Wisconsin · License year
Wisconsin hunting license
Wisconsin's license year turns over on April 1 and runs to March 31 — buy in November and you are still on the year that started in April.
License year
2026
Opens
Apr 1, 2026
Last day
Mar 31, 2027
Runs out in
218 days
Today in Wisconsin is Aug 25, 2026.
The license year, in Wisconsin DNR’s own words
“Licenses are valid from April 1 through March 31 of the following year.”
— Wisconsin DNR — Go Wild: Nonresident licenses, read Aug 25, 2026
So the year on sale now started April 1 and stops Mar 31, 2027 — buying late in it does not buy you more of it.
Hunter education comes first
Hunter education first, unless you are hunting under the Mentored Hunting Law — and under-18s cannot use the online-only course.
“Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, is required to hold a hunter education certificate to purchase a hunting license unless hunting under the Mentored Hunting Law.”
— Wisconsin DNR — Register Today For Spring Hunter Education Classes, read Aug 25, 2026
What Wisconsin DNR charges
Prices as Wisconsin DNR prints them, resident beside non-resident, each table linked to the page it was read from. Wisconsin DNR sets these and changes them; the agency’s own page is the one that counts.
Small game and combination licenses
Wisconsin licenses a hunter by quarry, not by one blanket hunting license: small game covers birds and rabbits, deer needs its own license below.
| License or permit | Wisconsin resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Small game | $18.00 | $90.00 |
| Small game, junior (12–17) | $9.00 | Not offered |
| Small game, under 12 | $7.00 | $7.00 |
| Small game, senior (65 and older) | $9.00 | Not offered |
| Small game, 5-day | Not offered | $60.00 |
| Sports license (fishing, small game, gun deer) | $60.00 | $295.00 |
| Conservation Patron | $165.00 | $620.00 |
Read from Wisconsin DNR — Resident licenses and Wisconsin DNR — Nonresident licenses .
Deer licenses
Gun, archer and crossbow are three separate licenses at the same price; the $3 upgrade adds whichever of archer and crossbow you did not buy.
| License or permit | Wisconsin resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Gun deer | $24.00 | $200.00 |
| Gun deer, junior (12–17) | $20.00 | Not offered |
| Gun deer, under 12 | $7.00 | $7.00 |
| Archer | $24.00 | $200.00 |
| Crossbow | $24.00 | $200.00 |
| Crossbow/archer upgrade | $3.00 | $3.00 |
| Antlerless deer carcass harvest authorization (unit specific) | $12.00 | $20.00 |
Read from Wisconsin DNR — Resident licenses and Wisconsin DNR — Nonresident licenses .
Turkey licenses and stamps
The $3 spring application is the drawing entry; the license and stamp come after.
| License or permit | Wisconsin resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Spring turkey application Deadline is always Dec. 10. | $3.00 | $3.00 |
| Spring turkey license | $15.00 | $65.00 |
| Fall turkey license and harvest authorization | $15.00 | $65.00 |
| Turkey stamp | $5.25 | $5.25 |
| Bonus spring turkey harvest authorization | $10.00 | $15.00 |
Read from Wisconsin DNR — Resident licenses and Wisconsin DNR — Nonresident licenses .
Waterfowl and migratory birds
HIP certification costs nothing but is required before you hunt any migratory bird, doves included.
| License or permit | Wisconsin resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| HIP certification | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Waterfowl stamp | $12.00 | $12.00 |
| Federal duck stamp $25 stamp fee, $4 fulfillment fee and a $1.50 state processing fee, as the DNR breaks it down. | $30.50 | $30.50 |
| Pheasant stamp | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| Early goose permit | $3.00 | $3.00 |
Read from Wisconsin DNR — Resident licenses and Wisconsin DNR — Nonresident licenses .
First-time buyer prices
A Wisconsin resident who has never held the license pays $5 for it the first time.
| License or permit | Wisconsin resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Gun deer, first-time buyer | $5.00 | Not offered |
| Archer, first-time buyer | $5.00 | Not offered |
| Small game, first-time buyer | $5.00 | Not offered |
| Spring turkey, first-time buyer | $5.00 | Not offered |
Read from Wisconsin DNR — Resident licenses .
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
Wisconsin runs its own licensing system, and that is where every Wisconsin license comes from. HuntDates has no part in it and takes nothing from it — the price Wisconsin DNR shows you there is the one that counts.
Go Wild — The DNR's own system. The same products are sold at DNR service centres and registered sales locations.
The rest of Wisconsin
The whole Wisconsin board · Deer season in Wisconsin · Application deadlines