How do I get hunter education in Michigan?
In Michigan, anyone born on or after January 1, 1960 needs hunter education, taken as a classroom course of at least 10 hours or as online or home study plus a 4-hour field day, and the class and field day are each capped at $10.
Data updated October 27, 2026. Every answer below is from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources's own pages, with the date each was checked.
Michigan hunter education at a glance
| Question | What the agency says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who has to take hunter education in Michigan? | Anyone born on or after January 1, 1960 must pass an approved hunter education course to buy a Michigan hunting license, or show a previous hunting license other than a base apprentice license. People hunting under the Mentored Hunting Program are exempt. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How old do you have to be to take hunter education in Michigan? | The agency does not state a minimum age to take the course; students under 10 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or an adult the parent approves. Hunters 9 and younger must be licensed through the Mentored Hunting Program and hunt with a qualified mentor. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you take Michigan hunter education online? | There are four ways to complete the course: a traditional classroom course, an online course plus field day, an interactive online course plus field day, or a take-home study course plus field day. The traditional class is at least 10 hours over at least two days. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Is there a field day in Michigan? | Online, interactive online and take-home students must attend an in-person field day of four hours with a written test (80 percent to pass) and a practical assessment. The online completion voucher is good for 12 months. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How much does Michigan hunter education cost? | The traditional class and the field day each have a maximum fee of 10 dollars. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you hunt in Michigan before taking the course? | A person 10 or older with no hunter education certificate, resident or nonresident, can buy a base apprentice license for up to two license years. The apprentice must hunt with someone 21 or older holding a regular base license and a license for the same game, within uninterrupted sight and hearing; for apprentices 10 to 16 the mentor must be a parent, guardian or someone they designate, and a mentor may take no more than two apprentices. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Does Michigan offer a hunter education deferral? | The agency's pages name the Apprentice Hunting Program (base apprentice license, two license years) and the Mentored Hunting Program as the ways to hunt without a hunter education certificate; no separate deferral is described. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How do you replace a lost Michigan hunter education card? | Replacement certificates are handled only online through the DNR eLicense system: sign in, find your certificates and choose Reprint, and a copy is emailed to you. If the certificate is missing more than seven days after the course, use Certificate Help, or call 517-582-3384 if there is no reply in 7 to 10 business days. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Does Michigan accept hunter education cards from other states? | A valid hunter education certificate from another state meets Michigan's requirement, and nonresidents can buy a Michigan license with another state's certificate. | Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
Who has to take hunter education in Michigan?
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1960 must pass an approved hunter education course to buy a Michigan hunting license, or show a previous hunting license other than a base apprentice license. People hunting under the Mentored Hunting Program are exempt.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-07-13 (page metadata, 2026 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary).
How old do you have to be to take hunter education in Michigan?
The agency does not state a minimum age to take the course; students under 10 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or an adult the parent approves. Hunters 9 and younger must be licensed through the Mentored Hunting Program and hunt with a qualified mentor.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026.
Can you take Michigan hunter education online?
There are four ways to complete the course: a traditional classroom course, an online course plus field day, an interactive online course plus field day, or a take-home study course plus field day. The traditional class is at least 10 hours over at least two days.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026.
Is there a field day in Michigan?
Online, interactive online and take-home students must attend an in-person field day of four hours with a written test (80 percent to pass) and a practical assessment. The online completion voucher is good for 12 months.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026.
How much does Michigan hunter education cost?
The traditional class and the field day each have a maximum fee of 10 dollars.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026.
Can you hunt in Michigan before taking the course?
A person 10 or older with no hunter education certificate, resident or nonresident, can buy a base apprentice license for up to two license years. The apprentice must hunt with someone 21 or older holding a regular base license and a license for the same game, within uninterrupted sight and hearing; for apprentices 10 to 16 the mentor must be a parent, guardian or someone they designate, and a mentor may take no more than two apprentices.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-07-13 (page metadata, 2026 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary).
Does Michigan offer a hunter education deferral?
The agency's pages name the Apprentice Hunting Program (base apprentice license, two license years) and the Mentored Hunting Program as the ways to hunt without a hunter education certificate; no separate deferral is described.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-07-13 (page metadata, 2026 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary).
How do you replace a lost Michigan hunter education card?
Replacement certificates are handled only online through the DNR eLicense system: sign in, find your certificates and choose Reprint, and a copy is emailed to you. If the certificate is missing more than seven days after the course, use Certificate Help, or call 517-582-3384 if there is no reply in 7 to 10 business days.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026.
Does Michigan accept hunter education cards from other states?
A valid hunter education certificate from another state meets Michigan's requirement, and nonresidents can buy a Michigan license with another state's certificate.
Source: Michigan DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-07-13 (page metadata, 2026 Deer Hunting Regulations Summary).
What this page leaves out
These could not be confirmed on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources's pages when this page was checked, so they are left out rather than guessed:
- cost of the online and interactive online courses (set by the course provider, not stated on the agency page). Check michigan.gov.
- whether hunter education cards from Canadian provinces are accepted (agency pages mention other states only). Check Michigan DNR Recreational Safety, DNR-LED-RecSafety@michigan.gov or 517-582-3384.
Hunting in Michigan by the numbers
In 2024, 632,144 people held a paid Michigan hunting license, down 0.4% from 634,627 in 2022, the 6th most of the 50 states. They bought 2,131,281 licenses, tags, permits and stamps (2,039,143 resident, 92,138 nonresident) for a gross cost of $36,508,303, 16.2% of it paid by nonresidents. Against Michigan's 10,140,459 residents in 2024 that is 6.2 license holders per 100 people, though license holders include nonresidents.
| Licenses sold in | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid hunting license holders | 634,627 | 625,517 | 632,144 |
| Resident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 2,044,464 | 2,010,156 | 2,039,143 |
| Nonresident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 83,509 | 86,796 | 92,138 |
| All licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 2,127,973 | 2,096,952 | 2,131,281 |
| Gross cost paid by residents | $30,835,009 | $30,237,503 | $30,599,608 |
| Gross cost paid by nonresidents | $5,431,852 | $5,596,798 | $5,908,695 |
| Gross cost, all buyers | $36,266,861 | $35,834,301 | $36,508,303 |
| Rank among the 50 states by license holders | 7th | 6th | 6th |
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 Michigan land has public access?
PAD-US 4.0 lists 7,234,871 acres of Michigan with public access, 11.7% of the state's 61,896,655 acres: 6,644,654 acres open access and 590,217 acres restricted access (a permit, draw, season or other limit).
| Public access land, PAD-US 4.0 | Acres | Share of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Open access | 6,644,654 acres | 10.7% |
| Restricted access | 590,217 acres | 1.0% |
| Managed by federal agencies | 3,776,796 acres | 6.1% |
| Managed by state agencies | 2,801,269 acres | 4.5% |
| Managed by local, private, tribal and other managers | 656,806 acres | 1.1% |
| All public access land | 7,234,871 acres | 11.7% |
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: michigan.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: Michigan hunting.
- Hunter education in other states