Washington hunting and fishing laws
The Washington rules that catch people out, in plain English: hunter education, minimum age, blaze orange, Sunday hunting, shooting hours, baiting, night hunting, tagging and private land. Each one links to the state's own text.
Season dates for 2026-27. Page updated October 12, 2026.
These pages sum up the rules to help you find them. They are not legal advice. The state's own regulations govern, so check them before you go.
Hunter education in Washington
Anyone born after January 1, 1972 must complete and pass an approved Hunter Education course before he or she may buy a license or hunt in the State of Washington. The deferral program is the apprentice equivalent: a one-year, once-in-a-lifetime deferral for an applicant at least 10 years old who has not failed a course in the last 12 months.
The hunter accompanying a deferred hunter must be at least 18 years of age, may supervise only one deferred hunter, and must remain close enough to the deferred hunter to have uninterrupted, unaided visual and auditory communication while hunting.
Minimum hunting age in Washington
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.
Blaze orange in Washington
WAC 220-414-080 requires 400 square inches of fluorescent hunter orange and/or fluorescent hunter pink exterior clothing, worn above the waist and visible from all sides, when hunting bear, bobcat, cougar, coyote, deer, elk, fox, grouse, hare, rabbit, raccoon, or turkey in areas open to deer or elk modern-firearm seasons. A hat, by itself, does not meet this requirement.
Applies to: Upland and small game
Modern-firearm hunters pursuing pheasant, quail, and partridge in upland seasons must also meet the fluorescent orange or pink requirement. Exempt are upland bird hunters using archery and muzzleloading firearm, bow and arrow, or falconry, and hunters in a game management unit limited to muzzleloader or archery who hold the matching valid tags.
Sunday hunting in Washington
No Sunday hunting restriction appears in the agency regulations.
Shooting hours in Washington
Shooting hours run from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset for game animals and forest grouse. WDFW notes specific exceptions for bobcat, raccoon, turkey and falconry seasons.
Baiting in Washington
Applies to: Big game
It is unlawful to hunt for deer, elk, or moose using any type of bait placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered, or otherwise used for the purpose of attracting these species with the intent to hunt them, including natural or synthetic scents that contain or are derived from cervid urine or glandular extracts. Feeding that causes deer, elk or moose to congregate is also unlawful.
Applies to: Big game
Exceptions to the deer, elk and moose bait rule are locally common agricultural practices, wild vegetation, synthetic scents without cervid extracts, naturally occurring mineral deposits, and department-authorized permits.
Applies to: Bear
The use of dogs or bait for recreational hunting of black bear is prohibited statewide under RCW 77.15.245.
Night hunting in Washington
Applies to: Big game
Hunting big game with the aid of an artificial light, spotlight, or night vision equipment is prohibited. It is also illegal to hunt wildlife at night in any area open to modern firearm deer or elk hunting during the fall months specified in the regulations.
Applies to: Furbearers
Bobcat and raccoon are exempt from normal hunting-hour limits, but night hunting for bobcat is prohibited in certain GMUs listed in the regulations. Hunting any wildlife at night is illegal in October and November in areas open to modern firearm deer or elk hunting. Big game may not be hunted with artificial light or night-vision equipment.
Tagging and reporting a harvest in Washington
Applies to: Big game
WAC 220-413-090: evidence of sex means the head with antlers or horns attached, or penis or testes of male big game animals, or the head or udder of female big game animals. It must remain naturally attached to at least one quarter of the carcass or the largest meat portion until processing or final storage. A taxidermist receipt showing species and sex satisfies it.
Hunting on private land in Washington
RCW 77.15.435 makes it an offense if a person knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in or on the premises of another for the purpose of hunting or retrieving wildlife. Written permission is not required by statute, and statutory defenses include a reasonable belief that permission was held. It is a misdemeanor and conviction can bring a two-year license suspension.
Can you show your Washington license on your phone?
Mobile license holder, or paper — not both.
Washington issues mobile licenses and electronic harvest reporting. You are either a mobile license holder or a paper license holder, not both.
Pick one and stay with it.
Washington hunting season dates, 2026-27
The main seasons, from the state's published dates. Zones and units can differ; each season links to the state's own page for it.
