California · Department of Fish and Wildlife
California hunting license cost, 2026-27.
The hunting license, tag and validation fees CDFW lists for the July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 license year, for residents and nonresidents.
Short answer: For the license year July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, a California resident hunting license costs $64.54 and a nonresident license costs $225.46. A junior license for hunters under 16 is $17.02. Deer, bear, elk, pronghorn and bighorn tags and bird validations are extra.
Estimate your total
Result
The license year and the base fees
CDFW says the items on its hunting fee page are valid July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, and that an annual hunting license bought after July 1 is valid for the rest of that license year. It also notes that license fees include a 3% nonrefundable application fee (capped at $7.50 per item) and that licenses issued by license agents include a 5% handling fee, so the same item can cost slightly more at an agent. The table is what the fee page lists.
| License | Fee | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Hunting License | $64.54 | Residents 16 or older who take birds or mammals |
| Nonresident Hunting License | $225.46 | Nonresidents 16 or older |
| Junior Hunting License | $17.02 | Residents or nonresidents under 16 at the start of the license year (July 1) |
| One-Day Nonresident Hunting License | $31.06 | Game birds on licensed game bird clubs or domesticated shooting areas only |
| Two-Day Nonresident Hunting License | $64.54 | Birds, small game, wild pigs, nongame mammals and furbearers; not valid for deer, bear, elk, pronghorn or bighorn |
| Disabled veteran or recovering service member reduced fee | $10.04 at CDFW offices, $10.54 from agents | After prequalifying |
Tags and validations
The license alone lets you hunt only what does not need a tag or validation. CDFW lists these on the same page:
| Item | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| First-Deer Tag or drawing application | $42.38 | $377.35 |
| Second-Deer Tag or drawing application | $52.92 | $377.35 |
| Bear Tag | $62.90 | $397.60 |
| Elk Tag | $610.20 | $1,871.80 |
| Pronghorn Antelope Tag | $205.77 | $628.85 |
| Bighorn Sheep Tag | $558.50 | $2,072.75 |
| Wild Pig Validation | $28.34 | $101.26 |
| Elk, pronghorn and bighorn drawing application | $8.38 per application | |
Bird hunters add the California Duck Validation ($41.04) for waterfowl, the Upland Game Bird Validation ($25.41) for upland game birds and, for waterfowl, the Federal Duck Stamp ($25.00), which CDFW says is sold at many post offices and some license agents but not at CDFW offices. Juniors hunting under a Junior Hunting License are excluded from the California Duck and Upland Game Bird validations, and hunters under 16 are exempt from the Federal Duck Stamp.
Rules that change what you pay
- Deer tag holders who do not return the tag or report it online by January 31 pay a $21.60 non-reporting fee when they buy a deer tag or application the following year.
- The reduced-fee junior tags for antelope, bear, bighorn sheep and elk ended on July 1, 2025 (AB 2151 sunset), so junior hunters now pay the same as adults for those tags.
- Wild Pig Tags stopped being sold after June 30, 2024. Since July 1, 2024 a Wild Pig Validation is required instead.
- You must show proof of hunter education to buy an annual license or a Two-Day Nonresident license. CDFW accepts, among others, a prior California hunting license, a California hunter education certificate, a certificate from a California-approved course from any state or province, or a current license from any state or province issued within the two previous years.
A worked example (hypothetical)
A California resident who wants to hunt deer and ducks pays $64.54 for the license, $42.38 for a First-Deer Tag, $41.04 for the California Duck Validation and $25.00 for the Federal Duck Stamp: $172.96. A nonresident planning the same trip pays $225.46, $377.35, $41.04 and $25.00: $668.85, before any agent handling fee. No real person is described.
Free hunting days and lifetime licenses
CDFW has separate pages for Free Hunting Days and for lifetime hunting licenses. This page does not reproduce the lifetime fee table, so use the CDFW fee page if you are weighing a lifetime license against the annual fee.
What this page does not cover
This page covers license, tag and validation prices for the 2026-27 license year. It does not cover hunting seasons, bag limits, zones, drawing odds, lead-ammunition rules, state-operated hunting area passes, reservation fees or lifetime license prices. Check the Big Game Hunting Digest and CDFW regulations for what you may take, and confirm prices on the CDFW page before you buy.
Sources
Read November 2, 2026. Figures are copied from the pages below on that date; agencies change them, so confirm on the official page before you pay or file.
- CDFW, Hunting License Items and Fees: the 2026-27 license, tag, validation and drawing-application fees, the license-year dates, the 3% and 5% fee notes and the junior-tag and wild pig changes.
- CDFW, Hunting Licenses and Tags: who needs a license, the proof-of-hunter-education options and the Two-Day Nonresident license limits.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a California hunting license in 2026-27?
CDFW lists the resident hunting license at $64.54, the nonresident license at $225.46 and the junior license at $17.02 for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
How much is a California deer tag?
A resident First-Deer Tag or drawing application is $42.38 and a second is $52.92. A nonresident pays $377.35 for each.
What does a Two-Day Nonresident license cover?
It costs $64.54 and covers game birds, resident small game mammals, wild pigs, nongame mammals and furbearers for two consecutive days. It is not valid for deer, bear, elk, pronghorn or bighorn sheep.
Do I need hunter education?
Yes. You must show proof of hunter education, such as a prior California license or a hunter education certificate, when you apply for an annual license.
Do waterfowl hunters need more than the license?
Yes. Waterfowl hunters need the California Duck Validation at $41.04 and the Federal Duck Stamp at $25.00, with exceptions for juniors.
Is this page the official fee schedule?
No. It copies CDFW’s published figures as read on November 2, 2026. Confirm the current fees on the CDFW page before you buy.
Guide only — not an official verification
This is a general-information page, not the official fee schedule or hunting regulations. Fees and rules change, so confirm them on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife licensing page before you buy a license or tag. TNAADO is not affiliated with any agency named here. Everything runs in your browser and no personal data is collected.