Ohio · License year
Ohio hunting license
Ohio runs one license year for everybody: it opens March 1 and closes on the last day of February, whatever day you buy in.
License year
2026-27
Opens
Mar 1, 2026
Last day
Feb 28, 2027
Runs out in
187 days
Today in Ohio is Aug 25, 2026.
The license year, in Ohio Division of Wildlife’s own words
“Ohio's license year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February. All costs include a writing fee. All sales are final. No refunds are given.”
— Ohio Division of Wildlife — Buy Hunting Licenses and Permits, read Aug 25, 2026
So the year on sale now started March 1 and stops Feb 28, 2027 — buying late in it does not buy you more of it.
Hunter education comes first
A hunter education course comes first — the one way around it is the apprentice license, which only works with a licensed hunter 21 or older beside you.
“Anyone applying for a hunting license, except an apprentice license, is required to successfully complete a hunter education course.”
— Ohio Division of Wildlife — Hunter Education Requirement, read Aug 25, 2026
What Ohio Division of Wildlife charges
Prices as Ohio Division of Wildlife prints them, resident beside non-resident, each table linked to the page it was read from. Ohio Division of Wildlife sets these and changes them; the agency’s own page is the one that counts.
Hunting license
Every price on this page includes the writing fee, and the Division of Wildlife states that all sales are final.
| License or permit | Ohio resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year hunting license, adult (18–64) | $19.00 | $180.96 |
| 1-year hunting license, youth (17 and under) | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| 1-year hunting license, senior (65 and older, born on or after Jan. 1, 1938) | $10.00 | Not offered |
| Free senior hunting license (born on or before Dec. 31, 1937) | Free | Not offered |
| 1-year apprentice hunting license, adult No hunter education needed, but you must stay with a licensed hunter 21 or older. | $19.00 | $180.96 |
| 3-day tourist hunting license Not valid for deer, turkey or furbearers. | Not offered | $40.56 |
Read from Ohio Division of Wildlife — Licenses & Permits .
Deer permits
A deer permit sits on top of the hunting license — the license alone does not cover deer.
| License or permit | Ohio resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Either-sex deer permit, adult | $31.20 | $218.40 |
| Either-sex deer permit, youth | $16.00 | $16.00 |
| Either-sex deer permit, senior | $12.00 | Not offered |
| Free senior either-sex deer permit | Free | Not offered |
| Deer management permit, adult and youth | $15.00 | $15.00 |
Read from Ohio Division of Wildlife — Either-Sex Deer Permits .
Turkey permits (spring and fall)
The Division of Wildlife prices the spring permit and the fall permit the same; each is bought separately.
| License or permit | Ohio resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey permit, adult | $31.20 | $38.48 |
| Turkey permit, youth | $16.00 | $16.00 |
| Turkey permit, senior | $12.00 | Not offered |
| Free senior turkey permit | Free | Not offered |
Read from Ohio Division of Wildlife — Spring and Fall Turkey Permits .
Waterfowl stamps
Ducks and geese need both stamps plus a HIP number; doves need the HIP number and no stamp.
| License or permit | Ohio resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio wetlands habitat stamp Required of everyone 18 or older hunting waterfowl. | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Free senior Ohio wetlands habitat stamp | Free | Not offered |
| Federal migratory bird hunting stamp (duck stamp) Required from age 16. Sold by the federal government, not the Division of Wildlife. | $25.00 | $25.00 |
Read from Ohio Division of Wildlife — Migratory Bird & Waterfowl Stamps .
Tag and permit application deadlines
The dates that do not wait for you. A missed application deadline is a season missed, whatever the license in your pocket says.
Where the state issues them
Ohio runs its own licensing system, and that is where every Ohio license comes from. HuntDates has no part in it and takes nothing from it — the price Ohio Division of Wildlife shows you there is the one that counts.
Ohio Wildlife Licensing System — The Division of Wildlife's own system. License agents statewide and the HuntFish OH app sell the same products at the same prices.
The rest of Ohio
The whole Ohio board · Deer season in Ohio · Application deadlines