Where do I buy a California hunting license?

California hunting licenses and tags are sold by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.

When is California hunting season?

Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the California season dates change every year. Our California deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) regulations before you plan a hunt.

What can you hunt in California?

Besides mule deer, columbian black-tailed deer, our species guides single out California for wild hog, mourning dove, mallard. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.

Where is public hunting land in California?

Good starting points include Six Rivers National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.

Hunting · State by State

California Hunting Guide

What to hunt in California, what it costs, the laws that matter and where the public land is — with the official California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) links.

From coastal black-tail brush to high Sierra mule deer basins, California's zone system rewards hunters who pick their unit carefully.

California's deer hunting varies dramatically by region: north coast and Klamath-Cascade black-tail hunters work dense brush, oak woodland, and second-growth timber where deer are seen briefly and at close range, while Sierra Nevada mule deer hunters glass open basins and ridgelines for deer that migrate seasonally with snow.

Agency: California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)
Region: Pacific
Deer rank: #46 of 50
Species guides: 4

California hunting license and tag costs

Deer license and tag prices as last reviewed. Other species' permits are listed in the agency fee schedule.

License / tag	Price
Resident hunting license	approx. $58
Resident deer tag	approx. $37 (first tag)
Nonresident hunting license	approx. $205
Nonresident deer tag	approx. $460

California hunting laws to know

Rules that catch hunters out most often. Not a substitute for the regulations book.

Topic	Rule
Blaze orange	Not required by law, though CDFW recommends hunter-orange clothing for visibility on public land.
Baiting	Baiting deer is illegal statewide in California.
Crossbows	Legal for all hunters during general firearm seasons; restricted during archery-only seasons to hunters with a disabled archery permit.
Sunday hunting	Allowed statewide; California has no Sunday hunting restrictions.
Legal firearms	Centerfire rifles, shotguns with slugs, and legal handguns are permitted in most zones during general season; some zones restrict to shotgun or archery only.
Tagging	Hunters must validate and attach their deer tag to the carcass immediately upon harvest and report the harvest as required by CDFW.
CWD	No CWD has been detected in California deer; there are currently no special carcass import restrictions specific to CWD for in-state hunters, though out-of-state carcass import rules apply to deer taken elsewhere.
Hunter education	Required for all first-time California hunting license applicants regardless of age.

California deer season structure (2025-26)

California's deer seasons are set zone by zone with dozens of distinct windows and quotas. Always confirm your specific zone's dates and application deadline on CDFW's current deer hunting page before applying or hunting.

Season	Weapon	Typical window
Archery (A-zone early)	Bow / crossbow	Mid-to-late Aug. – mid-Sept.
General rifle, A zone (north coast)	Rifle / shotgun / muzzleloader	Mid-Sept. – late Oct.
General rifle, B zones (north coast/Klamath)	Rifle / shotgun / muzzleloader	Late Sept. – mid-Oct. (varies by sub-zone)
General rifle, D zones (desert/southern)	Rifle / shotgun / muzzleloader	Oct.-Nov. depending on sub-zone
X-zone rifle (Sierra Nevada mule deer)	Rifle / muzzleloader	Mid-Sept. – mid-Oct., varies by X sub-zone

What you can hunt in California

Deer — Mule deer, Columbian black-tailed deer
Fair · ranked #46 of 50 for deer.
Wild Hog
Established populations with a formal tag system
Access: California requires a wild pig tag per animal; Hawaii has island-specific rules
Mourning Dove
Good early-season opportunity near agricultural water sources
Access: Over-the-counter license plus HIP
Mallard
Huge wintering population using managed rice fields and refuges
Access: Over-the-counter license plus duck stamp; many refuges use a reservation draw

Public hunting land in California

California's best public-land deer hunting spans coastal and Klamath-Cascade national forests for black-tail, Sierra Nevada national forests for mule deer, and BLM desert districts in the southeast.

Six Rivers National Forest
National forest · North coast
Classic Columbian black-tail brush-and-timber country in the A zone, with strong over-the-counter tag access.
Official page
Klamath National Forest
National forest · Northern California
Mixed conifer and brush habitat holding both black-tail and some mule deer influence near the Oregon border.
Official page
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
National forest · Northern California
Large, varied terrain from river canyons to high peaks with solid black-tail and mule deer opportunity across multiple zones.
Official page
Sierra National Forest
National forest · Central Sierra Nevada
High-country mule deer habitat in several X-zones, with migratory herds moving between alpine basins and lower winter range.
Official page
Inyo National Forest
National forest · Eastern Sierra Nevada
Rugged eastern-slope mule deer country bordering Nevada, popular with hunters targeting bigger-bodied high-elevation bucks.
Official page
Los Padres National Forest
National forest · Central Coast
Chaparral and oak woodland black-tail habitat within reach of the Bay Area and Central Coast population centers.
Official page
Mojave Desert BLM lands
BLM · Southeastern California
Wide-open desert mule deer habitat in several D-zones, offering lower pressure and more accessible tags than premium Sierra zones.
Official page

Official California links

Last reviewed 2026-09.

Nearby state hunting guides

Questions

Frequently asked

Where do I buy a California hunting license?: California hunting licenses and tags are sold by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) through its official licensing site. Buy direct from the agency rather than a reseller, and complete hunter education first if your birth year requires it.
When is California hunting season?: Seasons differ by species, weapon and zone, and the California season dates change every year. Our California deer guide summarizes the 2025-26 deer season structure; for every other species, check the current California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) regulations before you plan a hunt.
What can you hunt in California?: Besides mule deer, columbian black-tailed deer, our species guides single out California for wild hog, mourning dove, mallard. Each species guide explains tags, seasons and tactics.
Where is public hunting land in California?: Good starting points include Six Rivers National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Confirm access rules, closures and special regulations with the managing agency before you go.