Georgia Hunting License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Georgia hunting license costs $15 for a resident adult and $150 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-11).
Georgia's base hunting license is one of the cheapest in the Southeast for residents, but like most states it only covers small game on its own: deer and turkey hunters need the separate big game license layered on top.
Base license covers small game. Non-resident annual big game license is a separate $225 add-on. $3 transaction fee online/retail, $5 by phone.
Fee last verified 2026-09-11.
Heading out for Georgia hunting? Game wardens require carrying physical or digital license proof and valid tags. Equip yourself with a waterproof license and tag pouch, rechargeable wide-beam LED headlamp, and corrosion-resistant multi-tool pliers before your trip.
What a Georgia hunting license costs
Georgia residents pay $15 for the annual hunting license; non-residents pay $150. The license is valid for 365 days from the date of purchase rather than a fixed calendar year.
The big game license
Deer and turkey hunting require the separate annual big game license, priced at $225 for non-residents (with a one-day non-resident option at $130 for hunters only in the state briefly). Georgia residents typically add big game privileges through a lower-cost combination license rather than the standalone non-resident pricing shown here.
License year and transaction fees
Because the license runs 365 days from purchase rather than a fixed year, there's no single statewide renewal date to track, just your own purchase anniversary. A $3 transaction fee applies to online and retail purchases, or $5 by phone.
How to buy your Georgia hunting license
Go Outdoors Georgia (GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com) is the state's official licensing portal, run by the Wildlife Resources Division. Licenses are also available through authorized retailers statewide.
Hunting in Georgia: what to expect
Georgia's whitetail deer season is among the longest in the country, stretching from early archery season in September through late-season hunts into January in parts of the state, giving hunters an unusually wide window to fill a tag. The state's Wildlife Management Area system covers well over a million acres of public hunting land, concentrated in the national forests of north Georgia and the Piedmont region. Turkey hunting draws serious interest each spring too, particularly in the state's hardwood river bottoms, where Georgia's flock has recovered strongly over the past few decades.
Wildlife Management Areas and quota hunts
Georgia's WMA system is split between first-come open hunts and limited-entry quota hunts that require a separate application and a small non-refundable fee, drawn well ahead of the season for the state's most productive properties. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest anchors public land access in the north Georgia mountains, while the WMAs threaded through the Piedmont and coastal plain give hunters without their own land or a club lease a realistic shot at deer, turkey and small game closer to Atlanta and the state's southern counties. Checking the quota hunt application windows early in the year matters here: popular draws fill fast and Georgia doesn't reopen them mid-season.
Big game add-on, transaction fees and WMAs
The $15 resident or $150 non-resident hunting license covers small game and is valid 365 days from purchase. Non-resident annual big game is a separate $225 add-on, which is the number that actually matches a deer or turkey trip. Online and retail add a $3 transaction fee; phone adds $5. Budget those on top of the license line.
Wildlife Management Areas and quota hunts are how a lot of public deer hunting works in Georgia. Quota deadlines are earlier than people from walk-on states expect. Buy the license, apply for the WMA hunt, then pack. National forest land in the north Georgia mountains is the other public option and still needs the big-game privilege if deer or turkey is the plan.
Hunter education is required for first-time hunters, and Georgia will usually accept an out-of-state certificate if you have the card. Bring it. A $15 small-game license will not harvest a deer on a WMA; the $225 non-resident big-game add-on (or the resident big-game privilege) is the line that matches that hunt. Quota results post before you should spend on a hotel. If you miss the quota, look at still-open WMA days or national forest rather than assuming every tract is walk-on opening morning. The $3 online transaction fee and $5 phone fee stack on top of big game; budget them so the checkout total matches what you planned.
How to renew a Georgia hunting license
There is no separate renewal process in Georgia. A hunting license is not extended in place; when it expires you buy a new one for the next license year through the same system you used the first time, and your customer profile, hunter or angler ID and any saved payment details carry over so the second purchase takes a couple of minutes. Valid 365 days from purchase.
The fastest route is the official Georgia online licensing portal, which also lets you print or download the new license and add any stamps, tags or endorsements in one transaction. In-person license agents (sporting goods stores, bait shops and, in many states, county clerks) sell the same license at the same price, so use whichever is closer. Buying before the old license lapses is not required, but it avoids an accidental gap if a season opens before you get round to it.
Planning more than one? See the Georgia fishing license page too, see how much a hunting license costs in every state, compare non-resident hunting fees across states, browse every state, or use the state license finder.