To qualify for a Reduced-Fee Hunting License or Disabled Hunting Entitlement, hunters must meet the criteria described below.
Licenses
Disabled Veteran Hunting License – Fee $9.46
Reduced-fee licenses are available for any honorably discharged veteran of the US Armed Forces with a service–connected disability rating of 50% or greater.
To prequalify to purchase a disabled veteran license, submit a letter from the Veteran’s Administration documenting that you were honorably discharged from the US military and have a service–connected disability rating of 50% or greater. After your eligibility has been verified, your customer record will be updated. Once you receive notification from the Department that your customer record has been updated, you will be able to purchase a low cost disabled veteran sport fishing license and/or hunting license anywhere licenses are sold.
Please visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website to obtain a copy of your VA Benefit Summary Letter that includes your character of discharge and combined service-connected evaluation rating.
Recovering Service Member Hunting License - Fee $9.46
Reduced-fee hunting licenses are available for recovering service members. A recovering service member as a member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy and is in an outpatient status while recovering from a serious injury or illness related to the member’s military service.
Submit a letter from your commanding officer or from a military medical doctor verifying your eligibility as a recovering service member. Please have your commanding officer or military medical doctor include the expected recovery date in your verification letter. The Department will enter this date into your customer profile and allow you to renew your license until this date without submitting another letter from your commanding officer or doctor.
How to Prequalify for a Disabled Veteran or Recovering Service Member License
Send a photocopy of your identification and documentation of eligibility by:
Include:
- Identification -
- Your driver’s license; and
- Your GO ID number (from your previously issued ALDS fishing or hunting license). If you do not have a GO ID number, create a customer record online to obtain a GO ID number.
- A letter documenting your eligibility
- Disabled Veterans must submit a letter from the Veteran’s Administration. Visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website to obtain a copy of your VA Benefit Summary Letter that includes your character of discharge and combined service-connected evaluation rating.
- Recovering Service Members must submit a letter from their Commanding Officer or a military doctor.
- Telephone number
- Email address (optional, but may expedite issuance)
- For hunting licenses only - proof of hunter education (Proof is not needed if you purchased a California hunting license after 2011. CDFW will have your hunter education on file.)
Disabled Entitlements
Mobility Impaired Disabled Persons Motor Vehicle Hunting License - NO FEE
Available to any resident or nonresident for mobility impaired disabled hunter who must use a motor vehicle to pursue game. A person must be either permanently or fully confined to a wheel chair, a single or double amputee above the knee or double amputee below the knee or depend upon the aid of a walker, crutches, etc. to walk. Certification from the hunter's physician is required. The license is only available from the CDFW's License and Revenue Branch.
Mobility Impaired Disabled Persons Motor Vehicle Hunting License Application (PDF)
Visually Disabled Muzzleloader Scope Permit- NO FEE
Available to any resident or nonresident visually impaired hunter having a permanent loss, significant limitation, or diagnosed disease or disorder, which substantially impairs the vision of a hunter, preventing the hunter from viewing and aligning the sights of a muzzle-loading rifle with the target in order to hunt deer. A visually disabled hunter may use a scope of no more than one power while hunting under the conditions of a muzzle-loading deer hunt tag. Certification from the hunter's physician or optometrist is required annually, except if the physician or optometrist indicated on the initial application that the hunter's disability is permanent the hunter will be able to provide a copy of their previously issued Visually Disabled Muzzleloader Scope Permit to renew the permit. The permit is only available from the CDFW's License and Revenue Branch.
Visually Disabled Muzzleloader Scope Permit Application (PDF)
Disabled Archer Permit- NO FEE
Available to any resident or nonresident hunter's having permanent loss, significant limitation, or diagnosed disease or disorder, which substantially impairs one or both upper extremities preventing a hunter to draw and hold a bow in a firing position. Allows the hunter to hunt with a crossbow or other device to draw and hold a bow in a firing position under the conditions of an archery tag or during archery season. Certification from the hunter's physician is required annually, except if the physician indicated on the initial application that the hunter's disability is permanent the hunter will be able to provide a copy of their previously issued Disabled Archer Permit to renew the permit. The permit is only available from the CDFW's License and Revenue Branch.
Disabled Archer Permit Application (PDF)