Vermont Hunting License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy

A Vermont hunting license costs $28 for a resident adult and $102 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).

Vermont keeps its base hunting license affordable for residents, but archery, muzzleloader and turkey each require their own separate permit on top, so a Vermont hunter chasing more than one season needs to budget for several small purchases rather than one all-inclusive fee.

What a Vermont hunting license costs

Residents pay $28 for the annual hunting license; non-residents pay $102. Archery deer, muzzleloader deer and turkey permits are each a separate $23 add-on regardless of residency. Resident youth (17 and under) pay $8; non-resident youth pay $25, and a non-resident small-game-only license is $50. A 5-year resident license is $134 ($504 non-resident).

Hunter education requirements

All first-time hunters, bowhunters and trappers in Vermont must complete a course approved by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department before their first license of that respective type, regardless of age. The minimum age for an online-only hunter education course is 12, though there's no statewide minimum age for the in-person version.

License year and deadlines

Vermont hunting licenses run the calendar year, January 1 through December 31, so a license bought late in the year covers only the remaining months before a new one is needed.

How to buy your Vermont hunting license

Vermont Fish and Wildlife's online licensing system at vtfishandwildlife.com sells the base license and every permit together, and licenses are also available at town clerk offices and license agents around the state.

Hunting in Vermont: what to expect

The Northeast Kingdom, Vermont's remote northeastern corner, holds the state's best deer and moose densities in a landscape of large private timberland and public wildlife management areas with far less development pressure than the Champlain Valley. Vermont's traditional November rifle season for deer remains a genuine cultural touchstone in rural parts of the state, and the archery and muzzleloader seasons that bracket it extend the opportunity for hunters willing to buy the additional permits.

The combo license and public land

Vermont's resident Combination license at $47 bundles hunting and fishing for less than buying the $28 hunting and a separate fishing license would cost, worth it for any resident who does both even occasionally. Vermont's Wildlife Management Areas and the Green Mountain National Forest together give hunters real public-land options statewide, though the best deer and moose habitat in the Northeast Kingdom leans more heavily on private timberland than public ground.

How to renew a Vermont hunting license

There is no separate renewal process in Vermont. 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 run the calendar year, Jan 1 through Dec 31.

The fastest route is the official Vermont 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 Vermont 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.