Georgia Hunting License 2026-27: Costs & Rules

Georgia keeps its hunting license system simple on paper: buy a basic license, then add privileges for whatever you actually plan to hunt. The catch is that basic hunting privileges do not cover deer, turkey, bear or waterfowl, and nonresidents pay a very different bill. Here is what a Georgia hunting license costs for 2026-27, which add-ons you need, and the free paperwork that trips people up most.

Georgia Hunting License Fees for 2026-27

There is no single "Georgia hunting license." Prices depend on residency, age and how many days you plan to hunt.

Annual licenses in Georgia cover 365 days from the date of purchase rather than the calendar year, so buying in early fall can cover both your late-2026 and early-2027 hunts. A $3 online transaction fee applies, and an optional hard card costs $6.

The Big Game Privilege: What Deer Hunters Must Add

Basic hunting privileges cover small game, deer-dog hunting and access to listed state properties. Deer, turkey and bear all require the separate Big Game license, and a basic hunting license is a prerequisite for it. The Sportsman's License includes Big Game, so it is often the cleanest single purchase if you hunt multiple species and also fish.

Nonresident hunters 15 and under need a valid hunting license to hunt big game but are exempt from the Big Game privilege requirement. Georgia residents who have been domiciled in the state for at least three months before purchase qualify for resident pricing.

Free Licenses You Still Have to Carry

Georgia has several no-cost items that are mandatory even for hunters who do not need a license at all. Missing them is the most common compliance mistake.

• Harvest Record: required for every deer, turkey, alligator and bear hunter of any age, even those with a full-privilege license or no license requirement. It is valid for a single season (March to February), so grab a new one each year, and record your kill before the carcass is moved.
• Georgia Game Check: all harvested deer, turkey, bear and alligators must be reported within 24 hours through the Outdoors GA app, online or by phone. The app logs harvests offline and syncs later.
• GA Waterfowl Migratory Bird License: free for Georgia residents hunting doves, ducks and geese, and included with the Sportsman's License.
• Federal Duck Stamp: $29 and required for anyone 16 and older hunting ducks or geese.
• Saltwater Information Program (SIP) permit: free, but required for saltwater fishing.

Hunter Education Rules

You must complete a qualifying hunter education course to buy any hunting license with hunting privileges that lasts a year or longer. One-day and other short-term licenses are exempt. Hunters on their own land, or on land owned by an immediate family member in the same household, are exempt from most license requirements — but still need the free Harvest Record for deer and turkey and the waterfowl license plus duck stamp for migratory birds. Who needs a hunter education card covers how Georgia's rules compare with neighboring states.

How to Buy a Georgia License

Licenses are sold through Go Outdoors Georgia online and in the Outdoors GA app, by phone at 1-800-366-2661 (Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and at license agents statewide. Short-term licenses can be bought with a future start date, and up to 10 additional consecutive days can be added at a reduced daily rate as long as the license has not expired.

If you do not hunt or fish and only want access to Wildlife Resources Division properties, a Lands Pass works — but a basic license costs less in most cases, and license sales return a share of federal excise taxes to Georgia for wildlife work. Most public-land hunters will want the license instead.

The Bottom Line

A Georgia resident deer hunter needs three things: the $15 annual hunting license, the Big Game privilege, and the free Harvest Record. A nonresident deer hunter starts at $100 for the annual license, adds Big Game, and carries the same free Harvest Record. Buy through Go Outdoors Georgia, keep digital or printed proof on you, and remember that annual licenses run 365 days from purchase — so buying early extends your value into next season.