All hunting licenses expire at the end of the calendar year.
You need a license to hunt in Massachusetts if you're 15 or older. You may need other permits or stamps depending on what and when you wish to hunt.
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- This page, Buy your hunting license, is offered by
- Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Buy your hunting license
Contacts
MassWildlife
The Details of Buy your hunting license
What you need for Buy your hunting license
By state law, you are eligible for a Massachusetts Hunting or Sporting License if you meet one of the following statements:
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I have earned a government-issued Basic Hunter Education certificate (from any jurisdiction).
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I held a hunting or sporting license before January 1, 2007 (from any jurisdiction).
Proof is not required. If you buy your license from a license vendor or at a MassWildlife office, you’ll be asked to verbally state (verbal affidavit) whether you held a hunting or sporting license before 2007, or if you’ve ever passed a Basic Hunter Education course.
Important: A verbal or electronic affidavit means that you declare, under penalty of perjury, that you’re eligible for a hunting or sporting license.
Permits and Stamps
A hunting license comes with 2 antlered deer tags valid statewide. Depending on what and when you are hunting, you may also need hunting permits or stamps. Permits and stamps are available for purchase from a license vendor or from MassFishHunt. Review the hunting regulations for the game you are hunting to find out exactly what you need.
How to buy Buy your hunting license
Use the MassFishHunt system to buy your license online. If you use a smartphone to buy your fishing license, you can download and display it on your phone rather than printing a copy.
You can buy your hunting license in person at license agent locations, which include:
- Select retail stores — Most accept cash, checks, and credit cards.
- MassWidlife offices — Only accept cash or checks.
More info for Buy your hunting license
License display
You must have your license along with any required permits and stamps while hunting. You can either show a paper copy or display a true, complete, and legible image of your license on your smartphone. You must still comply with all tagging requirements. If a tag is required, as it is for hunting deer, bear, and turkey, hunters must carry a paper copy of the tag attached to the appropriate documentation (i.e. license or permit).
Who needs a license?
If you’re 15 or older, you need a hunting license.
You must be at least 12 to hunt in Massachusetts. Hunters ages 12–14 must be accompanied by a licensed hunter who is 18 or older, and must share a single firearm/bow and a single bag. Only one minor per adult is allowed.
Residents with disabilities
If you are blind, have an intellectual disability, or have paraplegia and are applying for a license for the first time, you must:
- Fill out an application for the free license.
- Submit a copy of a Certificate of Blindness issued by the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, or have your doctor sign a form certifying that you have an intellectual disability or paraplegia.
- Mail the documents to:
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
ATTN: Licensing
100 Cambridge Street, 6th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Your license will be mailed to you. After you've applied the first time, you’ll be able to renew and print your license online without submitting another form.