How do I get hunter education in North Dakota?
In North Dakota, anyone born after 1961 needs hunter education before buying a firearm or bow license: take the free 14-plus hour classroom course if you turn 11 that year, or the $24.95 hybrid (online study plus two in-person sessions) if you turn 12 that year.
Data updated October 27, 2026. Every answer below is from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's own pages, with the date each was checked.
North Dakota hunter education at a glance
| Question | What the agency says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who has to take hunter education in North Dakota? | State law requires anyone born after 1961 to complete a certified hunter education course before getting a firearm or bow hunting license, and proof must be shown when buying or applying. Exceptions are youth under 12 (who may hunt only under direct supervision of a parent, guardian or authorized adult), people hunting only on land they own or operate, and apprentice license holders. Youth who turn 11 by year end may get a whitetail doe license for the youth and regular deer gun seasons without the course. | North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How old do you have to be to take hunter education in North Dakota? | Students must turn 11 before the end of the calendar year to enroll in the traditional classroom course, and turn 12 before the end of the calendar year to enroll in the hybrid course. | North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you take North Dakota hunter education online? | Students choose a traditional course taught entirely in a classroom (14 or more hours) or a hybrid course with 10 or more hours of online study and at least 6 hours in two in-person sessions, one before the online part and one at the end for testing. The two formats cannot be combined. There is no fully online option. | North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Is there a field day in North Dakota? | Both formats require in-person attendance: the hybrid course requires an in-person session before starting the online class and another at the end to complete testing. Classes run mostly in spring and early summer, with no waiting lists. | North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How much does North Dakota hunter education cost? | The traditional classroom course is free. The hybrid classroom and online course costs $24.95. | North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you hunt in North Dakota before taking the course? | Anyone born after December 31, 1961, age 12 or older, without a hunter education certificate may get an apprentice hunter validation, good for one license year in a lifetime. The apprentice may hunt small game and deer only when accompanied by a licensed adult 18 or older (within uninterrupted sight and unaided voice contact) who did not get a license through an apprentice validation, and must buy all required licenses and stamps. To keep hunting after that year, the hunter must complete a certified course. | North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How do you replace a lost North Dakota hunter education card? | Hunter education certification numbers can be looked up and cards reprinted through My Account on the department's website. | North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Does North Dakota accept hunter education cards from other states? | Official hunter education courses from other states and Canadian provinces meet North Dakota's requirement. | North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026 |
Who has to take hunter education in North Dakota?
State law requires anyone born after 1961 to complete a certified hunter education course before getting a firearm or bow hunting license, and proof must be shown when buying or applying. Exceptions are youth under 12 (who may hunt only under direct supervision of a parent, guardian or authorized adult), people hunting only on land they own or operate, and apprentice license holders. Youth who turn 11 by year end may get a whitetail doe license for the youth and regular deer gun seasons without the course.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026.
How old do you have to be to take hunter education in North Dakota?
Students must turn 11 before the end of the calendar year to enroll in the traditional classroom course, and turn 12 before the end of the calendar year to enroll in the hybrid course.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026.
Can you take North Dakota hunter education online?
Students choose a traditional course taught entirely in a classroom (14 or more hours) or a hybrid course with 10 or more hours of online study and at least 6 hours in two in-person sessions, one before the online part and one at the end for testing. The two formats cannot be combined. There is no fully online option.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026.
Is there a field day in North Dakota?
Both formats require in-person attendance: the hybrid course requires an in-person session before starting the online class and another at the end to complete testing. Classes run mostly in spring and early summer, with no waiting lists.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026.
How much does North Dakota hunter education cost?
The traditional classroom course is free. The hybrid classroom and online course costs $24.95.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026.
Can you hunt in North Dakota before taking the course?
Anyone born after December 31, 1961, age 12 or older, without a hunter education certificate may get an apprentice hunter validation, good for one license year in a lifetime. The apprentice may hunt small game and deer only when accompanied by a licensed adult 18 or older (within uninterrupted sight and unaided voice contact) who did not get a license through an apprentice validation, and must buy all required licenses and stamps. To keep hunting after that year, the hunter must complete a certified course.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026.
How do you replace a lost North Dakota hunter education card?
Hunter education certification numbers can be looked up and cards reprinted through My Account on the department's website.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026.
Does North Dakota accept hunter education cards from other states?
Official hunter education courses from other states and Canadian provinces meet North Dakota's requirement.
Source: North Dakota Game and Fish, checked October 27, 2026.
What this page leaves out
These could not be confirmed on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department's pages when this page was checked, so they are left out rather than guessed:
- Hunter education deferral (the department describes the one-year apprentice validation, not a deferral). Check gf.nd.gov.
- Fee for the apprentice validation and any fee for reprinting a card (not stated on the pages read). Check gf.nd.gov.
Hunting in North Dakota by the numbers
In 2024, 148,512 people held a paid North Dakota hunting license, up 0.3% from 148,101 in 2022, the 38th most of the 50 states. They bought 543,345 licenses, tags, permits and stamps (385,070 resident, 158,275 nonresident) for a gross cost of $12,574,353, 62.5% of it paid by nonresidents. Against North Dakota's 796,568 residents in 2024 that is 18.6 license holders per 100 people, though license holders include nonresidents.
| Licenses sold in | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid hunting license holders | 148,101 | 146,545 | 148,512 |
| Resident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 415,254 | 401,950 | 385,070 |
| Nonresident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 139,058 | 144,345 | 158,275 |
| All licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 554,312 | 546,295 | 543,345 |
| Gross cost paid by residents | $5,336,968 | $5,102,258 | $4,721,028 |
| Gross cost paid by nonresidents | $6,940,545 | $7,183,045 | $7,853,325 |
| Gross cost, all buyers | $12,277,513 | $12,285,303 | $12,574,353 |
| Rank among the 50 states by license holders | 38th | 38th | 38th |
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 North Dakota land has public access?
PAD-US 4.0 lists 3,271,452 acres of North Dakota with public access, 7.2% of the state's 45,247,239 acres: 2,592,647 acres open access and 678,805 acres restricted access (a permit, draw, season or other limit).
| Public access land, PAD-US 4.0 | Acres | Share of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Open access | 2,592,647 acres | 5.7% |
| Restricted access | 678,805 acres | 1.5% |
| Managed by federal agencies | 2,336,630 acres | 5.2% |
| Managed by state agencies | 929,737 acres | 2.1% |
| Managed by local, private, tribal and other managers | 5,085 acres | 0.0% |
| All public access land | 3,271,452 acres | 7.2% |
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: gf.nd.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: North Dakota hunting.
- Hunter education in other states