How do I get hunter education in California?
In California, anyone who has never held a California hunting license and has no hunter education certificate or recent out-of-state license must take hunter education: either a 10-hour traditional class or an online course followed by a 4-hour in-person class, with no minimum age.
Data updated October 27, 2026. Every answer below is from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's own pages, with the date each was checked.
California hunter education at a glance
| Question | What the agency says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who has to take hunter education in California? | California requires hunter education for anyone who has never held a California hunting license, has no hunter education certificate, and does not hold a current hunting license (or one issued in the two previous years) from another state or province. There are no exemptions for age, military service, or law enforcement. The agency also offers an equivalency exam at its regional offices for a non-refundable fee; failing it means taking the class. | California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How old do you have to be to take hunter education in California? | There is no minimum age to take the course, though the agency notes young children may find it demanding and instructors generally ask that students be at least 10. The online course and follow-up class are designed for students 12 and older, and students under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign a consent form. | California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you take California hunter education online? | Students choose a traditional course of at least 10 hours of classroom, homework, and field instruction, or a hybrid: an online course followed by a 4-hour follow-up class with a certified instructor. The online course alone does not earn a certificate, and the online-only option is no longer available. | California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Is there a field day in California? | Every student finishes in person: the traditional course includes field instruction, and online students must attend a 4-hour follow-up class with a certified instructor after completing the online or home study portion. The instructor decides whether a student is qualified to receive the certificate. | California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How much does California hunter education cost? | Instructors may not charge for their services, but fees may be collected to cover training aids such as targets and other materials. The agency's pages do not list prices for the approved online courses. | California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How do you replace a lost California hunter education card? | For classes taken from 2016 on, buy a Duplicate Hunter Education Certificate ($9.21 for the 2026-27 license year) online, from a license agent, or at a CDFW license sales office. For classes from 1989 to 2015, call the Hunter Education Program at (916) 653-1235 to have the record added first. Records before 1989 were kept by instructors; if no copy can be found, the course must be repeated. | California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Does California accept hunter education cards from other states? | California accepts a hunter education certificate from any state or province, as well as a current hunting license or one issued in the previous two years from any state or province. Proof must be added to your CDFW customer profile at a license agent, a sales office, or by upload. Licenses from other countries are accepted only if the program administrator approves that country's training. | California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
Who has to take hunter education in California?
California requires hunter education for anyone who has never held a California hunting license, has no hunter education certificate, and does not hold a current hunting license (or one issued in the two previous years) from another state or province. There are no exemptions for age, military service, or law enforcement. The agency also offers an equivalency exam at its regional offices for a non-refundable fee; failing it means taking the class.
Source: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
How old do you have to be to take hunter education in California?
There is no minimum age to take the course, though the agency notes young children may find it demanding and instructors generally ask that students be at least 10. The online course and follow-up class are designed for students 12 and older, and students under 18 need a parent or guardian to sign a consent form.
Source: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
Can you take California hunter education online?
Students choose a traditional course of at least 10 hours of classroom, homework, and field instruction, or a hybrid: an online course followed by a 4-hour follow-up class with a certified instructor. The online course alone does not earn a certificate, and the online-only option is no longer available.
Source: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
Is there a field day in California?
Every student finishes in person: the traditional course includes field instruction, and online students must attend a 4-hour follow-up class with a certified instructor after completing the online or home study portion. The instructor decides whether a student is qualified to receive the certificate.
Source: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
How much does California hunter education cost?
Instructors may not charge for their services, but fees may be collected to cover training aids such as targets and other materials. The agency's pages do not list prices for the approved online courses.
Source: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
How do you replace a lost California hunter education card?
For classes taken from 2016 on, buy a Duplicate Hunter Education Certificate ($9.21 for the 2026-27 license year) online, from a license agent, or at a CDFW license sales office. For classes from 1989 to 2015, call the Hunter Education Program at (916) 653-1235 to have the record added first. Records before 1989 were kept by instructors; if no copy can be found, the course must be repeated.
Source: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-27 license year.
Does California accept hunter education cards from other states?
California accepts a hunter education certificate from any state or province, as well as a current hunting license or one issued in the previous two years from any state or province. Proof must be added to your CDFW customer profile at a license agent, a sales office, or by upload. Licenses from other countries are accepted only if the program administrator approves that country's training.
Source: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
What this page leaves out
These could not be confirmed on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's pages when this page was checked, so they are left out rather than guessed:
- Apprentice or mentored hunting without hunter education (not described on the agency's hunter education or license pages). Check California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Hunter Education Program, (916) 653-1235.
- Hunter education deferral (none described on the agency's pages). Check wildlife.ca.gov.
- Online course price and equivalency exam fee (not shown on the agency's pages). Check wildlife.ca.gov.
Hunting in California by the numbers
In 2024, 251,590 people held a paid California hunting license, down 3.4% from 260,359 in 2022, the 29th most of the 50 states. They bought 917,934 licenses, tags, permits and stamps (888,308 resident, 29,626 nonresident) for a gross cost of $27,837,150, 6.0% of it paid by nonresidents. Against California's 39,431,263 residents in 2024 that is 0.6 license holders per 100 people, though license holders include nonresidents.
| Licenses sold in | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid hunting license holders | 260,359 | 251,792 | 251,590 |
| Resident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 926,773 | 892,836 | 888,308 |
| Nonresident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 27,568 | 27,441 | 29,626 |
| All licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 954,341 | 920,277 | 917,934 |
| Gross cost paid by residents | $22,259,444 | $24,307,837 | $26,161,247 |
| Gross cost paid by nonresidents | $1,342,387 | $1,539,266 | $1,675,903 |
| Gross cost, all buyers | $23,601,831 | $25,847,103 | $27,837,150 |
| Rank among the 50 states by license holders | 27th | 27th | 29th |
Source: USFWS license data, checked October 27, 2026. USFWS counts each license year in the apportionment year two years later (licenses sold in 2024 are apportionment year 2026). License holders are not a count of hunters: hunters exempt from buying a license are left out, and some hunters buy licenses in more than one state. Population: Census Bureau 2024 estimate.
How much California land has public access?
PAD-US 4.0 lists 50,592,249 acres of California with public access, 48.3% of the state's 104,764,118 acres: 33,176,319 acres open access and 17,415,930 acres restricted access (a permit, draw, season or other limit).
| Public access land, PAD-US 4.0 | Acres | Share of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Open access | 33,176,319 acres | 31.7% |
| Restricted access | 17,415,930 acres | 16.6% |
| Managed by federal agencies | 45,981,554 acres | 43.9% |
| Managed by state agencies | 2,405,395 acres | 2.3% |
| Managed by local, private, tribal and other managers | 2,205,301 acres | 2.1% |
| All public access land | 50,592,249 acres | 48.3% |
Source: PAD-US 4.0 (USGS), 2024 release, checked October 27, 2026. PAD-US does not record whether hunting is allowed: some of this land is closed to hunting, so check each property's rules with its manager.
What to do next
- Start the course on the agency's page: wildlife.ca.gov. Rules change each season, so read the current page before you buy a license.
- Getting ready for deer season? Hunt Ready's 8-week whitetail track puts the course in week 1, with fitness, shooting practice and field skills after it.
- Hunting data for the state: California hunting.
- Hunter education in other states