Resident Hunting License
about $25
Covers a Texas resident to hunt. Deer and turkey tags are included — no extra charge.
Hunting / Get legal
Get legal before you go.
Three things sort out almost everyone: the license, the add-ons for the birds or archery you're after, and the one-time hunter-education course. Here's the plain version.
License types and what they cost
You buy a Texas license once a year. The license year runs September 1 through August 31, no matter when you buy it. Licenses go on sale August 15. You can buy online, by phone, or at about 1,700 stores; online or phone adds a $5 fee.
Best value for most
Super Combo (resident)
about $68
The best-value bundle: hunting license, fishing license, and the common endorsements in one. For most resident hunters, this is the one to get.
Non-Resident General Hunting License
about $315
Lets an out-of-state hunter hunt any legal animal, including deer. Endorsements still apply.
Youth (under 17)
about $7
Same low price for residents and non-residents.
Senior (65+, resident)
about $7
A reduced-price resident license.
Lifetime licenses (residents only)
one-time purchase
Buy once and never buy again. Several options; see the official page for current prices.
Heads up: a 2025 law (SB 1247) removed several older non-resident licenses (the non-resident "special," spring turkey, and banded-bird licenses). Out-of-state hunters now use the Non-Resident General Hunting License (about $315) for big game, or a new 5-day small-game and exotic license (about $48) for birds and small game.
Endorsements and stamps (the add-ons)
An endorsement is a small add-on you buy on top of your license. Which ones you need depends on what you're hunting. The Super Combo already includes the common ones.
Migratory Game Bird Endorsement
about $7Required for dove, ducks, geese, teal, sandhill crane, snipe, woodcock, rail, gallinule, and coot.
Upland Game Bird Endorsement
about $7Required for turkey, quail, pheasant, and chachalaca.
Federal Duck Stamp
about $25Required for waterfowl hunters age 16 and older. This is a federal stamp and is NOT in the Super Combo — buy it separately.
Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification
freeA quick, free certification every migratory bird hunter must complete. It helps biologists count birds.
Archery Endorsement
included in Super ComboNeeded to hunt deer during the archery-only season (and any time in a few special counties).
Federal Sandhill Crane Permit
freeA separate free permit required to hunt sandhill crane.
Hunter education (the safety course)
If you were born on or after September 2, 1971, you must pass a Hunter Education course to hunt in Texas — visitors included. Carry proof (printed or in the TPWD app) while you hunt.
- Cost:
- About $15 for the in-person course. Online course prices vary.
- Youngest age:
- You can be certified starting at age 9.
You do not need the course to buy a license — only to hunt.
By age
- Under 9: Can't be certified yet, so you must be accompanied by a licensed adult (17+) who has passed hunter ed or is exempt. 'Accompanied' means within normal voice range.
- Ages 9-16: Pass the course or be accompanied.
- 17 and older: Pass the course, or buy a one-time Hunter Education Deferral (about $10) and be accompanied. The deferral lasts through the end of the license year and can be used only once.
Exempt: active-duty military and honorably discharged veterans; current and former members of the Texas National Guard or Texas State Guard; and current or former peace officers.
New for 2026-2027
What changed this season
- Dove (South Zone): The season now opens Sept. 1, same as the rest of the state. The old Special White-winged Dove Days are gone, and limits and shooting hours match every other day of the South Zone season.
- Turkey: Because turkey numbers are down, counties that used to allow either sex now allow only gobblers (males) and bearded hens. Matagorda and Wharton counties are closed this season.
- Quail and chachalaca: Their seasons now line up (Nov. 1 - Feb. 28).
- Deer doe days: Expanded to a 16-day window in a list of central Texas counties (see the rules page).
- Muzzleloaders: The definition was updated to allow newer muzzleloader technology for deer.
Want the full picture?
This page covers hunting. For the cross-cutting license guide - the Super Combo for people who hunt and fish, every exemption, the add-ons people forget, and how tags and digital licenses work - see the licenses hub.
Open the licenses hub ->Next: what and where
Official sources
License rules and prices come from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Confirm the current price and your hunter-education status before you buy or hunt.
- Data vintage:
- Built on the 2026-2027 season
- Last reviewed:
- June 15, 2026
- TPWD Licenses, Permits & Endorsements - License types, costs, and add-ons
- TPWD Buy a License
- TPWD Mandatory Hunter Education
Caution: License types and prices change. The official TPWD license pages are the final word.
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