First Colorado Elk Hunt for Nonresidents, 2026

Planning a first do-it-yourself Colorado elk hunt from out of state in 2026. Licenses, rifle season dates, what to buy first, and a timeline.

In 2026 a nonresident can still buy a Colorado rifle bull elk license without a draw. This page lays out the steps in order, using the 2026 Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Big Game brochure. Rules change, so confirm each point in the current brochure before you buy or hunt.

Two ways to get a license

There are two kinds of elk license.

• Limited licenses. A set number is issued for specific units and dates. You get them through an application and a draw.
• Over-the-counter (OTC) licenses. These are sold without a draw. The brochure says they do not need a qualifying license, do not use preference points, and can be bought before and during a season.

For a first rifle hunt, the OTC route is the simple one. The brochure lists an unlimited OTC bull elk license for the second rifle season and another for the third rifle season. Neither is available through the draw, and the brochure lists no residency limit on them.

Archery is different. The brochure says nonresidents can no longer buy OTC archery elk licenses for units west of I-25 and unit 140. See which OTC elk tags a nonresident can buy.

2026 rifle elk season dates

More on each: 2nd rifle elk 2026 and 3rd rifle elk 2026.

What you must have before you can buy

The brochure lists what you need to buy a license.

• Identification. A Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification number is required for hunters age 12 and older.
• Hunter education. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1949 needs a hunter education card to apply for or buy a license. CPW honors cards from other states, provinces and countries. See Colorado hunter education requirements.
• Habitat Stamp. $12.76, required for ages 18 to 64, one per person per year. It is added automatically to your first license purchase of the year.
• Qualifying license. Needed only if you apply in a draw. Not needed for an OTC or leftover license.

What it costs

The 2026 brochure lists the nonresident bull elk license at $845.16. It is sold as a combination with a fishing license. With the $12.76 Habitat Stamp, an adult nonresident buying one OTC bull license pays $857.92 in CPW fees.

Full breakdown, including the draw route: Colorado nonresident elk license cost 2026.

A simple timeline

These are the 2026 dates from the brochure. If you are planning for a later year, expect the same order but check the new dates.

If you only want an OTC rifle bull license, the date that matters is Aug. 4. The licenses are unlimited in number, so they do not sell out. You can buy online, by phone at 1-800-244-5613, or at a license agent.

Buy before opening day if you can. The brochure gives two different answers on where a List A rifle license can be bought once a season has started, so call CPW if you are buying late.

One elk license, usually

OTC rifle bull licenses are List A. The brochure says you can hold only one List A license per species per year. If you drew a List A elk license, you cannot add an OTC bull license on top of it.

Pick the season, then the unit

The OTC bull license is valid only in the units the brochure lists. The same list applies to second and third season. Some units carry extra limits. Unit 82 is public land only, and unit 851 is not valid on Bosque del Oso State Wildlife Area.

The full list is on our Colorado OTC elk units 2026 page. For how to narrow it down, read how to choose a Colorado elk unit for a first hunt. Each unit page shows harvest, OTC status, public land share, elevation and the boundary.

Things first-timers miss

• Your license controls everything. The brochure says you may hunt only the animal, sex, season, units and method printed on the license. Carry the physical license.
• Antler rules. In most OTC units a legal bull needs four points on one antler or a brow tine at least 5 inches long.
• Orange or pink. At least 500 square inches, plus a hat, in every rifle season.
• CWD testing. New in 2026, elk taken on selected rifle hunt codes must have the head submitted for testing.
• Private land. It does not have to be posted or fenced. Trespass is the first item on CPW's list of common violations.

The full list is in our first-time elk hunter rules checklist.

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Sources

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2026 Colorado Big Game Hunting brochure, cpw.state.co.us/big-game-brochure: nonresident archery reminder (What's New, page 1), planning steps and important dates (page 2), license types and List A, B and C (page 3), sales dates and where to buy (page 4), fees and what you need to buy a license (page 5), hunter education, Habitat Stamp and qualifying licenses (page 6), hunter orange and pink and trespass (page 15), elk season dates (page 35), List A purchase note and antler point restrictions (page 36), OTC rifle bull licenses and valid units (page 40), CWD mandatory testing (page 41).