Wyoming Hunting License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Wyoming hunting license costs $27 for a resident adult and $74 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).
Wyoming's base hunting license, the Game Bird/Small Game license most hunters buy first, is inexpensive on its own, but the state's real cost lives in its big game tags, where non-resident elk, deer and antelope prices run into the hundreds of dollars before any application fee.
Figures shown are the 12-month Game Bird/Small Game license. A $21.50 Conservation Stamp is required alongside every hunting license. Big game species licenses are separate and substantial for non-residents (deer $374, elk $692, antelope $326), with non-resident elk licenses including fishing privileges. Hunter education is required for anyone born on or after Jan 1, 1966.
Fee last verified 2026-09-12.
Heading out for Wyoming 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 Wyoming hunting license costs
Residents pay $27 for the 12-month Game Bird/Small Game license; non-residents pay $74. A $21.50 Conservation Stamp is required alongside every hunting license regardless of type. Big game species licenses are separate and substantial for non-residents: deer is $374, elk $692, and antelope $326, compared to resident rates of $42, $57 and $37 respectively. Non-resident elk licenses uniquely include fishing privileges as part of the package.
Who needs a license, and hunter education
Wyoming residents and non-residents 12 and older need a hunting license. Hunters as young as 11 may buy one with proof of hunter education, though those 11-13 must be accompanied by a licensed adult. Hunter education is required for anyone born on or after January 1, 1966, with an exemption for hunters using the Hunter Mentor Program's special authorization.
License year and deadlines
Wyoming hunting licenses run the calendar year, and hunters are required to carry proof of hunter education in the field at all times while hunting.
How to buy your Wyoming hunting license
Wyoming Game and Fish Department's online system at wgfd.wyo.gov sells the base license, Conservation Stamp and big game licenses together, and licenses are also available at Game and Fish regional offices and authorized vendors statewide.
Hunting in Wyoming: what to expect
Wyoming is genuinely one of the best big game states in the country: the Wind River Range and the Bighorn Mountains hold strong elk and mule deer populations, and the state's antelope hunting, concentrated in the sagebrush basins of the south-central and southwestern parts of the state, is considered among the best in North America. Most quality big game hunts, especially for elk in limited-quota areas, run through a competitive draw rather than over-the-counter tag sales, so building preference points over multiple years matters for anyone serious about a Wyoming hunt.
Public land and the draw system
Wyoming is overwhelmingly public land, more than 30% federal BLM and Forest Service ground plus extensive state land, so access is rarely the limiting factor the way it is in more developed Eastern states. The limiting factor is drawing a tag, particularly for elk in the state's better units, where non-resident applicants should expect to apply for several years before drawing a quality tag rather than plan a first-year hunt around it.
How to renew a Wyoming hunting license
There is no separate renewal process in Wyoming. 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. Hunters must generally be 12 or older, though 11-year-olds with hunter education may hunt accompanied by a licensed adult.
The fastest route is the official Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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.