Florida Hunting License 2026: Cost, Permits & Online

The base resident annual hunting license costs $17, but most hunters will pay significantly more because nearly every hunting activity in Florida requires a separate permit on top. The Deer Permit is $5. The Turkey Permit is $10. The Archery Season Permit is $5. The Crossbow Season Permit is $5. The Muzzleloading Gun Season Permit is $5. The Management Area Permit for WMA hunting is $26.50. The Florida Waterfowl Permit is $5. Purchasing these individually adds up quickly for hunters who participate across multiple seasons.

Florida offers two all-inclusive bundles that bypass this permit-stacking. The Resident Sportsman's License ($80.50) combines the hunting license, freshwater fishing license, and all hunting season permits — WMA, archery, muzzleloader, crossbow, deer, turkey, and Florida waterfowl — in one purchase. The Gold Sportsman's License ($100) adds saltwater fishing, snook, and lobster to the full bundle. For residents who hunt deer and turkey and hunt on WMAs, the Sportsman's at $80.50 is almost always cheaper than building the permit list individually. Residents 64 years old pay only $13.50 for the Silver Sportsman's, which includes the same hunting permit coverage as the Sportsman's license. Residents 65 and older receive a free lifetime hunting and fishing license. Resident landowners can hunt on their own property without a license; wild hog hunting on private land with owner permission requires no license at all for any hunter, resident or non-resident.

Non-residents have two options: the annual license ($151.50, valid July 1 through June 30) or the 10-day license ($46.50, valid for 10 consecutive days). The 10-day license is not valid for turkey hunting. Non-resident turkey permits cost $125, plus the hunting license — total $276.50 for a spring turkey hunt. Non-resident deer permits are $5, making the deer-only NR cost ($151.50 + $5 = $156.50) more accessible than most eastern states.

Florida's general gun deer season runs November 8 through February 15 — 100 days, one of the longest general gun seasons in the eastern United States. The season is preceded by a structured weapon-specific opening sequence: archery only (September 13–October 12, 30 days), crossbow season (October 13–17), and muzzleloader season (October 18–November 2). Each period requires its corresponding $5 permit in addition to the base deer permit. Once the general gun season opens November 8, all legal weapons are permitted through mid-February.

Bag limits and antler point restrictions (APRs) are zone-specific in Florida. The state is divided into hunt zones — primarily the North Zone, South Zone, and Wildlife Management Areas each with their own rules. Most zones apply minimum antler point restrictions designed to let young bucks mature. The daily bag limit is typically 2 deer, with zone-specific annual totals. Check myfwc.com for your specific county's zone regulations, season dates, and antler restrictions before hunting, as these vary more than in most states.

Florida's deer — particularly in the southern half of the state — are a smaller subspecies than northern whitetail. The Osceola subspecies in peninsular Florida produces smaller-bodied animals with distinctive antler characteristics. Northern Florida counties (along the Georgia border) support larger deer more similar to southeastern whitetail found in Georgia and Alabama. Hunters seeking trophy-class Florida deer typically focus on the northern agricultural and forested counties where both body and antler size are larger.

Florida is one of the few states where wild hog hunting is available year-round with no bag limit. On private land with owner permission, no hunting license is required to take wild hogs. On public WMAs, a valid hunting license and Management Area Permit ($26.50) are required. Wild hogs are distributed throughout the state, with the highest densities in the central and northern agricultural regions. Their year-round, no-limit status makes them a common target for deer hunters looking to fill additional days during camp trips.

Alligator hunting is a uniquely Florida experience. The statewide alligator harvest program runs August 15 through November 1. Participation requires a separate alligator trapping license and harvest permit, distributed through a limited draw administered by the FWC. Legal harvest methods are restricted to handheld rods, snatch hooks, harpoons, gigs, spears, crossbows, and bangsticks — conventional firearms are prohibited for alligator harvest. Hunters must apply through the FWC alligator harvest program at myfwc.com; the program is not part of the standard hunting license system.

Florida hosts the Osceola wild turkey — one of the five subspecies required for the National Wild Turkey Federation's Grand Slam. The spring season runs March 7 through April 19, with no fall turkey season in Florida. Non-residents planning a Grand Slam pursuit must budget $151.50 (annual NR license) + $125 (NR turkey permit) = $276.50 for one spring turkey hunt. Florida's spring quail season (bobwhite, 12 per day) and dove season (October through November, 15 per day) round out the upland bird calendar. The combination of year-round hog hunting, long deer gun season, spring Osceola turkey, and alligator season gives Florida one of the most diverse year-round hunting calendars in the eastern US.