Colorado Hunter Education Requirements 2026

Do you need hunter safety to hunt in Colorado? Who needs a card, which cards Colorado accepts, and the test-out and apprentice options for 2026.

Do you need hunter safety to hunt in Colorado? If you were born on or after Jan. 1, 1949, yes. The 2026 Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Big Game brochure says you need a hunter education card to hunt, and you need it before you can apply for or buy a license. This page covers who needs a card, what Colorado accepts, and the two exceptions the brochure describes. Confirm in the current brochure before you buy.

The four rules

The brochure lists four hunter education requirements.

• Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1949 is required to have a hunter education card to hunt in Colorado.
• A hunter education card is required to apply for or buy a hunting license.
• The card must be carried while hunting, unless it has been verified and your license is marked with a "V".
• CPW honors hunter education cards from other states, provinces and countries.

That last rule is the one out-of-state hunters ask about most. If you already hold a card from your home state, the brochure says Colorado honors it. You do not need a second Colorado card.

Quick answers

Have the card number before you buy

The brochure's planning page puts hunter education as step one. It says you need your certification and card number before applying for a draw or purchasing a license.

This matters for timing. If you plan to apply in the primary draw, applications close in early April. In 2026 the deadline was April 7 at 8 p.m. MT. If you plan to buy an over-the-counter license, those went on sale Aug. 4, 2026. Either way, an unfinished course can stop the purchase. Do not leave it for the week before the season.

If you took a course years ago and cannot find the card, sort that out early with the agency that issued it. The brochure does not describe a replacement process for out-of-state cards.

Carrying the card, and the "V"

You must carry proof of hunter education while hunting. The exception is a verified card.

To get your card verified, the brochure says to take it to a CPW office or a state park. After that your license is marked with a "V", and you no longer need to carry the card itself.

For a nonresident on a short trip, the plain approach is to bring the card. Keep it with your license. The brochure also says to carry the physical license while hunting.

Testing out

The brochure lists this under hunter education exemptions.

Individuals over age 50, and active duty U.S. military and veterans, can obtain a hunter education certificate by testing out of hunter education. CPW's page for this is cpw.state.co.us/hunter-education-test-out.

Note what this is. It is not a waiver of the requirement. You still end up with a certificate. You earn it by passing a test in place of taking the course. The brochure does not give the test format, cost or pass mark, so check the CPW page for those.

The apprentice certificate

The second option is for someone who wants to hunt before completing a course.

• An apprentice certificate can be obtained for hunters who are at least 10 years old, or age 12 for big game.
• The apprentice must be accompanied by a mentor in the field.
• The brochure calls this a hunter education waiver.
• It can be obtained twice in a lifetime.
• CPW's page is cpw.state.co.us/apprentice-certificate.

This suits an adult friend or family member who wants to join one elk or deer hunt and see if they like it. It is not a long-term substitute. After two uses, the person needs a card.

The hunter education section does not spell out who qualifies as a mentor for an adult apprentice. Read the CPW apprentice page for the mentor rules before you rely on this option.

Youth hunters

The brochure sets these rules for young big-game hunters.

• Youth ages 12 to 17 who meet hunter education requirements can hunt big game.
• At age 11, a youth may buy or apply for a license if they will turn 12 before the end of the season on that license. They cannot hunt with it until they turn 12.
• Youth hunters ages 12 to 15 must be accompanied by a mentor who is 18 or older and who also meets hunter education requirements.
• Youth and mentor must be able to see and hear each other while hunting.
• A mentor can hunt only with a current license valid for the same units and dates as the youth.

What this page does not cover

The brochure does not list course formats, course fees, class schedules or how long a course takes. We have left those out. CPW's education page is cpw.state.co.us/education-outreach.

Next steps for a first hunt

Once the card is in hand, the next choices are the license and the unit.

• Planning a first Colorado elk hunt as a nonresident
• What a nonresident elk license costs in 2026
• The rules checklist for a first rifle season
• Unit pages for elk and deer

Get an exact plan once you have your tag

FilledTag builds one exact plan for your tag: where to park, where to camp, and where to sit, with every pin checked against public land ownership and road rules. Check your hunt free in six quick answers; plans start at $39, with a full refund if no legal plan fits.

This is our first season, so the plans are unproven. Treat the plan as a starting point and verify everything on the ground, including access, closures and land ownership. No plan can promise an elk.

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Sources

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2026 Colorado Big Game Hunting brochure, cpw.state.co.us/big-game-brochure: Planning Your Hunt, step 1, and important dates (page 2), sales dates (page 4), License Requirements (page 5), Hunter Education (Safety) Requirements and Hunter Education Exemptions (page 6), Hunter Education Card reminder (page 13), Big-Game Hunting Rules for Youth (page 17).