Utah draw application deadlines and fees
Utah's 2026 big game drawing application opened March 19, 2026 and closed April 23, 2026 at 11 p.m. MDT; results came out May 31, 2026, according to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The lowest adult elk license price we list for a nonresident is $1,950.00 (Limited-entry bull elk permit (also CWMU), nonresident), charged if drawn.
These are the 2026 dates and fees, the latest DWR has published. DWR sets the 2027 dates in its 2027 Big Game Application Guidebook, which comes out before the drawing opens in the spring; as of October 17, 2026 the guidebook on DWR's site is still the 2026 edition.
When do Utah applications open and close?
| What | Opens | Closes | Results | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big game drawing application: general-season buck deer, limited-entry and CWMU deer, elk and pronghorn, once-in-a-lifetime moose, bison, bighorn sheep and mountain goat, draw-only youth elk, and big game bonus or preference points | March 19, 2026 | April 23, 2026, opens 8 a.m. MDT, closes 11 p.m. MDT | May 31, 2026 | 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook |
| Second chance to apply for big game bonus or preference points only (during the antlerless application period) | June 9, 2026 | June 23, 2026 | 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook | |
| Antlerless drawing application (antlerless deer, antlerless elk, doe pronghorn and other antlerless permits) | June 9, 2026 | June 23, 2026 | July 8, 2026 | 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook |
What does it cost to apply in Utah?
| Fee | Amount | When it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing application fee, per species or point applied for, resident | $10.00 | at application |
| Drawing application fee, per species or point applied for, nonresident | $21.00 | at application |
| Bonus or preference point only, resident (the application fee) | $10.00 | per point |
| Bonus or preference point only, nonresident (the application fee) | $21.00 | per point |
| 365-day hunting license, resident 18-64 | $40.00 | to apply |
| 365-day hunting license, resident 14-17 | $16.00 | to apply |
| 365-day hunting license, resident 13 and under | $11.00 | to apply |
| 365-day hunting license, nonresident 18 and older | $144.00 | to apply |
| 365-day hunting license, nonresident 17 and under | $44.00 | to apply |
| 365-day combination license, resident 18-64 | $44.00 | to apply |
| 365-day combination license, nonresident 18 and older | $190.00 | to apply |
| General-season buck deer permit, resident | $46.00 | if drawn |
| General-season buck deer permit, nonresident | $599.00 | if drawn |
| Youth general-season deer permit, resident | $40.00 | if drawn |
| Youth general-season deer permit, nonresident | $499.00 | if drawn |
| Limited-entry buck deer permit (also CWMU, management and cactus buck), resident | $94.00 | if drawn |
| Limited-entry buck deer permit (also CWMU, management and cactus buck), nonresident | $1,070.00 | if drawn |
| Multiseason limited-entry buck deer permit, resident | $170.00 | if drawn |
| Multiseason limited-entry buck deer permit, nonresident | $2,130.00 | if drawn |
| Premium limited-entry buck deer permit (also premium CWMU), resident | $185.00 | if drawn |
| Premium limited-entry buck deer permit (also premium CWMU), nonresident | $1,398.00 | if drawn |
| Multiseason premium limited-entry buck deer permit, resident | $336.00 | if drawn |
| Multiseason premium limited-entry buck deer permit, nonresident | $2,330.00 | if drawn |
| Limited-entry bull elk permit (also CWMU), resident | $314.00 | if drawn |
| Limited-entry bull elk permit (also CWMU), nonresident | $1,950.00 | if drawn |
| Multiseason limited-entry bull elk permit, resident | $564.00 | if drawn |
| Multiseason limited-entry bull elk permit, nonresident | $2,655.00 | if drawn |
| Draw-only youth any bull/hunter's choice elk permit, resident | $50.00 | if drawn |
| Draw-only youth any bull/hunter's choice elk permit, nonresident | $749.00 | if drawn |
| Limited-entry buck pronghorn permit (also CWMU), resident | $63.00 | if drawn |
| Limited-entry buck pronghorn permit (also CWMU), nonresident | $571.00 | if drawn |
| Bull moose permit (also CWMU), resident | $454.00 | if drawn |
| Bull moose permit (also CWMU), nonresident | $3,488.00 | if drawn |
| Bison permit (not Antelope Island), resident | $460.00 | if drawn |
| Bison permit (not Antelope Island), nonresident | $4,840.00 | if drawn |
| Bison permit on Antelope Island, resident (no nonresident permit) | $1,221.00 | if drawn |
| Desert or Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep permit, resident | $564.00 | if drawn |
| Desert or Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep permit, nonresident | $3,988.00 | if drawn |
| Mountain goat permit, resident | $454.00 | if drawn |
| Mountain goat permit, nonresident | $3,488.00 | if drawn |
Fees from 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook.
How do points work in Utah?
For limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunts, 'Fifty percent of the permits for each hunt unit will be reserved for applicants with the greatest number of bonus points' and the rest are drawn at random, where each applicant receives a random drawing number for the species and for each bonus point (R657-62-8); general-season buck deer, antlerless deer, antlerless elk and doe pronghorn use preference points instead, which give unsuccessful applicants 'first preference in the next year's drawing' (R657-62-9).
- Which hunts use which points. Bonus points are for limited-entry, CWMU and once-in-a-lifetime big game permits. Preference points are for general-season buck deer, antlerless deer, antlerless elk and doe pronghorn.
- How bonus points work in the drawing. Half of the permits for each hunt are reserved for the applicants with the most bonus points, given by random number among those at the top point level, then the next level down. The rest are drawn at random, and each applicant gets one random number for the species plus one for every bonus point.
- How preference points work in the drawing. Preference points give applicants who did not draw first preference in the next year's drawing.
- How to get a point without a hunt. Choose the species' point code on the big game application (general-season deer preference point: GDR; bonus point codes include DEE, ELK, PRO, MOO, BIS, DBS, RMB and GOA) and pay the application fee: $10 for residents, $21 for nonresidents. Apply March 19 to April 23, 2026, or June 9-23 during the antlerless application period. A valid Utah hunting or combination license is required.
- Limits. You may not apply for a permit and a point for the same species in the same drawing. Residents may apply for one limited-entry permit or point and one once-in-a-lifetime permit or point; nonresidents may apply for permits or points for every limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime species. Only one limited-entry or once-in-a-lifetime permit may be drawn a year.
- Losing points. You lose the species' points when you draw a permit, or when you buy a permit for that species that remains after the drawing (youth archery deer excepted). Points are not transferable. On a group application, points are averaged and rounded down.
What did the 2025 draw look like?
From Utah Division of Wildlife Resources's 2025 draw reports, first choice only.
Elk: 379 hunts
- Resident: 86,605 first-choice applications, 11,101 drew
- Nonresident: 21,410 first-choice applications, 1,016 drew
- Resident youth: 6,597 first-choice applications, 675 drew
- Nonresident youth: 353 first-choice applications, 75 drew
- Hunts where at least half of first-choice applicants with no points drew: residents 33, nonresidents 43.
Deer: 321 hunts
- Resident: 136,782 first-choice applications, 49,822 drew
- Nonresident: 25,342 first-choice applications, 3,941 drew
- Resident youth: 13,406 first-choice applications, 9,705 drew
- Nonresident youth: 351 first-choice applications, 300 drew
- Hunts where at least half of first-choice applicants with no points drew: residents 47, nonresidents 60.
Pronghorn: 111 hunts
- Resident: 15,800 first-choice applications, 1,978 drew
- Nonresident: 7,070 first-choice applications, 229 drew
- Hunts where at least half of first-choice applicants with no points drew: residents 11, nonresidents 1.
Moose: 41 hunts
- Resident: 30,668 first-choice applications, 142 drew
- Nonresident: 10,216 first-choice applications, 12 drew
- Hunts where at least half of first-choice applicants with no points drew: residents 0, nonresidents 0.
Bighorn sheep: 34 hunts
- Resident: 18,948 first-choice applications, 126 drew
- Nonresident: 25,109 first-choice applications, 15 drew
- Hunts where at least half of first-choice applicants with no points drew: residents 0, nonresidents 0.
Mountain goat: 17 hunts
- Resident: 7,679 first-choice applications, 92 drew
- Nonresident: 9,099 first-choice applications, 9 drew
- Hunts where at least half of first-choice applicants with no points drew: residents 0, nonresidents 0.
Bison: 15 hunts
- Resident: 15,115 first-choice applications, 117 drew
- Nonresident: 8,258 first-choice applications, 12 drew
- Hunts where at least half of first-choice applicants with no points drew: residents 0, nonresidents 0.
See where your points can draw in Utah
Worth knowing
- A valid Utah hunting or combination license is required before applying for a big game permit or point; it can be bought at the same time as the application.
- Nonresident permit and application fee increases took effect Sept. 1, 2025 (license increases July 1, 2025); the fees here are the 2026 guidebook's.
- Antlerless permit fees and the antlerless application fee are not in the big game guidebook and are left out; they are in DWR's 2026 Antlerless Guidebook, which was not read.
- Permits remaining after the big game drawing go on sale in July (July 7 for remaining limited-entry and general-season buck deer permits); buying one costs your points for that species.
Sources
- 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, read October 17, 2026.
- Bonus and preference points, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, read October 17, 2026.
- Utah Admin. Rule R657-62, Drawing Application Procedures, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, read October 17, 2026.
- Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 2025 draw reports: 2025 Big game limited-entry & once-in-a-lifetime draw results, 2025 General-season buck deer draw results, 2025 Youth general-season deer draw results, 2025 Youth draw-only elk draw results, 2025 Antlerless big game draw results.
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