How to Get a Hunting Licence in Alberta
Alberta hunting licences: the WiN number, the Alberta hunter education course, the $35 wildlife certificate, species licences, and the June draw.
How to Get a Hunting Licence in Ontario
Get a hunting licence in Ontario: hunter education and accreditation, the OUTDOORS Card, licences and tags, 2026 fees, and mandatory hunter reporting.
Applies in: Ontario
This guide covers getting a hunting licence in Ontario as an Ontario resident. It is distinct from the fishing licence guide: hunting needs hunter education and accreditation, species-specific licences, tags, and mandatory reporting, while fishing needs none of those. Step 1 states the distinction plainly so the two licences are never mixed up. This guide does not cover non-resident hunting in detail, and it states no season dates, because seasons and open-season dates vary by species and Wildlife Management Unit and must be checked on the Ontario hunting pages for the season in question.
You are an Ontario resident for hunting purposes if your primary residence is in Ontario and you have lived in Ontario for at least six consecutive months during the 12 months immediately before applying for a licence. To hunt in Ontario as a resident, you must be at least 16 years old (or 15 with written parental consent), have successfully taken the Ontario Hunter Education Program or an Ontario-recognized equivalent accreditation and submitted documentation to have hunter accreditation added to your Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service account, follow all federal firearm regulations and carry appropriate documentation if hunting with a gun, hold a valid OUTDOORS Card, and hold the required hunting licence and tags for the game you wish to hunt, according to the Hunting licence (Ontario residents) page.
Step 1: Complete hunter education and file your accreditation
Hunter education comes first, because no hunting product can be bought until accreditation is on file. Ontario residents aged 12 and over may only be issued a hunting licence if they submit proof of hunter accreditation. You can use any of the following documents as proof, as listed on the Hunting licence (Ontario residents) page:
- A hunter education examiner's report showing you passed a hunting licence examination after January 1, 1968.
- Any licence to hunt issued to you after January 1, 1968 under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 or a predecessor Act.
- An outdoors card that authorized you to hunt, issued to you before January 1, 2019.
- A hunter apprenticeship safety card issued to you before January 1, 2019.
- A hunting licence verification letter or certificate issued by the ministry verifying that a hunting licence was previously issued to you.
Ontario residents must provide proof of successfully completing the Ontario Hunter Education Program requirement, or an Ontario-recognized equivalent, in person at a participating ServiceOntario location. For new hunters, accreditation must be on file with the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service before any hunting products can be purchased, and this can only be done at a participating ServiceOntario location. Once accreditation is on file, residents can buy products online, by phone, at a licence issuer or at a participating ServiceOntario location.
Ontario residents aged 12 to 14 are eligible for the Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program, which helps them develop hunting skills while under the direct and immediate supervision of a qualified and licensed mentor. Apprentice hunters may hunt without their own licence or tags while sharing the bag limits or tags of their mentor, or hunting in a party with their mentor under another party member's tag for moose, elk, deer or black bear, and cannot apply to hunt big game. Hunters aged 15 and older must purchase an OUTDOORS Card and their own licence and tags to hunt. Do not confuse this program with the fishing licence: fishing has no hunter education requirement and no accreditation step.
Step 2: Get your OUTDOORS Card
A valid OUTDOORS Card is required for all resident hunters. The card is a plastic, wallet-sized identification card issued by the ministry, valid for three calendar years, and you must carry it at all times while hunting, according to the Get an Outdoors Card and licence summary page. Buy or renew it online through the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service, by phone at 1-800-288-1155, at a licence issuer, or at a participating ServiceOntario location, for $8.57 plus HST. The card is sent by mail and may take up to 20 days to arrive; while you wait, carry your licence summary as temporary proof of purchase. Note the system change under way at the time of writing: the current licensing system is unavailable from December 7 to 9, 2026 while Ontario moves to FishHuntON, launching December 10, 2026, with OUTDOORS Card renewals available in FishHuntON from that date.
Hunters must also have the appropriate hunter accreditation added to their Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service account to buy hunting licences and tags. If you buy a 1-year or 3-year small game licence at the same time you renew or buy an OUTDOORS Card, it is printed on the back of the card. All your valid licences are also listed on your licence summary, which you must carry unless the licence is listed on the back of your card.
Step 3: Buy the licence and tags for the game you will hunt
A hunting licence is required to hunt in Ontario. All licences are specific to the game you wish to hunt, are listed on your licence summary, and expire on December 31 each year unless otherwise stated, according to the Hunting licence (Ontario residents) page. It is your responsibility to know the type of season and open season dates for the species you wish to hunt, along with any other hunting rules that apply.
