Getting a Hunting License in California
How to get a hunting license in California:
1. Hunter Safety Education
Complete the state’s hunter safety course. If you have ever done this in another state, they will honor it if you can find the documentation.
You can do it in person, or you can do the written part online and then complete a safety class with an CDFW instructor in person. During the pandemic they waived the in person requirement, but now it’s back.
CDFW has topic specific classes that are quite good, usually featuring CDFW scientists and rangers who have direct field or research experience on the topics. Recordings are online here.
2. Buy a Hunting License
Once you have the safety course certificate number, you can create an account on CDFW’s antiquated website and buy hunting license and tags. You can also go to pretty much any sporting goods store or bait shop and have them print it out for you via their terminals.
Hunting season in California starts July 1st - this is also the date annual hunting licenses start.
3. Go Hunting
Where can you hunt legally? You should always check the website or call the ranger station for the area you’re interested in for closures or possible area-specific regulations. But in California we have lots of opportunities:
- Federal public land - National Forest or BLM land is the least restrictive and open to all hunting
- State managed wildlife areas - usually referred to as wild-management areas or state recreation areas - these are highly regulated and each property has it’s own rules, system, etc. There are lots of good opportunities for bird hunting and especially waterfowl, but it is restricted to specific permits, times of year, etc.
- CalFire Demonstration Forests are generally open to hunting
- Private forest open to the public - timber companies like Sierra-Pacific allow limited recreation access, including hunting. Lots of private forest is checker-boarded with federal land in CA.
- SHARE private lands - CDFW has a program for private landowners to allow hunters onto their property. Permits are by lottery through the CDFW licensing system.
- Waterways - public waterways are open to hunting by boat as long as you stay below the water line.
California Hunting Resources
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- CA Hunting & Fishing Regulations
- CDFW Land Viewer
- Reservations & Passes for State-Owned Waterfowl Areas
See also: Shellfish & Intertidal Foraging & Fishing Notes