Licenses / Hunting
Hunting licenses & what they cost.
The license itself is the easy part. Here are the types and 2025-2026 prices, the two nonresident licenses left after a 2025 law cleaned house, and the once-in-a-lifetime hunter-education course.
License types & prices
A hunting license is required of anyone, any age, to hunt animals, birds, frogs, or turtles in Texas. Here are the licenses themselves; the endorsements for specific game (birds, archery) are a separate add-on - see Stamps & endorsements.
| License | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Hunting | $25 | The standard license for Texas residents. |
| Senior Resident (65+) | $7 | For Texas residents 65 and older. |
| Youth (under 17) | $7 | Resident or nonresident. Waives the state endorsement fees (except Reptile & Amphibian). Required to hunt - it's not optional. |
| Nonresident General | $315 | The only nonresident license valid for deer and turkey. Covers any legal bird or game animal, including alligator, pronghorn, bighorn, and mule deer. |
| Nonresident 5-Day Special (small game / exotic) | $48 | Valid five consecutive days. Covers exotics, small game birds (not turkey), nongame, furbearers, squirrel, and javelina. NOT deer, turkey, alligator, pronghorn, or bighorn. |
| Resident Trapper's | $19 | For taking furbearers. (Nonresident trapper's is $315.) |
New since September 2025
Two nonresident licenses are gone
A 2025 law (SB 1247) removed the old full-season Nonresident Special (~$132) and Nonresident Spring Turkey (~$126) licenses as of September 1, 2025. If an older guide still lists them, it's out of date - nonresidents now choose between the General ($315) and the 5-Day Special ($48), and only the General covers deer or turkey.
Hunter education (the safety course)
Anyone born on or after September 2, 1971 must complete a one-time hunter education course to hunt in Texas. It's a once-in-a-lifetime requirement, not a yearly one.
- Cost:
- About $15 for the in-person course (online course prices vary by provider). Once you pass, you're done for life.
- Age:
- There's no minimum age to take the course; certification is required from age 9 and up if born on or after Sept. 2, 1971.
Not ready? Defer.
Not ready yet? A one-time $10 deferral lets someone 17+ hunt for one license year while staying within normal voice range of a licensed, hunter-ed-certified (or exempt) supervisor who's at least 17. It's a one-time, one-year bridge - then you take the course.
Keep going
Official sources
License types, prices, and the hunter-education rule all come from Texas Parks & Wildlife. The 2025 nonresident changes came from SB 1247 (89th Legislature).
- Data vintage:
- Built on the 2025-2026 license year
- Last reviewed:
- June 15, 2026
- TPWD Hunting Licenses, Permits & Endorsements - License types and current prices
- TPWD Mandatory Hunter Education - Who needs it, and the deferral
- TPWD Buy a License - Online, phone, and retailer locator
- TPWD Outdoor Annual - Licenses - The official, current price and rule source
Caution: Prices and license types change every license year. The official TPWD pages are the final word - confirm before you buy.
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