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Nonresident Licenses and Requirements

In North Dakota hunting, fishing and boat licensing fees support wildlife management area management, fish stocking, educational programs, wildlife and fisheries surveys, boat and fishing access, the PLOTS program, enforcement and more.

See Resident License Eligibility.

Nonresident Licenses

Notes

  1. The following prerequisites are required in addition to a hunting and/or fishing license:
    • Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate: Required to hunt or fish in North Dakota except spring light goose and early Canada goose licenses. Need only purchase one per year per licensee.
    • General Game and Habitat License: Required for all hunting licenses except furbearer, nongame, spring light goose and early Canada goose. Need only purchase one per year per licensee.
  2. Lotteries: Deer gun, bighorn sheep, tundra swan licenses are issued by lottery.
  3. HIP Registration: All hunters regardless of age must obtain a new Harvest Information Program registration number each year for each state in which they hunt ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, cranes, snipe, doves and woodcock. Registration is free.
  4. Federal Waterfowl Stamp (Duck Stamp): Required of all hunters ages 16 and older to hunt ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, brant and coot. Exception: Not required to hunt during spring light goose conservation season. Stamps cost $25 + $2 shipping and handling.

Licenses

Fishing
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate
Individual Season Fishing (ages 16 and older) $53 $2
Individual Season Fishing (ages 15 and younger) - Ages 15 and younger do not need a fishing license if accompanied by a licensed adult, except that paddlefish tags are required for all paddlefish snaggers. n/a n/a
Married Couple Season Fishing $68 $2
3 Day Fishing $33 $2
10 Day Fishing $43 $2
Paddlefish Tag (A fishing license is also required for paddlefish snagging) $25.50 $2
*Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee.
Big Game
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate *General Game and Habitat License
Deer Gun (1st Lottery) - Includes a $5 nonrefundable application fee. All but application fee is refunded if application is unsuccessful.
After second lottery is held, a nonresident deer gun license is $55, if available.
$255 $2 $20
Deer Gun (ages 15 and younger) $55 $1 $20
White-Tailed Deer Bow (ages 16 and older) $250 $2 $20
White-Tailed Deer Bow (ages 15 and younger) $250 $1 $20
Bighorn Sheep - Includes $100 nonrefundable application fee. Successful applicants must pay an additional $500 for the license. $600 $2 $20
*Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee.
Upland and Small Game
Crow, Doves, Hungarian Partridge, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Sandhill Cranes (see additional requirements under the crane section), Snipe, Woodcock, Pheasants, Tree Squirrels
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate *General Game and Habitat License
Small Game (ages 16 and older) - a nonresident must choose between a 14-consecutive-day or two 7-consecutive-day license periods and may purchase more than one license per year. $100 $2 $20
Small Game (ages 15 and younger) n/a $1 $20
*Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee.
HIP registration is required to hunt cranes, snipe, doves and woodcock.
Waterfowl Licenses. There are two types available.
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate *General Game and Habitat License Federal Waterfowl Stamp
1) A statewide license, allows hunting statewide for two 7-day periods or one 14-day period. $153 $2 $20 $27
2) A zone-restricted license that requires selection of hunting zones (zone map) according to the following restrictions: $103 $2 $20 $27
Youth (ages 15 and younger) n/a $1 $20 n/a
  • A nonresident must select Zone 1 or Zone 2 for one seven-day period and Zone 3 for the other seven-day period or
  • Zone 3 for the full 14 days or two seven-day periods or
  • Zones 1 and 3 concurrently for the same 7-day period or zones 2 and 3 concurrently for the same 7-day period. This option effectively reduces the license to seven days only, as the two 7-day periods are run at the same time.
  • Nonresidents under age 16 can purchase license at resident fee.
*Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee.
HIP registration is required.
Spring Light Goose Conservation Order
Snow, Blue and Ross's geese only
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate *General Game and Habitat License
Spring Light Goose Conservation Order (ages 16 and older) $50 n/a n/a
Spring Light Goose Conservation Order (ages 15 and younger) n/a $1 $20
*Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee.
A Federal Waterfowl Stamp is not required.
HIP registration is required.
Spring light goose license does not count against the 14-day regular season license.
Early Canada Goose
License License Fee Federal Waterfowl Stamp
Early Canada Goose (ages 16 and older) $50 $27
Early Canada Goose - (ages 15 and younger) $5 n/a
HIP registration is required.
Early Canada goose license does not count against the 14-day regular season nonresident license.
Fall Wild Turkey
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate *General Game and Habitat License Small Game License
Fall Wild Turkey (ages 16 and older) - After the first lottery has been held, if licenses remain, nonresidents may purchase a fall wild turkey license. $80 $2 $20 $100
Fall Wild Turkey (ages 15 and younger) - After the first lottery has been held, if licenses remain, nonresidents may purchase a fall wild turkey license. $15 $1 $20 n/a
*Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee.
Sandhill Crane
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate *General Game and Habitat License Small Game or Waterfowl License
Sandhill Crane Permit (ages 16 and older) $30 $2 $20 $100 (Small Game) or $103-$153 (Waterfowl)
Sandhill Crane Permit (ages 15 and younger) $10 $1 $20 n/a
*Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee.
HIP registration is required.
Swan
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate *General Game and Habitat License Waterfowl License Federal Waterfowl Stamp
Swan (ages 16 and older) $30 $2 $20 $103-$153 $27
Swan (ages 15 and younger) $10 $1 $20 n/a n/a
*Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee.
HIP registration is required.
Nongame
Allows taking unprotected species such as prairie dog, skunk, rabbits and ground squirrels
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate
Nongame (ages 16 and older) $15 $2
Nongame (ages 15 and younger) $15 $1
*Need only purchase one certificate per year per licensee.
Furbearer and Nongame
License License Fee *Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate
Furbearer and Nongame (ages 16 and older) - allows taking unprotected species and for hunting fox and coyote. $40 $2
Furbearer and Nongame (ages 15 and younger) - allows taking unprotected species and for hunting fox and coyote. $40 $1
Nonresidents Reciprocal Trapping License (ages 16 and older) - Reciprocal trapping (includes snaring) licenses are offered to nonresidents whose home state allows North Dakota residents to trap. Nonresidents having this license may not take bobcats, mountain lions, fishers or river otter. $350 $2
Nonresidents Reciprocal Trapping License (ages 15 and younger) - Reciprocal trapping (includes snaring) licenses are offered to nonresidents whose home state allows North Dakota residents to trap. Nonresidents having this license may not take bobcats, mountain lions, fishers or river otter. $350 $1
*Need only purchase one certificate per year per licensee.

A Nonresident May Not Hunt Game and Fish Department Lands the First Week of Pheasant Season

Nonresidents may not hunt on lands owned or leased by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, including state wildlife management areas and Private Lands Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS), for the first week of pheasant season. This restriction applies to all types of hunting, not just pheasants. This restriction does not apply to lands owned or managed by other state agencies that may be open to hunting, such as state school lands, federal lands that may be open to hunting, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service waterfowl production areas, or to private lands not enrolled in the Game and Fish PLOTS program.