| Season | Dates | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer — early archery | Sep 1 – Sep 25, 2026 | Most GMUs statewide | Some eastern GMUs close Sep 22 |
| Deer — modern firearm | Oct 17 – Nov 1, 2026 | Western Washington | Eastern WA whitetail Oct 17-30 or 27; mule deer Oct 17-27 |
| Deer — early muzzleloader | Sep 26 – Oct 4, 2026 | Statewide general muzzleloader GMUs | |
| Elk — early archery | Sep 12 – Sep 24, 2026 | Western and eastern Washington | |
| Elk — modern firearm | Nov 7 – Nov 18, 2026 | Western Washington | Eastern WA Oct 31-Nov 8 (some GMUs to Nov 15) |
| Black bear — fall general | Aug 1 – Nov 15, 2026 | Most bear units statewide | Okanogan and Willapa Hills open Aug 15 |
| Spring turkey | Not published yet | Statewide | 2027 dates not yet published; youth Apr 1-7, 2026 |
| Fall turkey — general | Sep 1 – Dec 31, 2026 | Open GMUs incl. 101-154, 162-186, 203-290 | Many GMUs closed to fall hunting |
| Pheasant — eastern Washington | Oct 17, 2026 – Jan 18, 2027 | Eastern Washington | Western WA Sep 19-Nov 30, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. |
| Mourning dove | Sep 1 – Oct 30, 2026 | Statewide | |
| Ducks — regular season | Oct 17 – Oct 25, 2026 | Statewide | Reopens Oct 28-Jan 31; scaup closed Oct 17-Nov 6 |
What you can hunt in Washington
Big game
- Deer General season Mule, black-tailed and white-tailed
- Elk General season Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain
- Black bear General season Fall general season; no spring permit season currently offered
- Cougar General season
- Moose Draw or limited entry No general season
- Bighorn sheep Draw or limited entry No general season
- Mountain goat Draw or limited entry No general season
- Pronghorn No season Not managed as game in Washington
Upland and small game
- Wild turkey General season Some special permits
- Forest grouse General season Ruffed, sooty, dusky, spruce
- Pheasant General season
- Quail General season California, bobwhite, mountain
- Chukar and gray partridge General season Eastern Washington
- Rabbit and hare General season
- Sage-grouse No season Closed statewide
- Sharp-tailed grouse No season Closed statewide
Waterfowl and migratory
- Ducks and geese General season
- Brant General season Limited coastal
- Dove General season
- Band-tailed pigeon General season Authorization and reporting
- Swans No season Closed statewide
- American coot General season 25 a day, 75 in possession
- Snipe General season 8 a day, 24 in possession
- Northern pintail General season 3 a day, within the 7-duck bag
- Scaup General season 2 a day, within the 7-duck bag
- Canvasback General season 2 a day, within the 7-duck bag
- Redhead General season 2 a day, within the 7-duck bag
- Scoter General season 3 a day in western Washington, within the 7-duck bag
- Long-tailed duck General season 2 a day in western Washington, within the 7-duck bag
- Goldeneye General season 3 a day in western Washington; common and Barrow’s together
- Canada goose General season 3 a day; all Canada subspecies and cackling geese count here
- White-fronted goose General season 6 a day
- Snow goose General season 10 white geese a day in area 2 and eastern Washington; Ross’s and blue geese count here
Furbearer and predator
- Bobcat, fox, raccoon General season September to March
- Coyote General season Year round
What you can fish for in Washington
License by water type; Catch Record Card for five species
Fishing licenses sold: 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, Annual
Trout and char
- Rainbow trout General season
- Brown trout General season
- Cutthroat trout General season
- Brook trout General season No limit, no minimum
- Lake trout General season
- Tiger trout General season
- Bull trout / Dolly Varden No season Closed unless a special rule says otherwise
Salmon and anadromous
- Chinook salmon Needs a stamp Catch Record Card; Columbia endorsement in that system
- Coho salmon Needs a stamp Catch Record Card
- Sockeye salmon Needs a stamp
- Pink and chum salmon Needs a stamp
- Steelhead Needs a stamp Catch Record Card; release all wild steelhead
- Kokanee General season No card required
Warmwater
- Largemouth and smallmouth bass General season
- Walleye General season
- Channel catfish General season
- Tiger muskellunge General season One fish, 50 inch minimum
- Northern pike General season Invasive — no limit
- Crappie and perch General season
Saltwater and marine
- Pacific halibut Needs a stamp Catch Record Card; quota seasons by marine area
- Lingcod General season
- Rockfish General season Closed in Marine Areas 6 to 13
- Dungeness crab Needs a stamp Puget Sound needs an endorsement and card
- Razor clams and shellfish General season Shellfish license
Other
- Mountain whitefish General season
- Burbot General season
- White sturgeon Tag or permit Retention only at Lake Roosevelt; catch and release elsewhere
- Green sturgeon No season Protected
Official Washington links
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Carry your Washington license on your phone
Sportsmen Ledger holds your hunting and fishing licenses and tags, these rules and your harvest log, and it works with no signal. Free to start.
Compare with other states
- Hunter education requirements by state
- Minimum hunting age by state
- Blaze orange requirements by state
- Sunday hunting laws by state
- Legal shooting hours by state
- Baiting laws by state
- Night hunting laws by state
- Tagging and harvest reporting by state
- Hunting on private land, state by state
- Can you show your hunting or fishing license on your phone? Every state