Hawaii Hunting License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Hawaii hunting license costs $10 for a resident adult and $95 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).
Hawaii's hunting license is one of the cheapest in the country for residents, aimed largely at managing invasive game like axis deer, feral pigs and mouflon sheep that the islands' ecosystems didn't evolve with. Every license, resident or not, is valid only through the end of the state's fiscal year.
A Wildlife Conservation Stamp is bundled into every license. An optional Game Bird Stamp is $10 more for hunters targeting game birds. A hunter education course (or an approved exemption request for non-residents) is required before a license is issued. All sales are final, no refunds.
Fee last verified 2026-09-12.
Heading out for Hawaii 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 Hawaii hunting license costs
Residents pay $10 for the annual hunting license; non-residents pay $95. A Wildlife Conservation Stamp is bundled into every license automatically for game mammal hunting. An optional Game Bird Stamp is $10 more for hunters who plan to target game birds during the established season.
Hunter education requirements
Hawaii requires a hunter education course before issuing a license, with an exemption request process available for non-residents who can demonstrate equivalent certification or experience from elsewhere. Given Hawaii's mix of steep terrain and often-guided hunts, most first-time non-resident hunters end up completing the course or exemption process well before travel rather than at the counter.
License year
Hawaii licenses run from the date of purchase through June 30 of the current fiscal year, so a license bought in July covers nearly a full year while one bought in May covers only a few weeks before needing renewal.
How to buy your Hawaii hunting license
Hunting.ehawaii.gov is the official online portal for hunting licenses in Hawaii, issuing the license instantly after purchase. All sales are final with no refunds, so confirming eligibility and hunter education status before buying matters more here than in states with a more forgiving return policy.
Hunting in Hawaii: what to expect
Hawaii's game species are almost entirely non-native and managed as much for ecological damage control as for recreation: axis deer are a major target on Maui and Lanai, feral pigs are hunted island-wide including with dogs in some areas, and mouflon sheep and feral goats populate the drier leeward slopes of the Big Island. Public hunting areas are managed by island and by specific unit, with some requiring a separate access permit or check-in beyond the state hunting license itself.
Public hunting areas and island-by-island access
Access in Hawaii is organized by island and by specific Public Hunting Area, each with its own species, season and sometimes a permit or check-in requirement layered on top of the state license; a license alone does not guarantee access to every unit. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife publishes current area-by-area rules each season, and checking the specific island and unit before traveling is essential since inter-island travel with firearms and the realities of guided access (often required or strongly recommended for visitors) change the trip planning considerably compared with a mainland hunt.
How to renew a Hawaii hunting license
There is no separate renewal process in Hawaii. 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 from date of purchase through June 30 of the current fiscal year.
The fastest route is the official Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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.