Small game hunting covers species including cottontail and hares, grouse, squirrel, gray partridge, ring-necked pheasant, ptarmigan, raccoon, fox, skunk, weasel, opossum, American crow, groundhog and porcupine, plus wild turkey and wolf or coyote where a tag is required, and migratory game birds, which need a federal migratory game bird hunting permit in addition to a small game licence. For small game you must carry a valid OUTDOORS Card, a licence summary listing your valid small game licence unless it is printed on the back of your card, federal firearms accreditation such as a Possession and Acquisition Licence or minor's licence if hunting with a gun, and any associated tags.
Big game species are black bear, moose, white-tailed deer and elk. For big game you must carry a valid OUTDOORS Card, a licence summary listing the licence for the species you are hunting, federal firearms accreditation if hunting with a gun, and tags, since all big game species have tag requirements.
A tag is a component of a hunting licence. It authorizes the hunter to hunt the game species shown on the tag, subject to the conditions listed on it, such as season, animal type or firearm. A tag is required to hunt moose, deer, wolf or coyote only in certain Wildlife Management Units, wild turkey, black bear and elk. Buy tags online through the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service, at a licence issuer, or at a participating ServiceOntario location. Tags can be printed from home, at a licence issuer or at a participating ServiceOntario location, either right after purchase or once draw results are available. Tag replacements are tracked through the licensing service and must be obtained at a licence issuer or participating ServiceOntario location.
Step 4: Follow the tagging rules and check draws before you hunt
Tagging rules are strict, and the Hunting licence (Ontario residents) page sets them out in full. Tags must be protected, intact and legible at all times, and it is illegal to copy, alter or modify a tag except as required for notching it. Hunters must follow the specific tagging instructions provided when the tag is printed, keep the paper tag protected from the weather, notch the tag with the date, month and time immediately after the kill, at the site of the kill and before moving the animal, keep relevant sex and age identifying features attached to the animal while it is transported to the processing site and processed for long-term storage as specified on the tagging instructions, and carry the tag at all times. You are only required to securely attach the tag to the animal if you are not accompanying the animal or will not be immediately available to produce the tag for inspection.
Some hunts require a draw or allocation. The Ontario table lists antlerless deer, deer in a controlled area, moose, and elk as requiring a draw or allocation, while antlered deer and black bear do not. Enter a draw or allocation through the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service if you wish to hunt a particular type, age and sex of animal or during a controlled deer hunt season. Draw dates, application windows and results dates are not stated in this guide; check the current draw information on the Ontario hunting pages before you apply.
Members of Indigenous communities with established Aboriginal or treaty hunting rights in Ontario can generally hunt without a licence when hunting within their traditional or treaty area for food, social or ceremonial purposes, and should be prepared to provide community identification. Hunting outside the traditional or treaty area requires an OUTDOORS Card with the appropriate hunting licences and tags, or written permission, as the hunting licence page states.
Step 5: Pay the 2026 fee and file your hunter report
Hunting fees for Ontario residents in 2026, in Canadian dollars and subject to 13% HST except where the Ontario table marks otherwise, are listed on the Hunting licence (Ontario residents) page as follows: buy or renew an OUTDOORS Card, $8.57; 1-year small game licence, $22.76; 3-year small game licence, $68.28; moose allocation application, $15.00; moose licence, $35.29; moose calf tag, $30.00; moose cow or calf tag, $150.00; moose bull tag, $200.00; elk draw application, $15.00; elk licence and tag, $48.25; deer licence and tag, $43.86; farmer's deer licence and tag, $25.14; deer draw applications, no fee; additional tag for deer in select Wildlife Management Units, $43.86; black bear licence and tag, $43.86; second tag for black bear in select Wildlife Management Units, $43.86; wolf or coyote tag in select Wildlife Management Units, $10.05; wild turkey tag for spring, $26.33; wild turkey tag for fall, $26.33; dog licence, $12.21; and failure-to-report surcharge, $25.00.
All hunters must complete a mandatory hunter report if they purchase or are issued a tag to hunt deer, elk, black bear, wild turkey, or wolf or coyote in Wildlife Management Units where a tag is required, or are issued a licence to hunt moose. The report is required even if you did not hunt or harvest an animal. File it through the route Ontario states for the current season, and do not wait until the next season to file, since the fee table lists a $25.00 surcharge for failure to report.
Related guides:
- How to Get a Fishing Licence in Ontario — the separate fishing licence that shares the OUTDOORS Card but needs no hunter education, tags or hunter reporting; this guide covers the hunting licence only
- How to Start Getting a Firearms Licence (PAL) in Canada — the federal firearms licence and accreditation to carry when hunting with a gun; this guide covers the Ontario hunting licence and tags
- How to Become a Conservation Officer in Canada — the officers who enforce hunting regulations in Ontario; this guide covers getting licensed as a hunter
Getting a hunting licence in Ontario, in five steps
- Complete hunter education and file your accreditationTake the Ontario Hunter Education Program or an Ontario-recognized equivalent, then provide proof in person at a participating ServiceOntario location.
