Recreational Hunting Licences

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Apply and pay for a hunting licence on the Hunting Licence P​age or complete you​r licence application or renewal at a Service Tasmania Service Centre​.

A three-step process exists to legally hunt in Tasmania. We've created a fact sheet with information to help you complete each step:

 How to Legally Hunt Game in Tasmania - Fact Sheet (PDF 181Kb)

​Licence fees and hunting sea​​sons​

​Licence fees 

​Applicable from​ 1 July 2024 till 30 June 2025


Full Fee

Conc Fee

Brown quail 

​$37.40

​$29.92

Deer

$84.15

$67.32

Muttonbird    ​

$37.40

$29.92

​​Pheasant

$18.70

​$14.96

Wallaby

$37.40

$29.92

​Wild duck

$37.40
$29.92​

​Please note: fees are scheduled to change on the 1st of July each year.​

​Can I use a​ concession?​​

A 20 percent (20%) discount on the cost of a licence is available for holders of the following current concession cards;

​​Children under the age of 18 years are entitled to a concession only if they have their own concession card or are named as dependants by their parents on one of the above concession cards. 

For more information on eligible concessions please visit the Concessions and Discounts website.​​​

2024 season dates​

​​Under the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 2​021 and the Nature Conservation Act 2002​ Hunting Licences are required to hunt the following animals during the gazetted seasons described below.

​Species
​Open Date
​Close Date

​Fallow deer  (adult male)

​​24/02/2024

​31/03/2024      CLOSED

​Fallow deer (antlerless)*

15/03/2024

​15/11/2024      ​CLOSED

​W​ild duck

​09/03/2024

​10/06/2024      CLOSED

​Muttonbird (non-commercial)

​30/03/2024

​14/04/2024​      CLOSED

Wallaby

​26/02/2024

​23/02/2025

​Brown quail

18/05/2024

30/06/2024      CLOSED

​​Male pheasant (King Island only)

​08/06/2024

09/06/2024      CLOSED



Please note: season dates are subject to change without notice in response to the results of monitoring and changes in seasonal conditions.​​

2025 season dates​

​​2025 hunting licences can be purchased from the 1st of February 2025.

Under the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 2​021 and the Nature Conservation Act 2002​ Hunting Licences are required to hunt the following animals during the gazetted seasons described below.

​Species
​Open Date
​Close Date
​Fallow deer  (adult male)
​​01/03/2025
​06/04/2025
​Fallow deer (antlerless)*
15/03/2025
​15/11/2025
​W​ild duck
​08/03/2025
​09/06/2025
​Muttonbird (non-commercial)
​29/03/2025
​13/04/2025
Wallaby

​24/02/2025
​22/02/2026
​Brown quail
17/05/2025
29/06/2025
​​Male pheasant (King Island only)
​07/06/2025
08/06/2025


Please note: season dates are subject to change without notice in response to the results of monitoring and changes in seasonal conditions.​​

​Hunting requirement​​s

Before applying for a licence applicants must read and understand the game hunting requirements.  ​If you are applying to renew your licence, you must also first have returned the Hunting Take​ Return​ data for the previous season.

Hunters are reminded that hunting licences, purchased for taking species with a firearm, are only valid in conjunction with the applicant's current firearms licence​.

​Who needs a hunting ​​licence?

Anybody who wants to hunt:

  • Deer
  • Wild Duck
  • Muttonbird
  • Wallaby
  • Brown Quail
  • Pheasant

Am I eligible for a h​​unting licence?

​Applicants must;

  • Be older than 14 years of age if use of a firearm is required
  • Hold a current firearms licence if applying to take deer, duck, wallaby, brown quail or pheasant.  Current firearm licences ​issued from all Australian states or territories will be accepted (there are firearms exemptions for deer and wallaby)
  • Have completed a Hunting Take Return if applying to renew a licence
  • Have the permission of the landowner if on private land
  • Have passed a Waterfowl Identification Test if applying for a licence to take wild duck​

Do I need a fi​​rearms licence?

  • ​Everybody aged 18 and older who wants a hunting licence will need a current firearms licence​​ (except those hunting muttonbirds, or those who are participating in the hunt but not shooting)

  • Everybody aged 14 to 17 needs a current Tasmanian Minor's (Firearms) Permit​​ to use a firearm.  Hunting licences will not be issued to a person under the age of 14 where a firearms is required to be used

  • Interstate visitors applying for a hunting licence require a current firearms licence from their home state

  • Overseas firearms licences are not recognised in Tasmania  It is necessary for international hunters to obtain a Tasmanian exemption permit

Applicants purchasing via the hunting licensing website​ may be required to produce their firearms licence for verification.

​​​​Please contact ​Firearm Services on (03) 6173 2720 for further information on firearms licences.

If applying for a wallaby and/or deer hunting licence only to be a non-shooting participant in a property protection activity (for example, as a spotlight holder or driver) write 'non-shooting HL' on the hunting licence application form.

