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Purchasing licenses and kill tags

Table of contents

  • Deer regs home page and glossary of terms

      Deer management

      • Managing deer in Michigan
      • Deer management plan strategic goals

      Season dates and bag limits

      • Deer hunting season dates
      • Deer management units and antler point restrictions
      • Bag limits

      License types and fees

      • License types and fees by age
      • Hunter safety
      • Mentored hunting
      • Apprentice hunting
      • Hunters with disabilities
      • Michigan residents
      • Michigan veterans with disabilities
      • U.S. military personnel
      • Treaty-authorized hunters
      • DNR Sportcard
      • Hunt/fish combo license
      • Base license
      • Deer licenses
      • Pure Michigan Hunt

      Purchasing licenses and kill tags

      • Identification requirements
      • Where to buy licenses and kill tags
      • Lost licenses and kill tags

      Antlerless deer drawing system

      • Application information
      • Eligible applicants
      • How to apply for an Upper Peninsula antlerless deer hunting access permit
      • Application assistance
      • Drawing results

      Reserved deer drawing system

      • Application information
      • How to apply for a reserved deer hunting access permit
      • Party applications
      • Drawing results

      When and where to hunt

      • Hunting hours
      • Hunting and trapping zones
      • Limited firearms deer zone
      • Safety zones
      • Public lands
      • State lands
      • State parks and recreation areas
      • National wildlife refuges
      • National forest lands
      • Commercial Forest lands
      • Hunting Access Program
      • Local municipalities
      • Waterways
      • Rights of way
      • Trespassing

      Equipment regulations

      • Hunter orange
      • Elevated platforms and ground blinds
      • Bows, crossbows and firearms
      • Transporting bows, crossbows and firearms
      • Artificial lights
      • Off-road vehicles and snowmobiles

      Hunting methods

      • Baiting
      • Feeding
      • Hunting with dogs
      • Commercial hunting guides

      Wildlife diseases

      • Bovine tuberculosis
      • Chronic wasting disease
      • Epizootic hemorrhagic disease

      Invasive species

      • Russian boar

      After the harvest

      • Validating harvest
      • Transporting game animals
      • Mandatory deer harvest reporting
      • Deer check stations
      • Handling and processing deer meat
      • Buying and selling game animals
      • Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger
      • Deer management cooperator patch

      Report all poaching

Identification requirements

What identification do I need to purchase a license?
To purchase a hunting license in Michigan, you must have one of the following forms of identification:

  • Valid Michigan driver's license.
  • Valid nonresident driver's license.
  • State of Michigan ID card (issued by the Secretary of State).
  • DNR Sportcard (issued through license agents, at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or on the DNR Hunt Fish app. If the information on your DNR Sportcard from a previous year is still accurate, you should continue to use it).

Do I have to carry my hunting license when hunting?
Yes. When hunting, you must carry your hunting license and the identification (including qualifying credentials) used to purchase that license and present them upon demand of a Michigan conservation officer, a tribal conservation officer, or any law enforcement officer.

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Where to buy licenses and kill tags

Where can I purchase a Michigan hunting license?
You can purchase a Michigan hunting license from any license agent, online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app. The app is available for download at the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Find a license agent at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenseAgents.

I purchased my deer license online. When will I get my kill tag?
If you purchased your deer license online, your kill tag will be mailed to you seven to 10 business days after your purchase. You cannot go hunting without the license in your possession.

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Lost licenses and kill tags

What do I do if I lost my hunting license?
If you originally purchased your hunting license at a license agent or online, you can visit a license agent and have your license(s) reprinted ($3 for non-kill tag replacement and full price for kill tag replacement). You must provide the identification number used to purchase the original license.

If you originally purchased your hunting license online, you received an email containing a PDF file of printable licenses (non-kill tag(s)), including your base license. Save your PDF so it can be reprinted if misplaced. If you have an eLicense account, you may log in at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses to reprint your non-kill tag items. Access your purchase history to reprint current licenses. Call 517-284-6057 for licensing assistance.

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