License and Permit Information

100% of license dollars go to support wildlife conservation in Tennessee.

License Expiration Dates: Annual licenses and permits are valid 365 days from the date of purchase unless otherwise noted. Example: If you purchase an annual license on February 1 that license expires on February 1 the following year. Some items, such as Migratory Bird Permits, have fixed expiration dates regardless of the date of purchase. Please take note of the effective and expiration dates of the licenses in the cart prior to checkout.

Renewal Eligibility: Existing licenses must be within 10 days of expiration in order to be eligible for renewal.

Seasons are subject to change & license fees are subject to change. The exceptions to the change are Captive Wildlife Permits, Migratory Bird Permits, and Federal Duck Stamp which will expire on June 30 of each year. Purchased GoOutDoorsTennessee.

Slat Basket Tags will expire on June 30 of each year and can be purchased online at GoOutDoorsTennessee.

Special Licenses and Permits for Fishing, Hunting and Trapping

• Farmland License Exemption
  
• High Impact Habitat Conservation Permit
• Application for Disabled Veterans License
  
• Application for Blind, Wheelchair Restricted, SSI, and Intellect Disability Licenses
• Commercial Fishing License Application
• Senior Commercial Fish License and Slat Basket Tag Application
  
• Application for Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Guide License
  
• Applications for Taxidermist and Other Captive Wildlife Permits

Most licenses are available via the On The Go APP , GoOutDoorsTennessee , at a TWRA Licensed Agent or at a Regional Office , at county clerks, sporting goods stores, hardware stores, and boat docks. Some exceptions are specialty licenses, such as Wheelchair, Disabled Veteran, Intellectually Disabled, and Blind Fishing licenses, and the Lifetime Sportsman License. The Lifetime Sportsman License cannot be purchased at general license agents. Learn more about Tennessee's Lifetime Sportsman's License by clicking here.

Notice of inspection law: It is the duty of every person participating in the privileges of taking or possessing wildlife to permit agency officers to ascertain whether the requirements of this title are being faithfully complied with, including the possession of a proper license. It is a violation of law to refuse such inspection or to interfere with an officer attempting such inspection. TCA 70-6-101(b)(1).

General Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping License Requirements

If you take, or attempt to take fish or game (including crayfish and salamanders) by any method or if you assist someone else to do so, you must have a valid fishing or hunting license. Hunting licenses are valid from the date of purchase until 365 days after purchase for most license types. Seasons are subject to change. License fees are subject to change. Migratory bird seasons are determined by federal regulations.

Most licenses, except the Lifetime Sportsman License and specialty licenses, such as Wheelchair, Disabled Veteran, SSI (Supplemental Security Income), and Blind Fishing licenses, are available from most county clerks, sporting goods stores, hardware stores, marinas, On The Go APP , GoOutDoorsTennessee, at a TWRA Licensed Agent or at a Regional Office ,

Resident licenses can be purchased by:

• Persons who possess a valid Tennessee driver’s license or Tennessee state ID issued by the Department of Safety. Tennessee state law requires drivers to obtain a Tennessee driver's license within 30 days of residency. Out-of-state driver's licenses are only accepted for Military Personnel and Students meeting the criteria below.

• Persons who do not drive, do not possess a valid driver's license, do not have a TN state ID, or a driver's license or ID from another state, but who have lived in Tennessee for 90 consecutive days with the genuine intent of making Tennessee their permanent home, may prove residency by presenting to a TWRA license agent any two of the following documents:

• Current Tennessee voter registration card;

• Current Tennessee vehicle registration or title;

• Form I-94 issued by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service;

• Current rental/mortgage contract or receipt including deed of sale for property or receipt for payment of Tennessee real estate taxes within last year.

• Military personnel on active duty in Tennessee and children under 16 years of age who reside with them, regardless of Tennessee resident status.

• Students who are enrolled in a Tennessee school, college, or university for at least six (6) months, with an appropriate student ID.

• Nonresidents that were born in the State of Tennessee, upon completion of an application for a Native Tennessean license.

Note: A Social Security Number is required by federal law to purchase a Tennessee hunting or fishing license.

There are some license exemptions

• Residents or nonresidents under 13 years of age.

• Landowners, their spouses, children, and children's spouses who fish or hunt on their own farmland. The aforementioned must be residents of Tennessee but need not reside on the land. This license exemption does not apply if the farmland is owned jointly or in common by unrelated persons.

• Tenants, their spouses and their dependent children who fish or hunt on farmland which is owned by an individual or a family. The aforementioned must be residents of Tennessee and must actually reside on the land and have permission of the land owner to fish or hunt. A tenant is a person who, for money, free renter other consideration, cares for farmland. The tenancy must be agricultural in nature.