- Get your OUTDOORS CardA valid OUTDOORS Card is required for every hunter, is valid for three calendar years, and costs $8.57 plus HST.
- Buy the licence and tags for the game you will huntLicences are specific to the game species, expire on December 31 each year, and tags are required for all big game, wild turkey and wolf or coyote in certain Wildlife Management Units.
- Check draws, seasons and tagging rules before you huntSome hunts need a draw or allocation, and you must know the open season dates and tagging requirements for the species you hunt.
- File your mandatory hunter reportA hunter report is required if you bought or were issued a tag for deer, elk, black bear, wild turkey or wolf or coyote, or were issued a moose licence, even if you did not hunt.
Questions people ask
How is a hunting licence different from a fishing licence in Ontario?
They share the OUTDOORS Card but nothing else. A fishing licence needs no education course and no tags, and is bought by licence type, Sport or Conservation. A hunting licence needs hunter education and accreditation on file before you can buy any hunting product, is specific to the game species you hunt, usually needs a tag, expires on December 31 each year, and carries mandatory hunter reporting. Do not carry fishing licence steps into a hunting application, or the reverse.
What education do I need before I can buy a hunting licence?
You must have successfully taken the Ontario Hunter Education Program or an Ontario-recognized equivalent accreditation, and submitted valid documentation so hunter accreditation is added to your Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service account. Ontario residents aged 12 and over may only be issued a hunting licence if they submit proof of hunter accreditation, and proof must be provided in person at a participating ServiceOntario location. Acceptable proof includes a hunter education examiner's report showing a pass after January 1, 1968, a hunting licence issued after that date, an outdoors card that authorized hunting issued before January 1, 2019, a hunter apprenticeship safety card issued before January 1, 2019, or a ministry verification letter or certificate.
How old do I have to be to hunt in Ontario?
To hunt as an Ontario resident you must be at least 16 years old, or 15 with written parental consent. Ontario residents aged 12 to 14 can take part in the Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program, developing hunting skills under the direct and immediate supervision of a qualified and licensed mentor, and may hunt without their own licence or tags while sharing the mentor's bag limits or tags. Hunters aged 15 and older must hold their own licence and tags to hunt.
What does a hunting licence cost in Ontario in 2026?
All fees are in Canadian dollars and subject to 13% HST, except where the Ontario table marks otherwise. The OUTDOORS Card costs $8.57. A 1-year small game licence costs $22.76 and a 3-year small game licence $68.28. A deer licence and tag costs $43.86, a moose licence $35.29 plus tag fees, an elk licence and tag $48.25, and a black bear licence and tag $43.86. Wild turkey tags cost $26.33 for spring and $26.33 for fall. The full fee list, including draw application fees and tag fees, is in this guide from the Ontario hunting licence page.
Do I need a tag as well as a licence?
A tag is a component of a hunting licence and authorizes you to hunt the game species shown on the tag, subject to the conditions listed on it, such as season, animal type or firearm. A tag is required to hunt moose, deer, black bear, elk, wild turkey, and wolf or coyote only in certain Wildlife Management Units. Tags can be bought online through the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service, at a licence issuer, or at a participating ServiceOntario location, and must be protected, intact and legible at all times.
What is mandatory hunter reporting, and what happens if I skip it?
All hunters must complete a mandatory hunter report if they purchase or are issued a tag to hunt deer, elk, black bear, wild turkey, or wolf or coyote in Wildlife Management Units where a tag is required, or are issued a licence to hunt moose. You must file the report even if you did not hunt or harvest an animal. The Ontario fee table lists a $25.00 failure-to-report surcharge. Check the current reporting route and deadline on the Ontario hunting pages before the season ends.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, Hunting licence (Ontario residents) — the resident definition, age and education requirements, accreditation proof documents, Hunter Apprenticeship Safety Program, small and big game licence and carry rules, tag rules, draw and allocation table, mandatory hunter reporting, and the full 2026 resident fee table
- Government of Ontario, Get an Outdoors Card and licence summary — the OUTDOORS Card requirement and three-year term, buying and renewal routes, card cost, 20-day delivery and the licence summary as temporary proof, and the December 2026 FishHuntON transition dates
No figure in this guide was carried from a secondary source. The following were cut because they could not be verified on an opened Ontario page: the cost, length, provider list and booking route for the Ontario Hunter Education Program; any season or open-season date for any species; draw application and results dates; the detailed steps for filing a mandatory hunter report and its deadline; and whether a Canadian Firearms Safety Course is required in addition to hunter education for hunting with a gun, since the opened hunting licence page states only that hunters must follow federal firearm regulations and carry appropriate documentation. Check the Ontario hunting pages and the hunter education program information before relying on any of those points.