How do I get hunter education in Vermont?
In Vermont, every first-time hunter must pass hunter education before buying a license: in-person classes are free with no minimum age (under 16 needs parental consent), Vermont residents 18 and older can certify fully online, and a $10 mentored license lets a newcomer hunt beside a licensed adult for up to two years.
Data updated October 27, 2026. Every answer below is from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department's own pages, with the date each was checked.
Vermont hunter education at a glance
| Question | What the agency says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who has to take hunter education in Vermont? | All first-time hunters must pass hunter education before getting a hunting license; there is no birth-year cutoff. To buy a license you show either a previous hunting license or a hunter safety card from any state or Canadian province. Bowhunters must also complete bowhunter education. | Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How old do you have to be to take hunter education in Vermont? | There is no minimum age for the in-person course, but students under 16 need a signed parental consent form. Material is written at a 6th grade level, generally around ages 11 to 13. The fully online course is for Vermont residents 18 and older only. | Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you take Vermont hunter education online? | Vermont residents 18 and older (primary residence in Vermont for at least 6 months) can certify completely online. All nonresidents and residents under 18 must attend an in-person course; many in-person courses require homework first, done online or in a mailed workbook. | Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Is there a field day in Vermont? | There is no separate field day; the in-person course itself is required for nonresidents and residents under 18. To pass, students must pass a written exam, show maturity with a firearm or bow, and handle firearms safely during class, at the instructors' discretion. | Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How much does Vermont hunter education cost? | The in-person course is free; materials are provided by the department and instructors are volunteers. | Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Can you hunt in Vermont before taking the course? | A $10 mentored hunting license (resident or nonresident) is open to anyone who has never passed a hunter safety course and never held a hunting license anywhere. The holder must stay within 15 feet of a licensed adult 21 or older, who may mentor only one person at a time and shares the bag limit. It is available for only two calendar years, and holders cannot hunt moose or the youth deer and turkey weekends. | Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| How do you replace a lost Vermont hunter education card? | A lost orange hunter education card can be replaced by searching the department's online database and printing a new card, or by calling Hunter Education at 802-828-1193. | Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
| Does Vermont accept hunter education cards from other states? | Vermont accepts a hunter safety certification card, or a previous hunting license, from any state or Canadian province when buying a hunting license. Vermont's in-person certification is recognized by all states and Canadian provinces; its online-only certification is not accepted everywhere. | Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026 |
Who has to take hunter education in Vermont?
All first-time hunters must pass hunter education before getting a hunting license; there is no birth-year cutoff. To buy a license you show either a previous hunting license or a hunter safety card from any state or Canadian province. Bowhunters must also complete bowhunter education.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
How old do you have to be to take hunter education in Vermont?
There is no minimum age for the in-person course, but students under 16 need a signed parental consent form. Material is written at a 6th grade level, generally around ages 11 to 13. The fully online course is for Vermont residents 18 and older only.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
Can you take Vermont hunter education online?
Vermont residents 18 and older (primary residence in Vermont for at least 6 months) can certify completely online. All nonresidents and residents under 18 must attend an in-person course; many in-person courses require homework first, done online or in a mailed workbook.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
Is there a field day in Vermont?
There is no separate field day; the in-person course itself is required for nonresidents and residents under 18. To pass, students must pass a written exam, show maturity with a firearm or bow, and handle firearms safely during class, at the instructors' discretion.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
How much does Vermont hunter education cost?
The in-person course is free; materials are provided by the department and instructors are volunteers.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
Can you hunt in Vermont before taking the course?
A $10 mentored hunting license (resident or nonresident) is open to anyone who has never passed a hunter safety course and never held a hunting license anywhere. The holder must stay within 15 feet of a licensed adult 21 or older, who may mentor only one person at a time and shares the bag limit. It is available for only two calendar years, and holders cannot hunt moose or the youth deer and turkey weekends.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
How do you replace a lost Vermont hunter education card?
A lost orange hunter education card can be replaced by searching the department's online database and printing a new card, or by calling Hunter Education at 802-828-1193.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
Does Vermont accept hunter education cards from other states?
Vermont accepts a hunter safety certification card, or a previous hunting license, from any state or Canadian province when buying a hunting license. Vermont's in-person certification is recognized by all states and Canadian provinces; its online-only certification is not accepted everywhere.
Source: Vermont Fish and Wildlife, checked October 27, 2026.
What this page leaves out
These could not be confirmed on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department's pages when this page was checked, so they are left out rather than guessed:
- Price of the online-only course (not shown on the agency's pages). Check vtfishandwildlife.com.
- Hunter education deferral (the agency describes a mentored hunting license, not a deferral). Check vtfishandwildlife.com.
- Whether replacing a card has a fee (the page does not say). Check Vermont Hunter Education Program, 802-828-1193.
Hunting in Vermont by the numbers
In 2024, 55,171 people held a paid Vermont hunting license, down 9.1% from 60,719 in 2022, the 46th most of the 50 states. They bought 166,616 licenses, tags, permits and stamps (148,119 resident, 18,497 nonresident) for a gross cost of $4,193,995, 26.5% of it paid by nonresidents. Against Vermont's 648,493 residents in 2024 that is 8.5 license holders per 100 people, though license holders include nonresidents.
| Licenses sold in | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid hunting license holders | 60,719 | 57,775 | 55,171 |
| Resident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 159,351 | 154,010 | 148,119 |
| Nonresident licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 17,986 | 18,214 | 18,497 |
| All licenses, tags, permits and stamps | 177,337 | 172,224 | 166,616 |
| Gross cost paid by residents | $3,280,874 | $3,193,260 | $3,080,827 |
| Gross cost paid by nonresidents | $1,082,197 | $1,099,421 | $1,113,168 |
| Gross cost, all buyers | $4,363,071 | $4,292,681 | $4,193,995 |
| Rank among the 50 states by license holders | 45th | 46th | 46th |
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 Vermont land has public access?
PAD-US 4.0 lists 1,033,176 acres of Vermont with public access, 16.8% of the state's 6,153,746 acres: 721,122 acres open access and 312,054 acres restricted access (a permit, draw, season or other limit).
| Public access land, PAD-US 4.0 | Acres | Share of the state |
|---|---|---|
| Open access | 721,122 acres | 11.7% |
| Restricted access | 312,054 acres | 5.1% |
| Managed by federal agencies | 452,119 acres | 7.3% |
| Managed by state agencies | 48,197 acres | 0.8% |
| Managed by local, private, tribal and other managers | 532,860 acres | 8.7% |
| All public access land | 1,033,176 acres | 16.8% |
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: vtfishandwildlife.com. 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: Vermont hunting.
- Hunter education in other states