Idaho Hunting License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Idaho hunting license costs $15.75 for a resident adult and $185 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).
Idaho's base hunting license is cheap for residents but expensive for non-residents even before a single tag is added, and 2026 brought a major structural change: non-resident general-season deer and elk tags now go through a draw instead of first-come, first-served sales.
Base license only; deer and elk tags are separate and expensive for non-residents ($351.75 deer, $651.75 elk) and, starting in 2026, general-season non-resident deer/elk tags are issued through a draw instead of first-come sales. Non-residents also pay a mandatory $10 access and depredation fee. Anyone born on or after Jan 1, 1975 must complete hunter education unless they can show a prior hunting license from Idaho or another state.
Fee last verified 2026-09-12.
Heading out for Idaho 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 an Idaho hunting license costs
Residents pay $15.75 for the base annual hunting license; non-residents pay $185, plus a mandatory $10 access and depredation fee. Big game tags are separate and substantial for non-residents: a deer tag runs $351.75 and an elk tag $651.75. The non-resident base license is nonrefundable, which matters given the 2026 draw change discussed below.
The 2026 non-resident deer and elk draw change
Starting in 2026, non-resident general-season deer and elk tags are issued through a draw system rather than sold first-come, first-served as in past years. This is a significant planning change for out-of-state hunters used to simply buying a tag once the season's sale window opened; applying for the draw, and understanding its deadlines, is now a required step before a hunt can be planned around a specific unit.
Hunter education and who needs a license
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1975 must complete an IDFG-approved hunter education course before buying a license, unless they can show proof of a previously held hunting license from Idaho or any other state. A license is required for hunters 10 and older; those 10-17 must hold a junior license and be accompanied by a licensed adult.
How to buy your Idaho hunting license
license.gooutdoorsidaho.com is the official portal for licenses, tags and draw applications. Licenses are also sold at Idaho Fish and Game offices and authorized vendors statewide, and by phone.
Hunting in Idaho: what to expect
Idaho's elk hunting reputation is built on its vast public land, especially the roadless backcountry of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Selway-Bitterroot, where hunts often require pack animals or a lengthy hike to reach quality units. Whitetail deer hunting in the Panhandle and mule deer in the southern mountains and high desert offer more accessible options. Idaho also has real wolf and mountain lion seasons that draw a smaller but dedicated group of hunters, largely to the same backcountry units that hold elk.
Public land, backcountry access and the new draw reality
Idaho's public land base, national forest and BLM combined, is enormous, but the best-known backcountry elk units require serious logistics: pack strings, outfitters or a physically demanding self-guided hike well beyond road access. The 2026 shift to a draw for non-resident general deer and elk tags means the old strategy of simply buying a tag when sales opened no longer works; a non-resident planning a 2026 or later hunt needs to research draw odds and application deadlines for a specific unit well in advance, the same way many Western states have long required for their premium units.
How to renew a Idaho hunting license
There is no separate renewal process in Idaho. 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. 2026-2027 season; the non-resident base license is nonrefundable.
The fastest route is the official Idaho 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 Idaho 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.