South Carolina · License year
South Carolina hunting license
The license itself runs a year from the day you buy it — but the tags and permits stapled to it do not: deer, bear and turkey tags and the migratory permits are season-scoped, so two things bought together can stop on different days.
License year
One year from the day you buy
How long it lasts
Starts the day you buy
No shared cut-off to miss in South Carolina — but the tags and permits that ride on the license can still be season-scoped, so read the fine print beside each one below.
The license year, in SCDNR’s own words
“Annual recreational hunting and fishing licenses are valid for one year from the date of purchase. Three (3) years recreational hunting and fishing licenses are valid for three years from the date of purchase. Hunting tags (deer, bear and turkey) migratory bird permits, migratory waterfowl permits, nonresident alligator hunting fees and shooting preserve permits are valid for one season.”
— SCDNR — General License Information, License Duration, read Aug 25, 2026
Hunter education comes first
Born after June 30, 1979, the hunter education certificate has to be in hand before SCDNR issues the license — the apprentice license is a one-time way round it.
“All residents and nonresidents, born after June 30, 1979, must successfully complete a SCDNR approved hunter education course and present the certificate of completion before a hunting or combination license can be obtained.”
— SCDNR — Hunter Education Requirements, read Aug 25, 2026
What SCDNR charges
Prices as SCDNR prints them, resident beside non-resident, each table linked to the page it was read from. SCDNR sets these and changes them; the agency’s own page is the one that counts.
Hunting licenses and the big game permit
Small game needs the hunting license alone. Deer, bear and turkey need the license plus the big game permit plus tags — three separate purchases.
| License or permit | South Carolina resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| State hunting license, annual | $12.00 | $125.00 |
| State hunting license, 3-year | $36.00 | Not offered |
| State hunting license, 10-day | Not offered | $75.00 |
| State hunting license, 3-day | Not offered | $40.00 |
| Big game permit, annual Required to hunt bear, deer or turkey. | $6.00 | $100.00 |
| Apprentice license (small game only) The one-time exemption from the hunter education certificate. Three consecutive days for a non-resident. | $12.00 | $50.00 |
| Wildlife management area permit, annual Required to hunt WMA land. | $30.50 | $76.00 |
Read from SCDNR — Resident license pricing and SCDNR — Nonresident license pricing .
Combination and sportsman licenses
Residents only. The sportsman license is the one that folds in the WMA permit.
| License or permit | South Carolina resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Combination license, annual (hunting, big game, freshwater fishing) | $25.00 | Not offered |
| Sportsman license, annual (adds WMA) | $50.00 | Not offered |
| Junior sportsman license (16–17) | $16.00 | Not offered |
| Sportsman license, 3-year | $150.00 | Not offered |
Read from SCDNR — Resident license pricing .
Deer, bear and turkey tags
A resident's base set of deer tags costs nothing: SCDNR issues 5 — 2 antlerless and 3 unrestricted antlered — with the big game permit.
| License or permit | South Carolina resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Base set of deer tags 5 tags: 2 antlerless and 3 unrestricted antlered. | No cost | Not offered |
| Individual antlerless deer tag Non-residents are capped at 4. | $5.00 | $10.00 |
| Restricted antlered (buck) deer tag 4 points on one side or a 12-inch inside spread. | $5.00 | $20.00 |
| Unrestricted antlered (buck) deer tag | Not offered | $50.00 |
| Turkey tags Residents get a set of 3; non-residents are capped at 2 per season. | $25.00 | $125.00 |
| Bear tag (Mountains / Game Zone 1) | $25.00 | $100.00 |
Read from SCDNR — Resident license pricing and SCDNR — Nonresident license pricing .
Migratory birds and waterfowl
The HIP permit costs nothing but is required for doves as well as ducks; SCDNR prints all three of these as expiring June 30.
| License or permit | South Carolina resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Migratory bird permit (HIP) | No cost | No cost |
| Migratory waterfowl permit (state duck stamp) | $15.50 | $15.50 |
| Federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp SCDNR breaks it down as $25 stamp fee, $4 USFWS fulfilment fee and a $1 vendor fee. | $30.00 | $30.00 |
Read from SCDNR — Resident license pricing and SCDNR — Nonresident license pricing .
Tag and permit application deadlines
SCDNR publishes its application periods on its own calendar rather than in a fixed list, so there is nothing here we could stand behind for a whole season. Read them at the source: SCDNR.
Where the state issues them
South Carolina runs its own licensing system, and that is where every South Carolina license comes from. HuntDates has no part in it and takes nothing from it — the price SCDNR shows you there is the one that counts.
Go Outdoors South Carolina — SCDNR's own system. Customer service offices and license vendors statewide sell the same products.
The rest of South Carolina
HuntDates does not publish South Carolina season dates yet — this page covers the license year only. Every state we do cover is on the front page, and what’s open right now reads all of them at once.