How Much Is a Deer Hunting License? Costs in 10 Southern States
A resident of most Southern states can hunt deer for $18 to $66 a year. A nonresident pays $156.50 to $411.95 for the same season. The difference is mostly in the add-ons: several states sell the base license cheap and charge separately for the deer privilege. Below are the totals for ten states, checked against each wildlife agency’s fee page.
The short answer: for an adult hunting deer on private land in 2026–27, the cheapest resident total in this group is South Carolina ($18: a $12 hunting license plus a $6 big game permit) and the most expensive is Tennessee ($66 for one weapon type). For nonresidents, Florida is lowest at $156.50 a year and Alabama is highest at $411.95. Short-term licenses in Arkansas, Georgia and Louisiana bring a weekend trip to $100–$150.
Every figure below comes from the state agency’s own price list or official regulations guide, checked on November 10, 2026. Agencies add transaction or agent fees at checkout, and those are not in the totals. If you are still choosing dates, the 2026–27 deer season dates by state and the Southeast rut calendar sit alongside this page.
What an adult pays to hunt deer in each state
This table adds the base license to whatever separate deer privilege the state requires, which is the number most cost lists leave out. Each state name links to the agency page the figures came from.
| State | Resident buys | Resident total | Nonresident buys | Nonresident total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | All Game license | $35.30 | All Game annual | $411.95 |
| Arkansas | Resident Sportsman’s (6 deer tags) | $25 | Annual All Game (6 deer tags) | $410 |
| Mississippi | All Game Hunting/Freshwater Fishing (gun seasons) | $25 | All Game $300 + Deer Permit $100 | $400 |
| Georgia | Hunting $15 + Big Game $25 | $40 | Hunting $100 + Big Game $225 | $325 |
| Texas | Resident Hunting | $25 | Non-resident General Hunting | $315 |
| Tennessee | Hunt/Fish Combination $33 + one Big Game supplemental $33 | $66 | Annual All Game | $305 |
| Louisiana | Basic Hunting $20 + Deer $15 | $35 | Basic Hunting $200 + Deer $100 | $300 |
| South Carolina | State Hunting $12 + Big Game Permit $6 (deer tags free) | $18 | Hunting $125 + Big Game Permit $100 + first buck tag $50 | $275 |
| North Carolina | Comprehensive Hunting | $49 | State Hunting $124 + Big Game $124 | $248 |
| Florida | Hunting $17 + Deer Permit $5 | $22 | Hunting $151.50 + Deer Permit $5 | $156.50 |
Tennessee’s $66 covers one weapon type; each extra supplemental (gun, archery or muzzleloader) is another $33, or the $165 Annual Sportsman covers everything. South Carolina’s nonresident total includes the $50 unrestricted buck tag, which must be bought before any other buck tags. North Carolina’s nonresident total is the standard rate; hunters from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia pay different amounts (see below). Mississippi lists a $1–$3 agent fee and a $2.49 (resident) or $4.42 (nonresident) processing fee on each item.
Resident and nonresident costs side by side
The chart puts the same totals on one scale. Resident totals stay within $48 of each other; nonresident totals are more than $250 apart.
Three things stand out. Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi all charge nonresidents about $400 or more. Florida’s nonresident license is less than half that. And the resident ranking changes once you hunt with more than one weapon: Mississippi’s $25 license does not cover archery or primitive weapon seasons (that is a $14 add-on, or the $45 Sportsman’s License), and Tennessee charges per weapon type.
The add-ons that catch people at the counter
The base license is rarely the whole bill. These are the extra privileges each agency lists for deer hunters, separate from the totals above.
| State | What covers deer | Common extras |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | All Game license | Baiting privilege to hunt deer or hogs over bait: $18.95 resident, $65.25 nonresident, all ages. Wildlife Management Area license $23.40. |
| Mississippi | All Game (gun) or Sportsman’s (adds archery and primitive weapon) | Archery/primitive weapon/crossbow $14 resident, $75 nonresident. Nonresident Deer Permit $100 includes the velvet season. |
| Georgia | Hunting license plus Big Game license | Free Harvest Record required at every age; harvests reported within 24 hours through Georgia Game Check. Sportsman’s License ($65 resident) bundles big game. |
| Louisiana | Basic Hunting plus Deer license | Deer license already includes archery, primitive weapon and tags. WMA Access Permit $20 a year (included in Sportsman’s Paradise). |
| Texas | Hunting license | Archery Hunting Endorsement: $7. |
| Arkansas | Sportsman’s (residents) or All Game (nonresidents) | Residents who only want one deer can buy the $10.50 Wildlife Conservation License (one tag). Leased Lands Permit $75. |
| Tennessee | Combination plus Big Game supplemental | $33 for each supplemental: gun, archery, muzzleloader. The $165 Annual Sportsman needs no supplementals. |
| South Carolina | Hunting license plus Big Game Permit | Residents get 5 deer tags free (2 antlerless, 3 buck). WMA permit $30.50 resident, $76 nonresident; the $50 resident Sportsman’s includes WMA. |
| North Carolina | Comprehensive (residents) or Hunting plus Big Game | A $5 transaction fee is added to each order. |
| Florida | Hunting license plus Deer Permit | Archery and muzzleloading season permits $5 each. Management Area Permit $26.50. |
Public land is where most of these extras apply. If you are deciding between a lease and a WMA, the public vs. private land rules explain what changes once you cross the property line.
