Hunting and Trapping Licenses
Hunting and fishing licenses, stamps, and permits can be purchased 24/7 on the DEEP’s Online Outdoor Licensing System. These items can also be purchased at outdoor equipment retailers and some town halls (please check with your local town hall to find out about availability or any restrictions) and select DEEP offices.
Hunting and fishing licenses purchased through CT's Online Outdoor Licensing System are signed electronically at the time of purchase, allowing you to keep a digitally signed copy on your smartphone instead of needing to have a signed, printed copy! Licenses purchased through a license agent location must still be printed and signed to be valid.
All license fees, along with fees for permits and stamps, are 50% off for resident 16 and 17-year-olds. Stamp and permit fees are 50% off for resident 12-15 year-olds. Junior hunters 12-15 years old are required to purchase the Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp for $9.
Landowner Hunting Permits
(10 or more contiguous acres required) Turkey permits have been replaced by the Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp. Landowners may take turkeys on their property (any season) with either a Free Landowner Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp or a Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp. There is no additional bag limit for turkeys due to the free stamp. Landowners may take deer on their property with a Free Landowner Deer Permit.
Archery Permits and Bird Hunting Stamps
All permits and stamps can be purchased from Connecticut's Online Outdoor Licensing System.
Small Game and Deer Archery Permit - Valid for Calendar Year
(Fees: $41.00 Resident; $135.00 Non-Resident; $21.00 16- and 17-year-old Resident; $10 Junior Resident; $19 Junior Non-resident)
Available online, and at most town clerks and some outdoor equipment stores. Must show proof of completion of the CE/FS bowhunting course (since 1982) or its equivalent from another state or country when purchasing a small game/deer archery permit. A previous bowhunting license, permit, or stamp no longer qualifies. Photocopies of certificates will be accepted as proof of course completion. Do not send original certificates. This permit is required for all forms of archery hunting. It allows bowhunting for deer on both state and private land. Junior permits available for persons ages 12 to 15.
Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamp - Valid for Calendar Year
(Fees: $28.00 Resident; $14.00 12- to 17-year-old Resident; $28.00 Non-resident ages 12 and up)
Current firearms hunting license or Small Game and Archery Deer Permit required. Available online, and at most town clerks and some outdoor equipment stores. This stamp is required to hunt pheasant, ruffed grouse, quail, partridge, AND wild turkey. When purchased, authorization will be printed on your license. All revenue from the sale of Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamps is deposited into a separate, non-lapsing account to use exclusively for game birds and their habitat.
Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp - Valid for Calendar Year
(Fees: $17.00 Resident; $9.00 Resident 12- through 17-year-olds; $17.00 Non-resident ages 12 and up)
Available online, and at most town clerks and some outdoor equipment stores. This stamp has been merged with the $4 HIP permit into a single stamp, which is required for anyone, including junior hunters, hunting waterfowl, rails, snipe, woodcock, and crows. The state stamp no longer needs to be signed or carried while hunting. If you want a copy of the actual stamp mailed to you, answer “yes” to the prompt when selecting the stamp for purchase. Physical stamps can also be purchased by mailing a request with the enclosed fee to DEEP Licensing and Revenue, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106.
Changes have been made to HIP permits purchased through third-party license vendors. Learn how the changes affect you. There are no changes if you purchase your HIP permit through DEEP's Online Outdoor Licensing System.
Federal Duck Stamp - Valid from July 1 through June 30
(Fees: $25 Resident $25 Non-resident)
Available at most Post Offices. Also available by telephone and online. Stamp must be signed in ink across its face. Junior hunters ages 12-15 are exempt from purchasing the federal stamps.
Hunters who have encountered problems purchasing the Federal Duck Stamp at local post offices can purchase the Electronic Duck Stamp, or E-Stamp, online for immediate use. You may purchase the E-Stamp from another state as DEEP's online system currently is unable to process Federal Duck Stamp purchases. The actual stamp will be mailed to you after purchase, but you will have an E-Stamp to use until you receive the actual stamp. Details on how to purchase an E-Stamp are on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.
Hunting and Fishing Guide Registration
Anyone providing fishing and hunting guide services in Connecticut needs to register annually with DEEP. Guides can register using DEEP's Online Outdoor Licensing System or in person at vendors where hunting and fishing licenses and permits are sold. There is a $100 fee for this registration.
Propagated Game Birds for Shooting Preserves, Dog Training and Field Trials
The taking of propagated game birds on regulated private shooting preserves, regulated dog training areas, approved pheasant exempt areas, and field trial areas requires that each bird taken be identified with a tag containing the permittee’s name and date of taking. Handwritten tags are permitted or a full sheet of Game Bird Harvest Tags may be downloaded for printing from the DEEP website. Hunters wishing to hunt on state state-owned or state-managed lands stocked with pheasants should not have any pheasants in their possession that were harvested from a Shooting Preserve, Dog Training Area, approved exempt area, or Field Trial Area as those birds will be counted as part of the daily bag limit by Law Enforcement. Importation of game birds from another state requires a permit from the Department of Agriculture (860-713-2508).
