Iowa Hunting License, Tags & Hunter Education

Resident, non-resident, senior, youth, and lifetime hunting fees, tags and stamps, trapping licenses, and hunter safety requirements for Iowa. Checked 2026-11-12.

Hunting Licenses (10)

License / Permit	Residency	Fee	Eligibility & Notes	Source
Resident Hunting	Resident	$22.00	resident Hunting licence without habitat fee; habitat fee 15.00 listed separately	Official page
Resident Hunting/Habitat	Resident	$35.00	resident Includes habitat fee	Official page
Resident Apprentice Licence	Resident	$35.00	resident first-time hunters (see hunting regulations booklet) Apprentice licence; cannot be used for deer or turkey hunting per nonresident page for nonresidents	Official page
Lifetime Hunting	Resident	$61.50	resident Lifetime hunting licence; age rule not read	Official page
Nonresident Hunting/Habitat (age 18 and older)	Non-resident	$144.00	non-resident age 18 and older Table price; text on same page says licence 131.00 plus habitat 15.00 (figures differ)	Official page
Nonresident Hunting/Habitat (under 18)	Non-resident	$45.00	non-resident under 18 Text on same page says under-18 licence 32.00 plus habitat 15.00	Official page
Nonresident Apprentice Licence	Non-resident	$144.00	non-resident first-time hunters; no deer or turkey Cannot be used for deer or turkey	Official page
Nonresident 5-Day Hunting (age 18 and older)	Non-resident	$77.00	non-resident age 18 and older Not applicable to deer or turkey seasons	Official page
Nonresident 5-Day Hunting/Habitat (age 18 and older)	Non-resident	$90.00	non-resident age 18 and older Not applicable to deer or turkey seasons	Official page
Lifetime Hunting for Nonresidents	Non-resident	Not shown	not stated No nonresident lifetime hunting licence found on pages read	Official page

Tags, Stamps & Permits (18)

License / Permit	Residency	Fee	Eligibility & Notes	Source
Resident Deer Any-Sex Tag	Resident	$33.00	resident Physical tag required; buy through ELSI agent or online portal; tags not web delivered	Official page
Resident 1st Antlerless Deer Tag	Resident	$28.50	resident Physical tag	Official page
Resident Additional Antlerless Deer Tag	Resident	$15.00	resident Physical tag	Official page
Resident Landowner/Tenant Any-Sex Deer Tag	Resident	$2.00	resident landowner or tenant Physical tag	Official page
Resident Landowner/Tenant Doe Tag	Resident	$2.00	resident landowner or tenant Physical tag	Official page
Resident Turkey Tag	Resident	$28.50	resident Physical tag	Official page
Resident Landowner/Tenant Turkey Tag	Resident	$1.00	resident landowner or tenant Physical tag	Official page
Resident Habitat Fee	Resident	$15.00	resident Stand-alone habitat fee	Official page
Resident Migratory Bird Fee	Resident	$11.50	resident Migratory bird fee	Official page
Nonresident Buck Tag (pending lottery results)	Non-resident	$348.50	non-resident Lottery; physical tag not web delivered	Official page
Nonresident Mandatory Antlerless Tag	Non-resident	$149.50	non-resident Lottery; physical tag	Official page
Nonresident Antlerless by County Tag	Non-resident	$266.50	non-resident Lottery; physical tag	Official page
Nonresident Holiday Tag	Non-resident	$91.00	non-resident Physical tag	Official page
Nonresident Landowner Tag	Non-resident	$266.50	non-resident landowner Physical tag	Official page
Nonresident Turkey Tag (pending lottery results)	Non-resident	$119.00	non-resident Lottery; physical tag	Official page
Nonresident Preference Point	Non-resident	$60.50	non-resident Preference point for deer application	Official page
Nonresident Migratory Bird Fee	Non-resident	$11.50	non-resident Migratory bird fee	Official page
Nonresident Habitat Fee	Non-resident	$15.00	non-resident Habitat fee listed in nonresident application text	Official page

Trapping Licenses (4)

License / Permit	Residency	Fee	Eligibility & Notes	Source
Resident Fur Harvest (16 and older)	Resident	$26.00	resident age 16 and older Fur harvest licence	Official page
Resident Fur Harvest (under 16)	Resident	$7.50	resident under 16 Fur harvest licence	Official page
Resident Fur Harvester/Habitat (16 and older)	Resident	$39.00	resident age 16 and older Includes habitat fee	Official page
Nonresident Fur Harvester/Habitat	Non-resident	$247.00	non-resident Includes habitat fee	Official page

Hunter Education Requirements (3)

License / Permit	Residency	Fee	Eligibility & Notes	Source
Hunter Education Classroom Course	Resident & Non-resident	Free ($0.00)	age 11 and older to enrol; under 12 need adult with licence for deer or turkey Typically no charge unless lunch furnished or room rental required; minimum 10 hours	Official page
Online Adult Hunter Education Course (hunter-ed.com)	Resident & Non-resident	$39.99	age 18 and older (online only option) Course fee per Iowa DNR snippet dated Sep 1 2026; not read on full page	Official page
Replacement Hunter Education Certificate	Resident & Non-resident	$4.50	anyone with lost certificate Replacement from any ELSI vendor	Official page

Free, Senior, Veteran & Disability Exemptions (5)

License / Permit	Residency	Fee	Eligibility & Notes	Source
Lifetime Trout Fee (65 and older)	Resident	$65.00	resident age 65 and older Lifetime trout fee for seniors	Official page
Free Annual Hunting and Fishing Licence (veterans and disabled Iowans)	Resident	Free ($0.00)	eligibility rules not read (form labelled free annual) Named on veteran and disabled fishing section; fee table not read	Official page
Free Annual Resident Disabled Fishing Licence	Resident	Free ($0.00)	disabled residents (eligibility rules not read) Named on veteran and disabled fishing section; fee table not read	Official page
Veteran Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Licence	Resident	Not shown	veterans (eligibility rules not read) Veteran lifetime application form linked; fee not read	Official page
Residents under 16 fishing without licence	Resident & Non-resident	Free ($0.00)	under 16 Fish without licence but may need a trout fee	Official page

Next steps for Iowa hunters

Check official Iowa season dates before heading out, and stock up on tags/gear from licensed outfitters (Sportsman's Warehouse / Amazon Associates placeholder).

Also see: Iowa Fishing Licenses →