Florida hunting license exemptions cover five main groups under Florida Statute 379.353: children under 16, residents aged 65 and older, people hunting their own homestead property, residents certified as totally and permanently disabled (including qualifying disabled veterans), and active-duty military stationed out of state while home on leave. A separate rule lets anyone hunt wild hogs on private land without a license. Each exemption has conditions, and getting them wrong triggers a $50 civil penalty on a first offense.
Children Under 16 and Residents 65 and Older
Kids under 16 do not need a Florida recreational hunting license. This is the broadest exemption in the statute and it also waives the standard permits, including deer, turkey, wildlife management area, and even the federal duck stamp.
Residents 65 or older are also exempt from the hunting license and most associated permits. The condition is documentation. You need proof of both age and Florida residency in the field, and a valid Florida driver’s license or state ID satisfies both. The FWC offers an optional no-cost Resident 65+ Hunt/Fish Certificate through GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or a county tax collector’s office if you prefer a dedicated document.
Age alone does not waive hunter safety. Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must complete an approved hunter safety course before hunting with a firearm, bow, or crossbow. A deferral is available for hunters 16 or older who haven’t taken the course, letting them hunt under the direct supervision of a licensed adult at least 21 years old who has already completed the requirement.
Homestead Property Owners
You do not need a hunting license to hunt on your own homestead. The exemption extends to hunting on the homestead of your spouse or minor child, and minor children can hunt on a parent’s homestead without a license.
“Homestead” means the property where you actually live. Land you own but don’t reside on doesn’t count. Property leased to a hunting club or run commercially also falls outside the exemption. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood carve-outs, because people assume any land they own qualifies.
Residents With a Total and Permanent Disability
Florida issues a no-cost hunting and fishing license to residents certified as totally and permanently disabled. Accepted certifying agencies are the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Social Security Administration, the Railroad Retirement Board, or a workers’ compensation judge of compensation claims.
The renewal cycle depends on the certifying agency. Licenses based on VA, military, or workers’ compensation certification are valid for five years. Licenses based on Social Security Administration disability are valid for two years and require fresh proof of continued disability at renewal.
A separate category covers honorably discharged veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or greater. This group was added to the statute effective July 1, 2024, and those licenses are also valid for five years.
The disability license functions as a full hunting and fishing license and includes most standard permits, such as deer, turkey, wildlife management area, archery, crossbow, and muzzleloading gun permits. You can obtain it through the FWC or a county tax collector’s office.
Active-Duty Military on Leave
Florida residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces who are stationed outside the state are exempt from the hunting license and most permit requirements when home on leave for 30 days or less. Carry your official leave orders while hunting. The exemption also covers the Florida waterfowl, turkey, wildlife management area, archery, crossbow, muzzleloading gun, and migratory bird permits.
If you want year-round coverage rather than just leave windows, the Military Gold Sportsman’s License costs $20 per year, compared with $100 for the standard Gold Sportsman’s License. It’s available to Florida residents who are active duty or retired military through online verification at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. It does not include tarpon tags, alligator trapping licenses, limited-entry hunt permits, the migratory bird permit, or the federal duck stamp.
Wild Hogs on Private Land
Wild hogs are not classified as game animals in Florida. You can hunt them year-round on private land with the landowner’s permission, and no hunting license or permit is required, including for hunting at night with a gun and light. The state built this exception around the agricultural damage wild hogs cause and wants removal to be easy.
The exemption applies only on private land. On a wildlife management area or other public land, standard license and permit requirements apply along with season dates and method restrictions.
Federal and State Requirements the Exemptions Don’t Waive
Federal migratory bird rules run on their own track. Anyone 16 or older hunting migratory waterfowl must purchase and carry a current Federal Duck Stamp, valid July 1 through the following June 30. Hunters under 16 are the only group exempt from both the state and federal waterfowl requirements.
Florida also requires a no-cost migratory bird permit for hunting doves, ducks, geese, snipe, woodcock, and other migratory species. Hunters under 16 and residents 65 and older are exempt from this permit; everyone else needs one in addition to their hunting license. It’s free, but you have to get it before you hunt.
What Happens If You Hunt Without Qualifying
Hunting without a license when you don’t qualify for an exemption is a Level One noncriminal infraction. The first-time civil penalty is $50 plus the cost of the license or permit you should have had. A standard annual resident hunting license is $15.50, so a first offense is a relatively modest hit. A repeat violation within 36 months raises the penalty to $250 plus the license cost.
You can resolve either by buying the missing license after the fact, providing proof, and paying the civil penalty. Refusing the citation, failing to pay, or not appearing in county court escalates the matter to a second-degree misdemeanor.