HUNTING LICENSES

Buy Hunting Licenses or Validate Deer Tags

Annual hunting and fishing licenses go on sale June 1 each year and expire June 30 of the following year.

Recreational fishing and hunting licenses may be purchased online or by telephone using Visa or MasterCard. Call toll free 1-888-765-2602. An authorization number for immediate use will be provided and licenses will be mailed to the licensee.
A SERVICE FEE IS CHARGED.

Mandatory Hunter Safety Training

All persons born on or after September 1, 1969, must show proof of satisfactorily completing a Hunter Safety course approved by LDWF to purchase a Basic Hunting License, EXCEPT any active or veteran member of the United States armed services or any POST-certified law enforcement officer. Application for the exemption shall be filed in person at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries main office building in the city of Baton Rouge.

Recreational licenses may be purchased by telephone or online using Visa or MasterCard. Call toll free: (888) 765-2602 or click here. 

Bona Fide Resident:
1. Any person who has resided in this state continuously during the 12 months immediately prior to the date on which he applies for any license and who has manifested his intent to remain in this state by establishing Louisiana as his legal domicile, as demonstrated by compliance with all of the following, as applicable:

• If registered to vote, he is registered to vote in Louisiana
• If licensed to drive a motor vehicle, he is in possession of a valid Louisiana drivers license
• If owning a motor vehicle located within Louisiana, he is in possession of a valid Louisiana registration for that vehicle
• If earning an income, he has filed a Louisiana state income tax return and has complied with state income tax laws and regulations.

2. As to a corporation or other legal entity, a resident shall be any which is incorportated or otherwise organized under, and subject to, the laws of Louisiana, and is domiciled in Louisiana and has a permanent physical location of business in Louisiana where records are held.

3. Any person, corporation or other legal entity which possesses a resident license from any state or country other than Louisiana shall not qualify for a resident hunting license in Louisiana.

RESIDENT HUNTING FEES

NON-RESIDENT HUNTING FEES

* Basic hunting license required to obtain big game license.
 

MILITARY LICENSES

LIFETIME LICENSES

Lifetime hunting and lifetime combination hunting and fishing licenses include basic hunting, big game hunting, primitive firearms, bow hunting, state waterfowl license, turkey stamp and WMA hunting permit.

Lifetime licenses are available from the Baton Rouge office only. LDWF does not issue receipts or authorization numbers for Lifetime licenses. Allow six weeks processing time. Applicants are required to have lived in Louisiana for the immediate twelve months prior to making application to qualify for resident rates.

Mandatory documents required with application are a valid LAdriver?s license issued a minimum of 12 months AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1)Louisiana voter?s registration card 2) Louisiana vehicle registration and 3) two previous year?s state tax filing, stamped by Department of Revenue and Taxation.

OTHER LICENSES (For applications please call (225)765-2898)

2008-09 DEER TAGGING AND VALIDATION INSTRUCTIONS

To obtain Deer Tags

Prior to hunting deer, all deer hunters, regardless of age or license status, must obtain deer tags and have in possession when hunting deer.  Immediately upon harvesting a deer, the hunter must tag the deer with the appropriate carcass tag before it is moved from the kill site, and the hunter must document the kill on the harvest report card portion of the deer tag license.  The hunter must record the date of kill and the parish of kill on the carcass tag.  The tag must remain attached to the deer while kept at camp, or while it is transported to the domicile of the hunter or to a cold storage facility.  Hunters who keep the carcass or meat at the camp must also comply with game possession tag regulations.  Within 72 hours the hunter must validate the kill and record the validation number on the license.  Hunters harvesting deer on DMAP and LADT should follow the instructions provided to them by LDWF.  Hunters on wildlife management areas can validate deer during mandatory deer check hunts, when deer check stations are in operation.  Hunters may validate deer by calling the validation toll free number, 866-484-4805, or using the validation web site.

Note:  Do not remove the tags from the Deer Harvest Report Card until you have killed a deer; at that point the tag is removed from the Deer Harvest Report Card and attached to the animal.  Tags removed from the Deer Harvest Report Card prior to killing a deer are no longer valid and if lost by the hunter will not be replaced.

Deer Tagging Procedure for Licenses purchased via phone or internet

Hunters purchasing licenses by phone or internet will be given both an authorization number and a LDWF identification number that will serve as their license until such license arrives by mail.  Hunters will tag deer with possession tags, using the authorization number and LDWF identification number for the required license numbers recorded on the possession tag.  Hunters will maintain documentation of these harvested deer and will validate harvested deer as required by law when the hunter receives the original license and tags.  The hunter will validate the license information from these harvested deer and will discard the license tags for these validated deer.

Replacement of lost tags

Hunters should not remove tags from the license transaction until a deer has been killed and the hunter is ready to tag the carcass and move it from the kill site.  Single tags are automatically voided if detached from the license prematurely (not placed on a harvested animal) and then lost by the hunter.  These tags will not be replaced.  Hunters who lose their license and/or tag transaction (tags and deer license report card) can obtain duplicate tags at a charge to the hunter.  Hunters that have harvested and validated deer prior to losing their remaining tags will have to remove and discard the duplicate tags to account for the original tags that have been used and validated.  Hunters must update the duplicate deer tag harvest report card by recording the deer that he has already harvested.

EXCEPTIONS AND EXEMPTIONS

For a complete review of exceptions and exemptions, click here.