need a license to hunt in Massachusetts if you are age 15 or older. The minimum age for hunting in Massachusetts is 12. Mentored hunters ages 12 to 14 may hunt only when accompanied by a licensed hunter 18 years or older, provided that a single bag limit is shared and a single firearm or bow is shared between the two people. Only one minor per adult is permitted.

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Youth ages 10 to 16 may purchase licenses, and age 9 and under may hunt through the Mentored Hunting Program.

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Applies to: Big game

Children 9 and younger may not hunt big game in Minnesota. Ages 10-11 need no firearms safety certificate, get a free license and must have a parent or guardian within immediate reach; ages 12-13 need a firearms safety certificate and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Ages 14-17 with a firearms safety certificate may hunt on their own.

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Each resident of Mississippi ages 16 to 64 must obtain a hunting license, except while hunting on lands titled in his or her name. Those under 16 are not required to have one, and a voluntary Youth Exempt license is available.

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Youths must be 6 or older to hunt deer or turkeys. Youth 10 or younger may hunt during a firearms season only in the immediate presence of an adult mentor, and hunters 15 and younger without hunter education must hunt with a properly permitted adult mentor 18 or older.

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Montana law lets resident and nonresident youth 10 or older hunt with a valid license during an open season, with some restrictions. A youth 12 or older may hunt any game species the license covers, and one who turns 12 by January 16 of the license year may do so after August 15. The Apprentice Hunter program lets anyone 10 or older hunt for up to two years without hunter education if accompanied by a certified Mentor.

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Applies to: Big game

Hunters must be at least 10 years of age to hunt with a deer permit and 12 years of age to hunt with antelope, elk or bighorn sheep permits. The apprentice hunter education exemption certificate is the mentored route.

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Any person 12 or older who hunts game birds or mammals in Nevada must have a hunting license; a Youth Combination license covers ages 12 through 17 and an Apprentice license is available at 12 and older. A child under 18 hunting with a firearm must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, but a child 14 or older may hunt alone with a valid license. Children under 12 may not hunt big game.

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Hunting licenses are required for persons 16 years of age and older.

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A youth license is available at at least age 10. Ages 10 through 13 require direct supervision by a licensed adult 21 or older plus parental permission; ages 14 through 16 may hunt independently once licensed. Youth licenses are free and valid through December 31 of the year the youth turns 16.

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The Mentored-Youth Hunting Program is open to first-time hunters 8 to 17 years of age. Ages 8 and 9 may take small game only; ages 10 through 17 may take deer, javelina, pronghorn, turkey and small game. Mentors must be at least 18 and hold a valid hunting license plus a Mentor Number or hunter-education number, and mentor and youth must stay within unaided sight and voice distance.

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The minimum hunting age is 12, as a junior hunter aged 12 to 15 with a qualifying mentor. A crossbow may not be used by anyone under the age of 14, except as allowed in counties that have opted into the pilot program for 12- and 13-year-olds. Junior hunters aged 12 and 13 may not hunt bear with a firearm, and may hunt deer with a firearm or crossbow only in counties that have passed a local law authorizing it.

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Youth under age 16 are exempt from the requirement of a hunting license if they hold a hunter safety certificate or are accompanied by a properly licensed adult, and they must obtain a License-Exempt Big Game Harvest Report Card at no cost when hunting deer, bear, or wild turkey.

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North Dakota sets no general minimum hunting age. Children under 12 may hunt only under the direct supervision of a parent, guardian or an adult the parent authorizes, and must hold the licenses required for the species. Anyone born after 1961 needs hunter education before getting a firearm or bow license, unless using the one-time apprentice validation (age 12 and up, accompanied by a licensed adult).

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The regulations do not establish a minimum age requirement to obtain a hunting license, and all hunters younger than 16 years old need to be accompanied by an adult. No minimum age is stated for an apprentice license.

