Louisiana Hunting License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Louisiana hunting license costs $20 for a resident adult and $200 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).
Louisiana's basic hunting license is the entry point every hunter needs, but it doesn't cover deer, turkey or waterfowl on its own: those are each separate licenses, and the non-resident basic license alone runs ten times what a resident pays.
Basic hunting license required of all hunters is shown; it does not include deer ($15 resident/$100 non-resident), turkey or waterfowl privileges, which are separate. Louisiana has no minimum hunting age, but hunters born on or after Sep 1, 1969 must complete hunter education, and anyone hunting alone (unsupervised) must be at least 12 and hunter-education certified. Hunters and anglers can display an e-license through the LA Wallet app.
Fee last verified 2026-09-12.
Heading out for Louisiana 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 Louisiana hunting license costs
The Basic Hunting License is $20 for residents and $200 for non-residents, valid 365 days from purchase. It does not include deer hunting privileges: a deer license is a separate $15 for residents or $100 for non-residents. Turkey and waterfowl each need their own additional license or stamp on top of the basic license.
Who needs a license, and hunter education
Louisiana has no minimum age to hunt under adult supervision, but hunters born on or after September 1, 1969 must complete hunter education, and anyone hunting unsupervised must be at least 12 and hunter-education certified. Louisiana hunters and anglers can display a valid e-license through the state's LA Wallet app instead of carrying a paper copy.
License year
A Louisiana hunting license is valid for 365 days from the date of purchase, which gives hunters flexibility to buy whenever they plan to start rather than working around a fixed statewide reset date.
How to buy your Louisiana hunting license
LouisianaOutdoors.com sells the basic license, deer license, turkey and waterfowl add-ons as e-licenses that can be printed or saved to a phone. The LA Wallet app is the state's preferred way to carry proof of license in the field.
Hunting in Louisiana: what to expect
Louisiana's waterfowl hunting is nationally significant: the coastal marshes and the Atchafalaya Basin sit along the Mississippi Flyway and hold some of the best duck hunting in the country, drawing hunters for teal, gadwall, pintail and a genuine specklebelly and snow goose season on the coastal prairie. Deer hunting is widespread statewide, with the Kisatchie National Forest in the west-central part of the state offering the largest single block of public land hunting. Alligator hunting, tightly regulated and mostly conducted by licensed hunters on specific properties or public lands during a defined season, is a uniquely Louisiana pursuit most other states don't offer at all.
Public land, the Basin, and Louisiana's coastal marsh
Louisiana's Wildlife Management Areas, especially those along the coast and in the Atchafalaya Basin, provide extensive public waterfowl hunting access, though navigating the flooded timber and marsh often requires a boat and local knowledge of water levels that shift with rainfall and Gulf tides. Kisatchie National Forest anchors public deer and turkey hunting in the uplands away from the coast. Because so much of Louisiana's best waterfowl ground is marsh and swamp rather than dry land, first-time visitors should budget time to scout access points and understand navigation before opening day rather than assuming a parking-lot walk-in like a Midwest public hunting area.
How to renew a Louisiana hunting license
There is no separate renewal process in Louisiana. 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 the date of purchase.
The fastest route is the official Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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.