Snapping Turtle Trapping Endorsement
Firearms Deer Hunting Permits
Available online, and at most DEEP offices and town clerks and some outdoor equipment stores. A current firearms hunting license is required to purchase firearms deer permits.
Deer Lottery Permits can be applied for starting January 2, 2024, at 9:30 AM. No one may purchase both a State Land Lottery Permit and a State Land No-Lottery Permit. If you are rejected for a lottery permit, you may still purchase a State Land No-Lottery permit.
|
Permit Type |
Resident Fee |
Non-resident Fee |
Opening Day |
|---|---|---|---|
|
State Land Lottery "A" Season* |
$19.00 | $68.00 | Nov. 20 |
| State Land Lottery Regular Season* Resident 12-17 year-olds: Fee=$10 |
$19.00 | $68.00 | Nov. 20 |
| State Land No-Lottery Season* Resident 12-17 year-olds: Fee=$10 |
$19.00 | $68.00 | Nov. 20 |
| Private Land Shotgun/Rifle/Revolver Resident 12-17 year-olds: Fee=$10 |
$19 | $68.00 | Nov. 20 |
| Landowner 10 or more contiguous acres required. |
Free | Free | Nov. 1 |
| State Land Muzzleloader Resident 12-17 year-olds: Fee=$10 |
$19.00 | $68.00 | Dec. 11 |
| Private Land Muzzleloader Resident 12-17 year-olds: Fee=$10 |
$19.00 | $68.00 | Dec. 11 |
Revolver Deer Endorsement - Fee = $5
Allows persons hunting with a Free Landowner Permit or Connecticut residents hunting with a Private Land Shotgun/Rifle Permit to use a revolver rather than a rifle or a shotgun to hunt deer on private lands of at least 10 acres in size. A person using a handgun for hunting must possess any required state/town permits to carry.
Conservation ID Numbers
Everyone issued a license is given a unique Conservation ID# that should be used every time and every year when purchasing licenses and permits. If you log on to the Online Sportsmen Licensing system, or go to a vendor for your licenses, always use your Conservation ID# as a means of identification. You should write your Conservation ID# down and keep it in a safe place. Your Conservation ID# is your license number.
Hunter Education Requirements
No hunting or trapping licenses will be issued to any person unless proof is provided that they have held a RESIDENT license in the respective discipline within the last 5 years OR the person has a certificate indicating successful completion of a Connecticut Conservation Education/Firearms Safety (CE/FS) course (or recognized equivalent) in the respective discipline for which they are applying. Hunter education coursework may have been completed online but MUST have been accompanied by a field day. “Apprentice” or “Mentored” hunting licenses issued in other states do not qualify. To become certified in firearms or bowhunting, a person must be 10 years or older. All bowhunters must show proof when purchasing a small game/deer archery permit that they have completed the CE/FS bowhunting course (since 1982) or its equivalent from another state or country. Certifications from another state or country must specify Bowhunter Education. On and after January 1, 2002, permits to hunt with a bow and arrow under the provisions of this chapter shall be issued only to qualified applicants who have successfully completed the conservation education bow hunting course as specified in section 26-31 or an equivalent course in another state. Obtain course listings online or by contacting the CE/FS program at 860-424-3011.
Printing Hunter Safety Certificates
After successfully completing a hunter safety course, your certification will be uploaded to your online license profile and will print directly at the bottom of your hunting or fishing license (you may print your certification without making a purchase). Certificates will no longer be mailed. To print your certificate, go to the Online Outdoor Licensing System.
Age 65+ Annual Licenses
Firearms hunting and trapping licenses are issued free to residents who meet hunter and trapper education requirements. These licenses must be renewed annually.
Hunting and Trapping by Minors
A person must be 12 years of age or older to hunt. Persons 12 through 15 years of age must be licensed and accompanied by a licensed hunter 18 years of age or older while hunting. A person may not supervise more than 2 minors at one time while hunting. Minors are entitled to their own bag limits. Junior license holders do not have to purchase a new license if they turn 16 years of age during the same calendar year. Learn more about Junior Hunter Training Days for spring turkeys, pheasants, waterfowl, and deer.
There is no minimum age requirement for trapping. Persons under age 16 must purchase a Junior Trapping License.
Free License for Hunters with Disabilities
A resident who has loss of one or more limbs or has permanently lost the use of one or more limbs may be issued a hunting or trapping license free-of-charge (permits and stamps not included). Qualified non-residents are eligible for this free license if their state provides the same privilege to Connecticut residents. Verification of the disability, signed by a licensed physician, must be presented. These licenses are available at select DEEP offices, along with participating town clerk offices. (Information on Hunting Opportunities for the Disabled)
Armed Forces
Any active full-time member of the U.S. armed forces may purchase a Connecticut hunting, fishing, or trapping license for the same fees as a resident. Proof of full-time membership during the calendar year must be carried while using the license. These licenses are only issued at DEEP or town clerk offices.
Lost License
At any time, you can log on to the Online Outdoor Licensing System and print your license for free. You can also go to a licensing vendor or DEEP office to have your license reprinted.
CT 2024 Hunting and Trapping Guide Landing Page
Main Hunting and Trapping Webpage
Content last updated on October 3, 2024.