• Resident grandchildren (under the age of 16) and resident great-grandchildren (under the age of 16) who fish or hunt on farmland which is owned by their resident grandparents or great-grandparents.

• First cousins who own farmland jointly or in common may fish or hunt on the farmland. Their children may fish or hunt as well.

• On military leave, carrying a copy of your leave orders. A pass does not meet this requirement.

• A resident who was born before March 1, 1926. (To qualify for this exemption, you must carry proof of your age and residency to show to a wildlife officer, if requested.

• It’s Bobby Wilson Free Fishing Day! June 7,2025

• It’s Free Fishing Week! All children, ages 15 and younger can fish free between June 7–13, 2025

• Free Hunting Day! August 24, 2024

NOTE: Giving false information to obtain a license is a misdemeanor punishable by fine and loss of license. Licenses are not transferable.

Native Tennessean Annual Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Licenses

Nonresidents who were born in Tennessee may apply for Native Tennessean annual licenses. These licenses provide non-residents born in the state but no longer residing in the state, the opportunity to purchase annual Tennessee hunting/ fishing/trapping licenses at the same cost as a resident.

First-time applicants must apply by using the Native Tennessean Annual License Application. Native non-residents who have previously applied can renew their licenses via the On The Go APP, GoOutDoorsTennessee, at a TWRA Licensed Agent or at a Regional Office,

Resident Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Licenses

Tennessee Lifetime Sportsman License - Resident Fishing, Hunting and Trapping

The Lifetime Sportsman License is available to any individual who has resided in Tennessee continuously for the twelve (12) consecutive months immediately preceding the purchase of the Lifetime Sportsman License.

• Applicants under the age of three (3) years must have at least one parent or designated guardian who was a resident of Tennessee for the 12 months immediately preceding the purchase of the license.
  
• The Lifetime Sportsman License entitles the holder to all the hunting and fishing privileges afforded holders of an Annual Sportsman License.
• It is non-transferable and fees are non-refundable.
• This license is good for the life of the holder even if the license holder moves out of state.
• In addition to the Lifetime Sportsman License card, applicants will receive a certificate suitable for framing, which makes this special license a natural gift for children or grandchildren.
• The fee for a Lifetime Sportsman License must be paid in full in either cash, check, or credit card when submitting the application.

Applicants must submit a legible copy of their current Tennessee Driver's License in existence for at least twelve (12) months or other proof of twelve (12) months of residency with this application. If the applicant is under the age of sixteen (16) and does not have a Tennessee Driver's License, you must include (1) a Legible photocopy of a parent's or guardian's Tennessee Driver's License in existence for at least twelve (12) months or other proof of twelve (12) month residency and (2) A legible photocopy of the applicant's birth certificate.

Applications for this new license may be obtained by calling the TWRA Nashville Office (615-781-6500), or any of the four regional offices, or you can download the application and mail it in or fax it to (615) 837-4262.

Applications cannot be processed without the Social Security of the applicant. TWRA does accept applications through email at lifetime.license@tn.gov. Please be advised that the Lifetime License application requires personally identifiable information to be included on the application. Although the State of Tennessee and TWRA do the absolute best to keep our email environment secure, we cannot be held liable for any identity theft exposure that may occur should you choose to email the application, and the message is compromised. The email sender assumes all risks involved when submitting applications via an email service.

The Lifetime Sportsman License cannot be purchased at the online license center at this time. Fees are listed in the application form found here.

Resident Disability Fishing, Hunting & Trapping Licenses

The following licenses are available only by application. Please Read the Entire Application and submit it with appropriate certifications to the TWRA Sales Office located in Nashville, 5107 Edmondson Pike, Ellington Agricultural Center, Nashville, TN 37211.

They are available for a one-time fee and are valid for the rest of the license holder's life. They are not Lifetime Sportsman Licenses. Additional permits may be required. A trout license is not required.

Annual Resident Hunting & Fishing Disabled Under 18
Available to Tennessee residents under the age of 18 who meet the requirements of TCA 70-2-104 as amended. A certification of the total and permanent disability issued by a licensed practicing physician in Tennessee must accompany the submission of the Miscellaneous License Application at the TWRA Sales Office located in Nashville Tennessee.

Renewable annually with the current fee. Permits where required.

Wheelchair Hunting and Fishing Resident License
In accordance with TCA 70-2-104(a)(4)(a) a permanent sport combination hunting and fishing license is available to residents who are permanently restricted to wheelchairs.

A certificate from a physician licensed to practice medicine in Tennessee is required. The certificate must state that the applicant is permanently restricted to a wheelchair or suffered an amputation of 75% or more of a lower limb and must accompany the submission of the Miscellaneous License Application at the TWRA Sales Office located in Nashville Tennessee.