Resident Licenses and Requirements
See Resident License Eligibility.
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.
Resident Licenses
Notes
- 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. Need only purchase one per year per licensee.
- General Game and Habitat License: Required for all hunting licenses except furbearer. Need only purchase one per year per licensee.
- Lotteries: Deer gun, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, tundra swan and wild turkey licenses are issued by lottery.
- 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.
- Federal Waterfowl Stamp (Duck Stamp): Required of all hunters ages 16 and older to hunt ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coot. Exception: Not required to hunt during spring light goose conservation season. Stamps cost $25 + $2 shipping and handling.
Licenses
Combination Licenses
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
| Combination License (ages 16 and older) - includes fishing, general game and habitat, small game and furbearer licenses. |
$52 |
$1 |
| Veteran Combined Hunting (requires 100% service-related disability) includes general game and habitat, small game, and fur-bearer licenses |
$3 |
$1 |
| *Need only purchase one per year per licensee. |
Fishing
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
| Fishing License (ages 16 and older) |
$18 |
$1 |
| Fishing License (ages 15 and younger not required, except for paddlefish tags, which are required for all paddlefish snaggers.) |
n/a |
n/a |
| Married Couple Fishing License |
$24 |
$1 |
| Senior Citizen Fishing License (65 or older) |
$5 |
$1 |
| Active Military - North Dakota residents who are on leave from active duty with the United States military can fish without a license. |
n/a |
n/a |
| Totally or Permanently Disabled Fishing License (proof of disability required) |
$5 |
$1 |
| Veteran with a 50 percent service-related disability |
$5 |
$1 |
| Paddlefish (A regular fishing license is also required for paddlefish snagging) |
$10 |
$1 |
| *Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee. A combination license may be purchased instead of a general game and habitat license. |
Big Game
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
*General Game and Habitat |
Nonrefundable Application Fee |
| **Deer Gun (1st lottery) |
$30 |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
| Deer Gun (ages 15 and younger) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
| Deer Bow (age 16 or older) |
$30 |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
| Deer Bow (ages 15 and younger) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
| Pronghorn (age 16 or older) |
$30 |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
| Pronghorn (ages 15 and younger) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
| Moose (age 16 or older) |
$30 |
$1 |
$20 |
$5 |
| Moose (ages 15 and younger) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
$5 |
| Elk (age 16 or older) |
$30 |
$1 |
$20 |
$5 |
| Elk (ages 15 and younger) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
$5 |
| Bighorn Sheep (age 16 or older) |
$30 |
$1 |
$20 |
$5 |
| Bighorn Sheep (ages 15 and younger) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
$5 |
| *Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee. A combination license may be purchased instead of a general game and habitat license. |
|
**Military Deer Gun Licenses
- A resident of North Dakota who is a member of the United States Armed Forces stationed outside this state, who shows proof of North Dakota residency, including a driver’s license number or a non-driver photo identification number from this state, and who pays the appropriate licensing fee, is eligible to be issued a deer gun season license without having to participate in the lottery.
- North Dakota residents who were on federal active duty with the U.S. Armed Forces under Title 10, stationed outside of the state during the previous year’s deer gun season, and who received the expeditionary medal or campaign badge, and submit an application and appropriate license fee by the deer gun application deadline, are eligible for one white-tailed deer gun license in the unit of their choice, without having to participate in the lottery. Applications received after the deer gun deadline will be issued licenses based on availability.
|
Upland and Small Game
Crow, Doves, Hungarian Partridge, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Sandhill Cranes, Snipe, Woodcock, Pheasants, Tree Squirrels, Waterfowl (also see crane, early Canada goose and swan requirements sections below).
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
*General Game and Habitat License |
| Small Game License (age 16 or older) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
| Small Game License (age 15 or younger) |
n/a |
$1 |
$20 |
| *Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee. A combination license may be purchased instead of a general game and habitat license. |
| If hunting ducks, geese, swans, mergansers and coot, a Federal Waterfowl Stamp is required (exceptions: not required to hunt during spring light goose conservation season and not required for hunters ages 15 and younger). |
| If hunting ducks, geese, swans, mergansers, coots, cranes, snipe, doves or woodcock, HIP registration is required. |
Early Canada Goose
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
*General Game and Habitat License |
Small Game License |
Federal Waterfowl Stamp |
| Early Canada Goose (ages 16 and older) |
$5 |
$1 |
$20 |
$10 |
$27 |
| Early Canada Goose - (ages 15 and younger) |
$5 |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
n/a |
| *Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee. A combination license may be purchased instead of a general game and habitat license. |
| 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 |
Small Game License |
Federal Waterfowl Stamp |
| Spring Light Goose Conservation Order (ages 16 and older) |
n/a |
$1 |
$20 |
$10 |
n/a |
| Spring Light Goose Conservation Order (ages 15 and younger) |
n/a |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
n/a |
| *Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee. A combination license may be purchased instead of a general game and habitat license. |
| A Federal Waterfowl Stamp is not required. |
| HIP registration is required. |
| Resident spring goose hunters must have a current year license beginning April 1. The past year's license expires March 31 |
Wild Turkey
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
*General Game and Habitat License |
Small Game License |
| Wild Turkey, spring and fall (ages 16 and older, 1st lottery) |
$15 |
$1 |
$20 |
$10 |
| Wild Turkey, spring and fall (ages 15 and younger) |
$15 |
$1 |
$20 |
n/a |
| *Need only purchase one certificate and one General Game and Habitat license per year per licensee. A combination license may be purchased instead of a general game and habitat license. |
Sandhill Crane
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
*General Game and Habitat License |
Small Game License |
| Sandhill Crane Permit (ages 16 and older) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
$10 |
| 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. A combination license may be purchased instead of a general game and habitat license. |
| HIP registration is required. |
Swan
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
*General Game and Habitat License |
Federal Waterfowl Stamp |
| Swan (ages 16 and older) |
$10 |
$1 |
$20 |
$27 |
| Swan (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. A combination license may be purchased instead of a general game and habitat license. |
| HIP registration is required. |
Furbearer
| License |
License Fee |
*Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate |
| Furbearer (ages 16 and older) |
$15 |
$1 |
| Furbearer (ages 15 and younger) - No license needed |
n/a |
n/a |
| Active Military - No license needed. Upon presentation of valid leave papers and a valid North Dakota operator's license, a resident who is on leave and is an active duty as a member of the United States armed forces or the United States merchant marine may hunt small game, fish, or trap during the open season without a license. |
n/a |
n/a |
| *Need only purchase one certificate license per year per licensee. |
| Hunters and trappers are required to purchase licenses, except any resident, or member of his or her family permanently residing with him or her, may hunt small game, trap or use cable devices during the open season without a license upon land owned or leased by him or her, but otherwise is governed by seasons, limits and all other regulations. |
Other
| License |
|---|
| North Dakota residents do not need a license to hunt prairie dog, skunk, porcupine, rabbits or ground squirrels. |
