2026 Alligator Season Dates by State (All 9 States)
When can you hunt alligators in 2026? Here are the application windows and season dates for the eight states with a regulated public season — plus why North Carolina is the exception.
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Eight U.S. states run a regulated public alligator season, and every one has different application windows, dates, and legal methods. (North Carolina is the exception — it does not run a public season; see the note below the table.) This page puts the 2026 dates side by side and links to a full rules guide for each state. Because seasons and rules change every year, treat this as a starting point and confirm the specifics with each state’s wildlife agency.
Application windows, season dates, fees, legal weapons, and tag rules change yearly and can be amended on short notice. Use the table below to plan, then confirm every detail with the official agency — links are in each state’s guide.
2026 alligator application & season dates by state
Checked July 31, 2026. Dates below are compiled from each state agency’s own 2026 announcements and published regulations, linked in the final column. Arkansas is confirmed directly against AGFC. Seasons, quotas and fees change year to year and can be amended on short notice, and some agencies update their pages late — always confirm with the agency before you hunt. Nothing here is legal advice; the agency regulation is the authority.
| State | 2026 application window | 2026 season dates | Key details | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Jun 2–23, 2026 ($22 admin fee) | Aug 13, Aug 20 & Sep 10, 2026 (sunset to sunrise) | 260 possession tags across 5 zones (SW 100, Coastal 50, W-Central 50, SE 40, Lake Eufaula 20). Registration only — no fee to enter. | Outdoor Alabama |
| Arkansas | Through midnight Jul 31, 2026 ($5, residents only) | Sep 18–21 and Sep 25–28, 2026 | 9 public locations across 3 Alligator Management Zones. Hunting 30 min after sunset to 30 min before sunrise. Gator must be 4 ft minimum. Private-land tags also available. | Arkansas Game & Fish |
| Florida | Statewide Phase I May 18–28; Super Hunt May 8–Jun 8, 2026 | Statewide Aug 15 – Nov 1, 2026; Super Hunt Aug 15 – Dec 31 | ~7,000 permits issued across four application phases. Trapping license + 2 CITES tags: $272 resident / $1,022 non-resident. | Florida FWC |
| Georgia | Jun 1 – Jul 15, 2026 | Aug 15, 2026 (sunset) – Oct 5, 2026 (sunrise) | 11 zones with set quotas. Highly competitive — a recent season drew 7,313 applicants for 850 permits. Quota Alligator Harvest Permit + Harvest Record required. | Georgia DNR |
| Louisiana | Varies by zone and landowner status | East Zone opens Aug 26; West Zone opens Sep 2; both through Dec 31, 2026. Separate recreational season Oct 1–31, 2026 | East zone traditionally opens the last Wednesday of August, west zone the first Wednesday of September. 2026 adds a distinct recreational season alongside the commercial one. | Louisiana LDWF |
| Mississippi | Public waters Jun 1–12; private lands May 1 – Jul 1, 2026 | Public: noon Aug 28 – noon Sep 7. Private lands: noon Aug 28 – 6:00 a.m. Sep 21, 2026 | No fee to apply. Public draw is residents and lifetime license holders only; drawn hunters had through Jun 30 to buy possession permits. Private-land applications require the landowner signature. | Mississippi MDWFP |
| South Carolina | Through Jul 15, 2026 ($10 application) | Noon Sep 12 – noon Oct 10, 2026 | Public draw hunt lottery. $10 non-refundable application fee; $100 tag fee if drawn. Applicants notified by email after the drawing. | South Carolina DNR |
| Texas | No draw for core counties — license and tags required | Core counties Sep 10–30, 2026; non-core counties Apr 1 – Jun 30, 2026 | 22 core counties including Chambers, Jefferson, Orange, Brazoria, Matagorda and Jackson. Non-core limit is one alligator per person per license year. | Texas TPWD |
| North Carolina | NCWRC lottery (very limited) | Roughly Sep–Oct, southeastern counties only | The smallest program of the nine — a tightly limited permit hunt in the southeastern part of the state. Confirm current-year status directly with NCWRC. | NC Wildlife |
Tap a state to open its full rules guide. North Carolina is not in this table because it does not run a public season — see the note below. Sources: state wildlife agencies (FWC, LDWF, TPWD, GADNR, SCDNR, MDWFP, Outdoor Alabama, Arkansas Game & Fish, NCWRC) and 2026 season announcements.
How alligator applications work
Most states award alligator tags by lottery or quota draw with an application window in early summer (often June–July) for a season that opens in late summer or fall. A few — notably Louisiana and Texas — are largely tag- and landowner-driven, where access to land with tags matters more than a draw. Methods split sharply too: the Southeast (MS, AL, GA, SC, AR, and Florida) requires you to catch and restrain the gator before dispatching it, while Louisiana and non-core Texas allow firearms. Each state guide spells out the details.
Full alligator rules guide for each state
- Alabama alligator hunting rules, season & methods
- Arkansas alligator hunting rules, season & methods
- Florida alligator hunting rules, season & methods
- Georgia alligator hunting rules, season & methods
- Louisiana alligator hunting rules, season & methods
- Mississippi alligator hunting rules, season & methods
- North Carolina: no standing season — how population reduction hunts actually work
- South Carolina alligator hunting rules, season & methods
- Texas alligator hunting rules, season & methods
New to it all? Start with our complete guide to alligator hunting across the Southern states, then gear up with budget heavy spinning combos, heavy braided line, and treble snag hooks.
Frequently asked questions
Eight: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. North Carolina allows only limited, municipality-requested population reduction hunts — not a public season or lottery like the other eight.
Louisiana (rifles and handguns, but never shotguns) and the non-core counties of Texas. Most Southeastern states require you to catch and restrain the gator first, then dispatch it; Florida allows only a bangstick on a restrained gator.
Most states open applications in early summer — often June or July — for seasons that run late summer into fall. Florida uses a phased drawing starting in May. Always confirm the exact 2026 window with the state agency.
The bottom line
Eight states offer a regulated public alligator season in 2026, each with its own dates, draw, and legal methods. North Carolina is the exception — it has no public season, only rare, municipality-requested population reduction hunts. Use the table to compare the eight at a glance, open the state guide for the details, and always verify the current rules with the official agency before you apply or hunt.
More 2026 Alligator Hunting Guides
- Alligator Hunting Cost: DIY vs. Guided (2026) – real outfitter rates vs. DIY gear costs, state by state.
- Gator Bowfishing Gear: The Complete Buying Guide (2026) – bows, arrows, points, reels, and line for legal gator bowfishing.
- 4 Legal Ways to Hunt Alligators (2026) – snagging, harpooning, bowfishing, and snares compared.
- Alligator Hunting Boat Accessories You Actually Need (2026) – trolling motors, lights, dry boxes, and more.
