How do I get hunter education in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, anyone born after December 31, 1979 needs DNR Firearms Safety Certification: youth 11 and older take a classroom or hybrid course with an in-person field day, adults 16 and older can take an online course with a virtual field day, and the DNR fee is $7.50.
Data updated October 27, 2026. Every answer below is from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources's own pages, with the date each was checked.
Minnesota hunter education at a glance
| Question | What the agency says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who has to take hunter education in Minnesota? | Anyone born after December 31, 1979 must have DNR Firearms Safety Certification to buy a hunting license in Minnesota. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How old do you have to be to take hunter education in Minnesota? | Students 11 and older can take the classroom or hybrid course, and the firearms safety certificate becomes valid at age 12. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you take Minnesota hunter education online? | Youth can take a classroom course or a hybrid course (online course, then an in-person review session and field day). Adults 16 and older can take a classroom course or an online course with a virtual field day. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Is there a field day in Minnesota? | Youth classroom and hybrid students must complete an in-person field day that includes shooting a .22 rifle on a range. Adults 16 and older who take the online course complete a virtual field day; an in-person field day is optional and encouraged for those with little firearm experience. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How much does Minnesota hunter education cost? | The DNR course fee is 7.50 dollars, paid online after completing the course; an instructor may charge up to 7.50 dollars more at the class or field day. Adults who finish the online course also pay the 7.50 dollar DNR fee. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you hunt in Minnesota before taking the course? | The Apprentice Hunter Validation lets residents and nonresidents who lack a certificate hunt bear, deer, turkey and small game for two license years in a lifetime, at 3.50 dollars per license year, bought before any hunting license. The apprentice must be accompanied by a licensed adult within uninterrupted sight and unaided voice contact, and apprentices cannot accompany each other. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Does Minnesota offer a hunter education deferral? | The agency says the Apprentice Hunter Validation is what other states often call a hunter education deferral program; it can be used two license years in a lifetime. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How do you replace a lost Minnesota hunter education card? | Buy a duplicate firearms safety certificate online or wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold; the DNR Information Center helps with problems. A Minnesota hunting license showing a firearms safety number is also proof of completion. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Does Minnesota accept hunter education cards from other states? | Minnesota recognizes firearms safety training certificates issued by other states. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can young hunters in Minnesota hunt without the certificate? | Anyone born after 1979 needs the certificate to hunt with a firearm, except youth 12 and under may hunt small game (11 and under for turkey) without a certificate or apprentice validation when a parent or guardian accompanies them. | Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026 |
Who has to take hunter education in Minnesota?
Anyone born after December 31, 1979 must have DNR Firearms Safety Certification to buy a hunting license in Minnesota.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2024-04-26 (page metadata).
How old do you have to be to take hunter education in Minnesota?
Students 11 and older can take the classroom or hybrid course, and the firearms safety certificate becomes valid at age 12.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-01-14 (page metadata).
Can you take Minnesota hunter education online?
Youth can take a classroom course or a hybrid course (online course, then an in-person review session and field day). Adults 16 and older can take a classroom course or an online course with a virtual field day.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-01-14 (page metadata).
Is there a field day in Minnesota?
Youth classroom and hybrid students must complete an in-person field day that includes shooting a .22 rifle on a range. Adults 16 and older who take the online course complete a virtual field day; an in-person field day is optional and encouraged for those with little firearm experience.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2025-01-28 (page metadata).
How much does Minnesota hunter education cost?
The DNR course fee is 7.50 dollars, paid online after completing the course; an instructor may charge up to 7.50 dollars more at the class or field day. Adults who finish the online course also pay the 7.50 dollar DNR fee.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-01-14 (page metadata).
Can you hunt in Minnesota before taking the course?
The Apprentice Hunter Validation lets residents and nonresidents who lack a certificate hunt bear, deer, turkey and small game for two license years in a lifetime, at 3.50 dollars per license year, bought before any hunting license. The apprentice must be accompanied by a licensed adult within uninterrupted sight and unaided voice contact, and apprentices cannot accompany each other.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2025-10-22 (page metadata).
Does Minnesota offer a hunter education deferral?
The agency says the Apprentice Hunter Validation is what other states often call a hunter education deferral program; it can be used two license years in a lifetime.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2025-10-22 (page metadata).
How do you replace a lost Minnesota hunter education card?
Buy a duplicate firearms safety certificate online or wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold; the DNR Information Center helps with problems. A Minnesota hunting license showing a firearms safety number is also proof of completion.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2024-04-26 (page metadata).
Does Minnesota accept hunter education cards from other states?
Minnesota recognizes firearms safety training certificates issued by other states.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2026-01-14 (page metadata).
Can young hunters in Minnesota hunt without the certificate?
Anyone born after 1979 needs the certificate to hunt with a firearm, except youth 12 and under may hunt small game (11 and under for turkey) without a certificate or apprentice validation when a parent or guardian accompanies them.
Source: Minnesota DNR, checked October 27, 2026; page dated 2025-10-22 (page metadata).
What this page leaves out
These could not be confirmed on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources's pages when this page was checked, so they are left out rather than guessed:
- price of the adult online course and virtual field day charged by the course provider (agency states only the 7.50 dollar DNR fee). Check dnr.state.mn.us.
- whether certificates from Canadian provinces are accepted (agency page says other states). Check DNR Information Center, 888-646-6367 or 651-296-6157.
Hunting in Minnesota by the numbers
In 2024, 527,774 people held a paid Minnesota hunting license, down 2.6% from 542,085 in 2022, the 9th most of the 50 states. They bought 1,373,843 licenses, tags, permits and stamps (1,314,475 resident, 59,368 nonresident) for a gross cost of $32,818,119, 14.3% of it paid by nonresidents. Against Minnesota's 5,793,151 residents in 2024 that is 9.1 license holders per 100 people, though license holders include nonresidents.
| Licenses sold in | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid hunting license holders | 542,085 | 532,443 | 527,774 |
| Resident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 1,365,128 | 1,332,206 | 1,314,475 |
| Nonresident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 55,378 | 56,108 | 59,368 |
| All licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 1,420,506 | 1,388,314 | 1,373,843 |
| Gross cost paid by residents | $29,095,203 | $28,385,824 | $28,131,237 |
| Gross cost paid by nonresidents | $4,524,901 | $4,546,801 | $4,686,882 |
| Gross cost, all buyers | $33,620,104 | $32,932,625 | $32,818,119 |
| Rank among the 50 states by license holders | 9th | 9th | 9th |
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 Minnesota land has public access?
PAD-US 4.0 lists 9,699,490 acres of Minnesota with public access, 17.4% of the state's 55,643,688 acres: 6,536,270 acres open access and 3,163,220 acres restricted access (a permit, draw, season or other limit).
| Public access land, PAD-US 4.0 | Acres | Share of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Open access | 6,536,270 acres | 11.7% |
| Restricted access | 3,163,220 acres | 5.7% |
| Managed by federal agencies | 4,064,187 acres | 7.3% |
| Managed by state agencies | 5,497,863 acres | 9.9% |
| Managed by local, private, tribal and other managers | 137,440 acres | 0.2% |
| All public access land | 9,699,490 acres | 17.4% |
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: dnr.state.mn.us. 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: Minnesota hunting.
- Hunter education in other states