Bowhunter Education Requirements and License Types for Bowhunting By State

State Mandatory or
Voluntary
Type of license allowing bowhunting and requisite for purchasing license
Alabama
V
Combination Hunting/Fishing License (includes archery)
Lifetime Hunting License (includes archery)
Lifetime Hunting/Fishing License (includes archery)
Alaska
M
Hunting License (for use in any season)You must take NBEF/IBEP Course in order to archery hunt in Alaska
Arizona
V
Archery Big Game Nonpermit Tag
Arkansas
V
Combination Sportsman's License (CS) (includes archery)
Sportsman's License (RS) (includes archery)
California
V
Resident Hunting License (for use in any season)
One-Deer Tag (for use in any season)
Second-Deer Tag (for use in any season)
Colorado
V
Elk, deer, antelope or bear license stated and/or validated for archery
Connecticut
M
Archery License
Deer Archery Permit
Archery Deer Tags
Delaware
V
Hunting License (for use in any season)
Deer License (for use in any season)
Florida
V
Archery Permit Sportsman's License (includes archery)
Lifetime Sportsman's License (includes archery)
Lifetime Hunting License (includes archery)
Georgia
V
All Weapons License (includes archery)
Sportsman License (includes archery)
Lifetime License (includes archery)
Hawaii
V
Hunting License (for use in any season)
Deer Tag (for use in any season)
Idaho
First Time Bowhunters
M
Archery Permit Sportsman's Package (includes archery)
Lifetime License (includes archery)
Illinois
V
Archery Deer Permit
Archery Turkey Permit
Indiana
V
Archery License
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting License (includes archery)
Lifetime Comprehensive Hunting/Fishing License (includes archery)
Iowa
V
Archery Deer License Archery Turkey License
Kansas
Only 12 & 13 year olds
M
Archery Antelope License
Archery Deer License
Archery Turkey License
Kentucky
V
Deer Permit (for use in any season)
Bonus Archery Antlerless Deer Tag
Archery Turkey Permit
Louisiana
M
Bow License
Universal License (includes archery)
Lifetime Resident Hunting (includes archery)
Lifetime Combination Hunting/Fishing (includes archery)
Maine
M
Combination Fishing/Archery License
Archery Hunting License
Expanded Archery Hunting License
Maryland
V
Bow Stamp
Consolidated License (includes archery)
Massachusetts
V
Archery Stamp
Michigan
V
Archery Deer
Combination Deer License (includes archery)
Minnesota
V
Deer (Bow & Arrow) License
Mississippi
V
Archery/Primitive Weapon License
Sportsman's License (includes archery)
Lifetime Sportsman Gold (includes archery)
Missouri
V
Archers Hunting Permit
Urban Archery Deer Hunting Permit
Montana
M
Bow & Arrow Stamp
Nebraska
M
Deer, antelope, turkey permit stated and/or validated for archery
Nevada
V
Deer, antelope, elk tag stated and/or validated for archery
New Hampshire
M
Archery License
Special Archery Deer License
New Jersey
M
Bow & Arrow Hunting License
Bow Season Deer Permit
All Around Sportsman's License (includes archery)
New Mexico
V
Deer License (must be validated for bow)
General Hunting License (must be validated for bow)
General Hunting/Fishing (must be validated for bow)
New York
V
Bowhunting Stamp
North Carolina
V
Comprehensive Hunt License (includes archery)
Sportsman License (includes archery)
Resident & Nonresident Big Game Hunting License (includes archery)
Lifetime State Comprehensive Hunting (includes archery)
North Dakota
V
Deer Bow License
Ohio
V
Resident Hunting License (for use in any season)
Special Deer Permit (for use in any season)
Oklahoma
V
Deer Archery License
Lifetime Hunting License
Lifetime Combination License
Oregon
V
Deer Bow Tag
Elk Bow Tag
Pennsylvania
V
Archery License
Rhode Island
All first time bowhunters
M
Archery Permit
South Carolina
V
Combination Hunting/Fishing/Big Game License (includes archery)
Sportsman's License (includes archery)
Lifetime Combination License (includes archery)
South Dakota
First time hunters & under 16-archery elk hunters
M
Archery pronghorn/deer/elk license
Tennessee
V
Annual Big Game Archery (type 10)
Lifetime Sportsman License (includes archery)
Sportsman License (Type 04) (includes archery)
Texas
V
Archery State Stamp
Resident "Super Combo" License (Type 111) (includes archery)
"The Texan" (Type 500) (includes archery)
Lifetime Resident Combination Hunting & Fishing (includes archery)
Lifetime Resident Hunting (includes archery)
Utah
V
Elk, deer permit stated and/or validated for archery
Vermont
M
Archery License
Second Archery License
Lifetime License (includes archery)
Virginia
V
State Special Archery License
Washington
V
Archery Deer Tag
Archery Elk Tag
West Virginia
V
Archery Deer Hunting Stamp (Class U)
Sportsman Hunting/Trapping/Fishing License (Class X) (includes archery)
Lifetime Combination Hunting/Trapping/Fishing (Class AB-L) (includes archery)
Lifetime Hunting & Trapping (Class A-L) (includes archery)
Wisconsin
V
Archery License
Conservation Patron License (includes archery)
Sports License (includes archery)
Wyoming
V
Archery Only Licenses (type 9)

The bowhunting license information was provided by the MT Hunter Education Program. The Mandatory/Voluntary Bowhunter Education information was obtained from surveys. If any of this information is inaccurate, please contact the NBEF at (479) 649-9036

Canada Provinces Mandatory or
Voluntary
Alberta
V
British Columbia
V
Manitoba
V
New Brunswick
M
Newfoundland
V
Northwest Territories
V
Nova Scotia
M
Ontario
V
Prince Edward Island
V
Quebec
M
Saskatchewan
V
Yukon Territory
V