West Virginia Hunting License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A West Virginia hunting license costs $19 for a resident adult and $119 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).
West Virginia's base hunting license is cheap for residents, but non-residents face a mandatory Conservation/Law Enforcement Stamp on top of the base license before they can hunt anything at all, a cost some visiting hunters don't budget for until checkout.
Base (Class A) license covers small game only; deer, bear and turkey hunters need a Big Game Stamp plus a weapon-specific stamp on top. Non-residents also need a Conservation/Law Enforcement (CS/LE) Stamp, $13, alongside their base license; a non-resident junior sportsman license (ages 8-17) is $16 plus the CS/LE stamp. Residents born on or after Jan 1, 1975 must complete a certified hunter education course before buying a base license.
Fee last verified 2026-09-12.
Heading out for West Virginia 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 West Virginia hunting license costs
Residents pay $19 for the annual Class A base license, which covers small game only; non-residents pay $119. Deer, bear and turkey hunters need a Big Game Stamp plus a weapon-specific stamp on top of the base license. Non-residents also need a Conservation/Law Enforcement (CS/LE) Stamp, $13, alongside their base license. A non-resident junior sportsman license (ages 8-17) is $16 plus the CS/LE stamp.
Who needs a license, and hunter education
Residents born on or after January 1, 1975 must complete a certified hunter education course before buying a base license. All non-residents need licensing regardless of age, and even non-residents who own West Virginia property cannot hunt it without the proper license.
License year and deadlines
West Virginia hunting licenses run the calendar year and expire December 31 regardless of purchase date, so a license bought in the fall covers only the remaining weeks of that calendar year.
How to buy your West Virginia hunting license
WVDNR's online licensing portal at wvhunt.com sells the base license and every stamp together, and licenses are also available at authorized license agents statewide.
Hunting in West Virginia: what to expect
West Virginia's mountainous eastern counties, Pocahontas, Randolph and Pendleton among them, hold the state's best public-land deer and bear hunting across the Monongahela National Forest's roughly 900,000 acres. Turkey hunting has rebounded strongly statewide, and West Virginia's bear population, one of the densest in the East, supports a genuine bear season that draws hunters from neighboring states specifically for that opportunity.
The stamp stack for non-residents
A non-resident planning a West Virginia deer hunt should budget for the $119 base license, the $13 CS/LE stamp, a Big Game Stamp, and a weapon-specific stamp for whichever season (archery, muzzleloader or gun) they're hunting, a real stack beyond the $119 headline figure. Residents face a far gentler total: $19 plus a Big Game Stamp and weapon stamp, without the additional CS/LE requirement that applies only to non-residents.
How to renew a West Virginia hunting license
There is no separate renewal process in West Virginia. 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 and expire December 31 regardless of purchase date.
The fastest route is the official West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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.