Hunter Education Requirements

Prerequisite to Purchasing Hunting Items

To purchase a California hunting license you must have proof of hunter education on your CDFW customer profile.

Accepted Forms of Hunter Education

The CDFW accepts the following forms as proof of meeting hunter education requirements:

  • Annual California Hunting License (issued in any prior year)
  • Two-day California Nonresident Hunting License (issued after 1999/2000)
  • California Hunter Education Certificate
  • Certificate of successful completion of a California-approved hunter education course from any state or province
  • Current hunting license or hunting license issued within the previous two years from any state, province, European country, or South Africa

Ways to Add Proof of Hunter Education

If you registered to take a California hunter education class online and recently completed the class (online, traditional, or hybrid), your hunter education certificate number will be automatically be added to your CDFW customer record within 48 hours of passing the course or after the instructor enters the results.

If your proof of hunter education is from out of state or was issued prior to the online registration process (2016), you may request to have it added to your customer record using any of the following methods:

  • At any CDFW License Agent or CDFW Sales Office
  • Upload it yourself via the Online License Sales and Services portal. Log in to your customer record and select Upload Files from the menu (requires creating a password if not done previously).
  • Fax to (916) 419-7585
  • Request a “Secure Document Upload Link” from LRB@wildlife.ca.gov. You will receive a response with a link to securely upload the required documentation below. DO NOT send your documents directly via email.

Required Documentation

To ensure your proof of hunter education is added to your CDFW customer record, please provide the following documentation:

  • Personal identification (i.e., driver’s license or state identification card)
    • If under 18 years of age, a birth certificate or Guardian’s identification may be used
  • GO ID (Existing Customers - Permanent CDFW number found on all your licenses)
  • An Accepted Form of Hunter Education (listed above)

Need a Duplicate Hunter Education Certificate?

Did you successfully pass a California Hunter Education Class, after 1989? If we can locate your name in our hunter education database, we can certify your hunter education on your CDFW customer profile which allows you to purchase a duplicate hunter education certificate at a License Agent or CDFW Sales Office.

To locate your hunter education record, contact any CDFW Sales Office or our Hunter Education Office by telephone at (916) 653-1235.

If we are unable to locate your name in our database, or you took the class prior to 1989, you can contact the original instructor, club, or organization where the course was taught to try and obtain a duplicate.

If your record of completion cannot be located, you will need to repeat the course.