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Children 9 or younger may hunt, but only as apprentices, because they cannot receive hunter education certification. Anyone 30 or younger without certification needs an apprentice-designated license and must hunt with an accompanying hunter: within arm's length or close enough to take immediate control of the firearm for big game, and in sight and normal-voice range for small game.

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Youth 12 through 17 need a Combination License or Youth Sports Pac; children 11 and under do not need a license for game birds and small game, and those 9 through 11 can join controlled hunts if licensed. The Mentored Youth Hunter Program lets ages 9 through 15 hunt without first completing hunter education if they hunt under the immediate control of a licensed supervising adult 21 or older.

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Pennsylvania sets no minimum age for mentored hunting: unlicensed hunters of any age may hunt with a Mentored Hunting Permit beside a licensed mentor at least 21, and mentees under 16 must stay stationary and within arm's reach. Mentees under 7 receive no big-game harvest tags. Junior licenses cover ages 12 through 16 (an 11-year-old may buy one if they turn 12 before the license year ends on June 30 and have passed Hunter-Trapper Education).

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A junior hunter is any person twelve (12) to fourteen (14) years of age who possesses a hunter safety education certificate, who may hunt only in the immediate company of an adult, twenty-one (21) years of age or older. A standard license is available at 15.

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No child under 16 years of age is required to obtain a hunting or fishing license. Youth are required to have tags for deer, bear and turkey except on designated youth days.

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Applies to: Big game

Hunters must be 12 years of age for Spring Turkey or 12 years of age by Dec. 31 for other big game seasons. Youth licenses cover ages 12 through 17. Those under 16 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult under SDCL 41-6-13.

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No license is required for ages 12 and under. A Junior Hunt, Fish and Trap license covers ages 13 through 15 and must be purchased before the 16th birthday. No absolute minimum hunting age was located in the agency material.

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No minimum age is stated for a Texas hunting license. The Youth Hunting License is valid for any person, resident or non-resident, under 17 years of age at the date of license purchase. Texas has no apprentice license; the hunter education deferral for those 17 and older is the equivalent.

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Applies to: Big game

R657-5-4: a person 12 years of age or older may apply for or obtain a permit to hunt big game. An 11 year old may apply if turning 12 that calendar year but may not hunt before the birthday. Ages 12 through 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, or by a responsible person 21 or older approved by them, within visual and verbal communication.

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Not verified. Vermont's regulations state no minimum hunting age. Everyone must pass hunter education before buying a first license, a person under 16 needs a parent or guardian's signature to get a license, and minors must carry the paper license signed by a parent. Confirm with the official regulations before you hunt.

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No minimum age is stated. Hunters under 12 must be immediately supervised by a licensed adult. The hunter education requirement applies at ages 12 through 15.

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There is no minimum or maximum age to be eligible to hunt in Washington. Youth, defined as anyone under 16 years of age at the time of license purchase, are eligible for reduced license fees. The hunter education deferral is the apprentice mechanism and requires a minimum age of 10.

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No absolute minimum age is stated. Children under 15 may hunt without a license but they must be accompanied by a licensed adult who remains near enough to the youth to render advice and assistance.

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Children under 12 may hunt only through the Hunting Mentorship Program or DNR Learn to Hunt events; mentees must stay within arm's reach of a licensed mentor 18 or older and hold all required licenses and tags. Hunters 12 and 13 with hunter education must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, needs hunter education to buy a license unless hunting as a mentee, and hunters under 18 may not hunt with a handgun.

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Applies to: Big game

W.S. 23-2-102 requires a hunter to be 12 to hunt big or trophy game, with 11 allowed if turning 12 within the calendar year. Under 14 must be supervised by an adult of majority age holding a safety certificate or a Wyoming big game license issued within the past five years, with written parental permission if the adult is not the parent or guardian.

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Applies to: Upland and small game

For small game and game birds a license is required at 14 and older. Younger residents may hunt most game birds unlicensed when accompanied, but wild turkey still requires a license.

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