How do I get hunter education in Kentucky?

In Kentucky, anyone born on or after January 1, 1975 needs hunter education (certification is required by age 12): from age 9 you can take a free one-day in-person course, or an approved online course (free to $49.95) followed by an in-person range day, and new hunters can get a free one-time, one-year exemption permit.

Data updated October 27, 2026. Every answer below is from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources's own pages, with the date each was checked.

Kentucky hunter education at a glance

Who has to take hunter education in Kentucky?

Under 301 KAR 2:185 and KRS 150.170(3), anyone born on or after January 1, 1975 must complete hunter education before hunting in Kentucky and carry the card while hunting. Certification is required from age 12. Hunters on their own land or in other license-exempt categories do not need it.

Source: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.

How old do you have to be to take hunter education in Kentucky?

Students must be at least 9 years old to take the exam and the live-fire exercise. Children can test from age 9 and must be certified by age 12, which gives a 3-year window.

Source: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.

Can you take Kentucky hunter education online?

You can take an in-person course (classroom instruction, exam and live-fire exercise) and be fully certified the same day. Or you can take an approved Kentucky online course and then attend a mandatory in-person Range Day. Pre-registration is required for all courses.

Source: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.

Is there a field day in Kentucky?

Everyone who takes the online course must attend an in-person live-fire Range Day to finish certification. Active duty military, veterans or retirees and certified Kentucky peace officers can ask their regional coordinator for an exemption from the live-fire portion after finishing the online course.

Source: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.

How much does Kentucky hunter education cost?

In-person classes are free, with firearms and ammunition provided at no charge. The agency's approved online courses range from free to $49.95 (listed prices of $19.95, $28.95, $29.99, $34.95 and $49.95, plus one free option), paid to the provider.

Source: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.

Does Kentucky offer a hunter education deferral?

Kentucky offers a one-time Temporary Hunter Education Exemption Permit that lets a new hunter hunt for one year from issue without taking the course. It is free for a limited time, open to residents and nonresidents, valid only in Kentucky (not at Blue Grass Army Depot or Fort Campbell), and the holder must be supervised by a licensed adult who meets the hunter education requirement.

Source: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.

How do you replace a lost Kentucky hunter education card?

Kentucky hunter education cards can be reprinted online through the agency's card lookup by entering your name as it appeared on the card and your date of birth. For name changes or other problems, call 1-800-858-1549. The page does not list a reprint fee.

Source: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.

Does Kentucky accept hunter education cards from other states?

Kentucky accepts hunter education certifications from all 49 other states. Proof of the out-of-state certification must be carried while hunting.

Source: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.

What this page leaves out

These could not be confirmed on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources's pages when this page was checked, so they are left out rather than guessed:

• A separate apprentice license (the agency's pages describe the one-year exemption permit, listed here as the deferral). Check fw.ky.gov.
• Cost of a reprinted hunter education card (not shown on the reprint page). Check Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, 1-800-858-1549.

Hunting in Kentucky by the numbers

In 2024, 315,758 people held a paid Kentucky hunting license, down 1% from 318,869 in 2022, the 18th most of the 50 states. They bought 559,015 licenses, tags, permits and stamps (423,497 resident, 135,518 nonresident) for a gross cost of $24,819,538, 51.3% of it paid by nonresidents. Against Kentucky's 4,588,372 residents in 2024 that is 6.9 license holders per 100 people, though license holders include nonresidents.

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 Kentucky land has public access?

PAD-US 4.0 lists 1,766,023 acres of Kentucky with public access, 6.8% of the state's 25,859,788 acres: 1,558,459 acres open access and 207,564 acres restricted access (a permit, draw, season or other limit).

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.

Deer hunters reported 145,525 deer statewide in 2025-26, from the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife harvest figures on our Kentucky deer harvest by county page.

What to do next

• Start the course on the agency's page: fw.ky.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: Kentucky hunting, and Kentucky deer harvest by county.
• Hunter education in other states