Hawaiʻi · Division of Forestry and Wildlife
Hawaii hunting license cost.
What a Hawaiʻi public hunting license and stamps cost for residents, seniors and nonresidents, and what you need before you can buy one.
Short answer: A Hawaii hunting license costs $10 for residents, $0 for resident seniors and Kalaupapa patients, and $95 for nonresidents. A Wildlife Conservation Stamp ($10) is needed to hunt game mammals and a Game Bird Stamp ($10) to hunt game birds. Specific hunts can require extra tags or permits.
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The fee table
The Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), part of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), publishes one fee table for public hunters in its guides for residents and for nonresidents. Both guides, read November 2, 2026, show the same prices:
| Item | Resident | Resident-senior | Kalaupapa patient | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiʻi Hunting License | $10.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $95.00 |
| Wildlife Conservation Stamp | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| Game Bird Stamp | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 |
So a resident who hunts game mammals pays $20 in all, and a nonresident pays $105. Adding game birds adds $10 for everyone. Seniors and Kalaupapa patients pay $0 for the license but still pay for the stamps. The guides do not define the senior age cut-off, so check the DLNR license page for that.
What the stamps are for
DOFAW says a current-year Wildlife Conservation Stamp is required to hunt game mammals, and a Game Bird Stamp is also required for game bird hunting. A license bought online automatically carries the Wildlife Conservation Stamp, and the fee is added at the end of the transaction. If you want to hunt birds, you select the Game Bird Stamp yourself.
Before you can buy: hunter education
You need a valid Hawaiʻi Hunter Education wallet card to buy a license, which means passing the basic hunter education course. DOFAW offers classroom courses on the islands when staff are available, and an online course that ends in a certificate of completion; the wallet card with your hunter education number is mailed in one to two weeks, and the certificate itself is not the card.
If you already hold a hunter education card from another state, you can request a Letter of Exemption instead of taking the Hawaiʻi course. For both guides DOFAW says exemption letters are free for people with an out-of-state hunter education card. The nonresident guide asks for your name and date of birth, address, phone and email, and the certification number, issuing state or province and country, plus uploaded copies of the certificate and a photo ID. The resident guide also lists a free exemption for Hawaiʻi residents born before January 1, 1972 who can prove a Hawaiʻi hunting license issued before July 1, 1990.
How and when you pay
You can buy in person from any hunting license vendor or from DOFAW offices (the guide lists Honolulu, Lihue, Wailuku, Lanai City, Hilo and Kamuela) or online through the state’s eHawaii application. The online application asks for your education or exemption number, last name, date of birth and Social Security number, which DOFAW says is required on recreational license applications by section 466(a)(13)(A) of the Social Security Act and does not appear on the license. You pay by Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express and print the license immediately; no license is mailed.
A license is valid from the date of purchase through June 30 of that fiscal year, and you apply for a new one every year. A license bought in May therefore costs the same as one bought in July but covers far less time.
Costs the license does not cover
DOFAW says specific hunts require additional tags or permits, sold through its Tags and Permits portal, and hunts are applied for separately. The guides do not give prices for those, so this page does not either. Budget for them separately and read the rules for the island and area you plan to hunt.
A worked example (hypothetical)
A visiting hunter with an out-of-state hunter education card first requests the free Letter of Exemption. Once approved, the hunter pays $95 for the nonresident license and $10 for the Wildlife Conservation Stamp to hunt game mammals, $105 in all, or $115 with the Game Bird Stamp. A Hawaiʻi resident hunter who already holds a Hawaiʻi hunter education card pays $10 and $10: $20. No real person is described.
What this page does not cover
This page covers license and stamp prices only. It does not cover hunt tags and permits, game management area rules, seasons, bag limits, firearm import rules, hunting guide registration or the senior age cut-off. Hawaiʻi also has a separate fishing licensing system under the Division of Aquatic Resources, which this page does not describe. Confirm all prices on the DLNR pages before you pay.
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.
- DLNR DOFAW, Your Guide for Non-Resident Hawaiʻi Public Hunters: the fee table, stamp rules, hunter education and exemption steps, and how to buy.
- DLNR DOFAW, Your Guide to Becoming a (Resident) Hawaiʻi Public Hunter: the resident fee table and the resident exemption rule.
- DLNR DOFAW, Hunting: the hunting program home page, linking to licenses, tags and permits.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Hawaii hunting license?
DOFAW lists $10 for a resident, $0 for a resident senior or Kalaupapa patient, and $95 for a nonresident. Stamps are extra.
What are the Hawaii hunting stamps?
A $10 Wildlife Conservation Stamp is required to hunt game mammals, and a $10 Game Bird Stamp is also required for game bird hunting.
Do I need hunter education to hunt in Hawaii?
Yes. You need a valid Hawaii Hunter Education wallet card, or a free Letter of Exemption if you hold an out-of-state hunter education card.
How long is a Hawaii hunting license valid?
From the date of purchase through June 30 of the corresponding fiscal year. You apply for a new license every year.
Are tags and permits included?
No. DOFAW says specific hunts require additional tags or permits, which are handled through its Tags and Permits portal.
Is this page the official fee schedule?
No. It copies the figures in DLNR’s hunter guides as read on November 2, 2026. Confirm the current fees on the DLNR website before you pay.
Guide only — not an official verification
This is a general-information page, not the official fee schedule or hunting rules. Fees and rules change, so confirm them with the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources before you buy a license. TNAADO is not affiliated with any agency named here. Everything runs in your browser and no personal data is collected.