Licenses / Tags & digital

Tags, reporting & going digital.

Some animals must be tagged the instant you take them, and Texas now sells fully digital licenses - which changes how tagging works. This is where the rules trip people up, so read it before opening day.

How tags & reporting work

Some animals must be tagged the moment you take them, and Texas now sells fully digital licenses - which changes how tagging works. This is where the rules trip people up, so it's worth a careful read before opening day.

Deer and turkey tags come with your hunting license. At the kill, you attach the right tag before you move or field-dress the animal.
Oversized red drum (over 28 in.) and oversized spotted seatrout (over 28 in.) each need a tag to keep - one per species per license year, included free with a saltwater endorsement. Bonus tags can be bought for one more of each.
Some hunts require digital harvest reporting. White-tailed deer taken in 24 designated counties (including Collin, Dallas, Grayson, and Rockwall) must be reported within 24 hours, and wild turkey must be reported statewide - both through the Texas Hunt & Fish app or online.

The catch

A digital-only license has no paper tags

Here's the catch with going digital: a digital-only license comes with NO printed paper tags. To legally tag a deer, turkey, or an oversized red drum or spotted seatrout, you need EITHER a physical (paper) license with its printed tags OR the Texas Hunt & Fish app to tag and log the animal on the spot. Don't assume the app and a paper license are interchangeable - pick one system and know how it works before you hunt.

One more wrinkle: One more wrinkle for digital license holders: when you tag a deer or turkey through the app, you must still attach a physical note - on durable material, with the app's confirmation number - to the carcass. (For red drum and spotted seatrout, the app report alone is enough; no physical tag needs to be attached.)

Paper or digital?

Paper license

You get a printed license and physical tags in the mail. At the kill you fill out, date, notch, and attach the paper tag immediately. No phone or signal needed in the field.

Digital license

Nothing is mailed. You carry the license on your phone and tag through the Texas Hunt & Fish app the moment you take the animal. Great if you always have your phone - but learn the deer/turkey 'attach a note with the confirmation number' rule first.

Keep going

Stamps & endorsements

Where the saltwater tags come from.

The add-ons ->

Hunting licenses

The licenses your tags ride on.

Hunting licenses ->

The hunting hub

Seasons, limits, and how to hunt.

Open hunting ->

Licenses hub

The Super Combo and the full picture.

Back to the hub ->

Official sources

Tagging rules, harvest reporting, and the paper-vs-digital details all come from Texas Parks & Wildlife. The Texas Hunt & Fish app is TPWD's official tool for digital licenses and tagging.

Data vintage:: Built on the 2025-2026 license year
Last reviewed:: June 15, 2026

TPWD Digital Licenses & Tagging - How digital tags work
TPWD Choosing Between Paper & Digital
TPWD Texas Hunt & Fish App - Digital licenses, tagging, and reporting
TPWD Outdoor Annual - Licenses - The official, current price and rule source

Caution: Tagging rules, reporting deadlines, and the mandatory-reporting county list change. The official TPWD pages are the final word - confirm before you hunt.

Spot something that needs a Texas check? This first pass is built to be polished over time. Send the page name, county, parcel context if relevant, and the official source you are looking at. Email Texas Porch.