Short trips: the cheapest legal options for nonresidents
A traveling hunter rarely needs an annual license. Most of these states sell a short-term option that covers deer. Texas is the exception: its nonresident General Hunting License is the only license that allows white-tailed deer.
| State | Option | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 1-Day Hunting / 3-Day Hunting (6 deer tags each) | $100 / $225 |
| Louisiana | 5-day Basic Hunting $65 + 5-day Deer $35 | $100 |
| Georgia | One-day Hunting $20 + one-day Big Game $130; each added day $6 + $8 | $150 for one day, $164 for two |
| Alabama | All Game 3-Day Trip / 10-Day Trip | $179.05 / $253.95 |
| North Carolina | 10-day State Hunting $99 + 10-day Big Game $99 (standard rate) | $198 |
| Tennessee | 7-Day All Game | $214 |
| South Carolina | 10-day Hunting $75 + Big Game Permit $100 + first buck tag $50 | $225 |
| Mississippi | 7-Day All Game $150 + Deer Permit $100 | $250 |
| Texas | No short-term deer license; General Hunting only | $315 |
Florida’s hunting license page did not list a short-term nonresident license when checked; the annual is $151.50 plus the $5 Deer Permit. South Carolina lists its nonresident Big Game Permit only as an annual permit. Georgia’s short-term prices are from its price chart (updated May 2025); its annual prices match the agency’s license guide checked today.
For a two-day trip, Georgia comes to $164 and Arkansas’s 3-day license to $225, against $410 for Arkansas’s annual. A trip of five days or fewer in Louisiana costs $100, a third of its $300 annual total.
North Carolina prices you by your home state
North Carolina uses reciprocal pricing for residents of four neighboring states, so what you pay depends on where you live. The result can surprise you: a South Carolina hunter pays about 75% more than the standard nonresident rate.
| Hunter’s home state | State Hunting | Big Game | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $125 | $310 | $435 |
| Georgia | $100 | $225 | $325 |
| Tennessee | $110 | $195 | $305 |
| Any other state | $124 | $124 | $248 |
| Virginia | $110 | $85 | $195 |
Source: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission regulations, via the hunting license and privilege license pages of its official digest (updated July 14, 2026). The commission’s license types and fees page links to these tables.
Hunter education and try-before-you-certify licenses
Hunter education rules turn on your birth date, and the cutoff differs by state. Louisiana requires it for anyone born on or after September 1, 1969, Mississippi for license buyers born after January 1, 1972, and South Carolina for anyone born after June 30, 1979. Georgia requires it for annual licenses with hunting privileges but not for short-term licenses. Check your own state’s rule before you assume an older certificate is not needed, and carry the card or number with you.
Several states let a new hunter go before finishing the course:
- Georgia: the Apprentice Combo license costs $5 a day for residents and $30 a day for nonresidents, with no hunter education required. A Big Game license is still needed for deer.
- Arkansas: a free Deferred Hunter Education License covers one year and can be renewed.
- Tennessee: an Apprentice Hunter Education Permit costs $11.
Once a deer is down, the clock moves to tagging, reporting and cooling the meat. The field dressing guide and the home processing guide cover what comes next.
FAQ
Do I need a separate deer tag?
It depends on the state. Arkansas and Louisiana include deer tags with the license, and South Carolina gives residents five free tags. Georgia requires a free Harvest Record. South Carolina charges nonresidents $50 for the first buck tag.
Which Southern state is cheapest for a nonresident deer hunter?
For a full season, Florida at $156.50 (license plus Deer Permit). For a short trip, Arkansas’s 1-day license and Louisiana’s 5-day combination are both $100.
When do these licenses expire?
Alabama and Texas licenses expire August 31. Arkansas annual licenses expire June 30. Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina annual licenses run one year from the purchase date, and North Carolina privilege licenses run 12 months from purchase.
Do landowners need a license to hunt their own land?
In Alabama, resident landowners and their immediate family can hunt their own property without a license. In Georgia, resident landowners hunting their own land need only the free Harvest Record for deer. Nonresident landowners in Georgia must buy a nonresident license.
Do kids need a license?
Rules vary. South Carolina does not require a license under age 16. Texas sells a $7 youth license for hunters under 17. Louisiana requires a $5 youth hunting license for deer for anyone under 18.
Sources
- Alabama DCNR, Hunting Recreational Licenses – Resident and Non-Resident (checked November 10, 2026)
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Hunting License Descriptions and Fees
- Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Hunting & Fishing License Prices
- Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, What License Do I Need? and License Price Chart (PDF, updated May 2025)
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Hunting Licenses and Hunting Endorsements
- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, License Structure and Fees
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Hunting Licenses, Permits, and Tags
- South Carolina DNR, Resident License Pricing, Nonresident License Pricing and License Pricing (hunter education requirement)
- North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, License Types and Fees; official regulations digest: Hunting & Trapping Licenses and Privilege Licenses, Stamps & Certifications
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Recreational Hunting Licenses & Permits
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