Massachusetts Hunting License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Massachusetts hunting license costs $40 for a resident adult and $112 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).
Massachusetts finished a five-year phased fee increase in 2026 to shore up MassWildlife's funding, so the numbers below are the final, stable rates rather than a mid-increase snapshot. The license buys two antlered deer tags outright, which is more generous than most Northeastern states bundle into a base license.
Figure shown is the all-game (big game) license most adult hunters buy, which includes two antlered deer tags; non-residents can instead buy a small-game-only license for $78. A $5 Wildlands Conservation Stamp is required alongside every hunting license. Turkey, pheasant/quail, bear and waterfowl each need additional permits or stamps. Hunters 12-14 may hunt accompanied without a license; anyone 18 or older buying a first-ever license must complete Basic Hunter Education.
Fee last verified 2026-09-12.
Heading out for Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts hunting license costs
Residents pay $40 for the annual all-game hunting license; non-residents pay $112 for the same all-game version, or $78 for a small-game-only license if deer aren't the target. Every hunting license also requires a mandatory $5 Wildlands Conservation Stamp. Hunters 70 and older get a free license. The base license includes two antlered deer tags valid statewide, but antlerless deer, bear, turkey, pheasant/quail and waterfowl each need a separate permit or stamp.
Who needs a license, and hunter safety rules
Massachusetts hunters 15 and older need a license; those 12-14 may hunt without one but only while accompanied by a licensed adult 18 or older, sharing a single firearm or bow and a single bag limit between them. Anyone 18 or older buying their first-ever Massachusetts hunting or sporting license must complete a Basic Hunter Education course; hunters 12-17 are not required to take it but must follow the accompaniment rules instead.
License year and deadlines
Every Massachusetts hunting license expires December 31 regardless of purchase date, so a license bought in October only covers a few months before a new one is needed for the following year.
How to buy your Massachusetts hunting license
MassFishHunt, the state's online licensing system, sells the license, stamps and permits in one transaction and is the fastest option. Licenses are also available by phone and at MassWildlife district offices and license agents, though online purchases carry a small administrative and convenience fee that in-person MassWildlife office purchases avoid.
Hunting in Massachusetts: what to expect
Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires and the hill towns of Franklin and Hampshire counties, holds the state's best deer densities and the most contiguous forest for a multi-day hunt. Central Massachusetts state forests like Quabbin's watershed lands (managed hunts by permit) and the Wendell/Erving State Forest complex add large blocks of huntable public ground closer to Worcester. Coastal marshes around Plum Island and the South Shore see the heaviest waterfowl pressure each fall as Atlantic Flyway ducks and geese stage before continuing south.
Public land and the Quabbin permit hunts
The Quabbin Reservoir watershed runs a controlled deer hunt by permit specifically to manage the herd around the water supply, and it's one of the more unusual public hunting opportunities in the Northeast: heavily regulated, but on land that's otherwise closed to the public. Away from Quabbin, Massachusetts' Wildlife Management Areas, over 200,000 acres statewide, are the default public hunting ground, concentrated most heavily in the central and western parts of the state.
How to renew a Massachusetts hunting license
There is no separate renewal process in Massachusetts. 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. Licenses expire December 31 each year regardless of purchase date.
The fastest route is the official Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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.