Requirement to ​​declare prior convictions

All hunters making an application to purchase a h​​​unting licence are required to declare any relev​ant o​ffence​ of which they have been convicted during the last 5 years.​

Applications made through any Service Tasmania Service Centre​ where the YES box is ticked in relation to the question "Have you been convicted of a wildlife related offence in the past five (5) years?" will be declined and the applicant directed to Wildlife Services. ​

​​​​Similarly if you answer Yes to this question when applying online please contact Wildlife Services before completing the application. Details can be found at the bottom of this page.

The Nature Conservation (Wildlife)​​ Regulations 2021 require that a hunting licence is not to be granted to any person convicted of a relevant offence​ within the last five years.  Please note that the Wildlife Services cannot overturn or waive a conviction to allow granting of a hunting licence. If an applicant wishes to contest their conviction, they must do so with the agency that made the conviction. ​​​

What is included wit​​h my hunting licence?

Licence purchasers will receive:

​Each new hunting licence applicant is issued with a unique licence number.  You will see this number cited on your;

  • Plastic hunting licence card

  • Interim hunting licence receipt​

Applicants can purchase a hunting licence for one or more game species at the same time, or individually as required at the start of each hunting season.  If you need to update your personal details during the season this can be done at no additional cost by contacting Wildlife Services.  ​

Please contact Game Services Tasmania for a copy of Game Tracks.​

Licence conditions and compl​iance obligations

The Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 2021 govern hunting in Tasmania.  There are a number of regulations applicable to all species;​

Conditi​ons

  • The licence holder must only take and possess the game species specified on the Hunting ​Licence Card

  • You must only ​​hunt within the specified season and comply with bag limits as set in the Nature Conservation (Open Seasons) Order 2004

  • Wildlife can only be hunted in areas where you have authority from the landholder

  • You must not shoot from or on a public road

  • You must not discharge a firearm within 250 meters of a dwelling without consent from the occupier

  • Take must be by means of shooting only (except muttonbirds)

  • Muttonbird take must be by hand removal only

  • You must comply with wildlife-specific animal welfare standards and guidelines/codes of practice

  • Any wounded wildlife and dependent young, that are unlikely to survive in the wild, must be humanely killed immediately.  This must be done in accordance with approved methods in the animal welfare standards and guidelines/codes of practice

  • Live juvenile wildlife must not be sold or gifted to anyone as a pet or to be rehabilitated, raised, or cared for without written approval from the Department

  • You must provide take returns for all species harvested (except wallaby)​​​​

​​​Oblig​​ations

  • ​This Hunting Licence is issues subject to the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 2021​

  • Non-shooting Hunting Licence holders for deer or wallaby must only possess deceased deer or wallaby, taken by an authorised person

  • You must notify Wildlife Services if you lose or damage your deer tag.  A statutory declaration​ must be completed and submitted prior to a replacement deer tag being issued

  • If a Hunting Licence Card is lost or damaged, the holder should login to the hunting licence portal​ and order a replacement licence card or alternatively contact Wildlife Services.  There is no charge for a replacement card.

  • You must only hunt wildlife with the permitted type and calibre of firearm for that species as described in the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 2021

  • You must not hunt wildlife during the period beginning one hour after sunset on any day and ending one hour before sunrise on the next day without written authority from the Department

  • You must not use, or possess, a detection device e.g. thermal or light for the purpose of taking wildlife during the period beginning one hour after sunset on any day and ending one hour before sunrise on the next day

  • You must not shoot from a conveyance; or within 10 metres of a conveyance

  • You must not sell or offer for sale any wildlife taken under this licence

  • The use of baits, live decoys, traps, snared, spears, bow and arrows, crossbows, explosives, nets, poison, bird lime and chemical compounds is prohibited

  • The use of dogs to catch, kill, or injure wildlife is prohibited

  • Immediately after taking an adult male deer, you must affix and lock your prescribed 'M' tag to the antler of that deer, around the beam between the brow tine and trez tine

  • You must not remove a prescribed tag that has been fixed to a deer

  • You must not damage, interfere with or deface a prescribed tag

  • You must not remove the head, or sever the body, of a deer at a location other than your usual residence unless the deer was tagged and all products of wildlife relating to the deer have been labelled with your name, residential address, licence number and tag number.​​​​​

Hunting ta​​ke re​​turn

​​​Hunting take returns must be submitted at the conclusion of each hunting season and before the purchase of the new season's licence. Hunting Take Returns can be submitted after the 1st of July each year online. Do not submit an online return until you have finished all hunting activities, as once submitted you will be unable to edit your take return numbers​.

All licence holders are automatically sent an application reminder for the following hunting seasons via email​.

Information collected is used to ensure the sustainable m​anagement of Tasmania's game species and forms the basis of the hunting season reports provided in Game Tracks.

More information on is available via the Hunting Take Return page or the following information sheet:

 How to Lodge Hunting Licence Take Return Data Information Sheet (PDF 753Kb)

Please note:  A hunting licence holder who does not provide their take information as required, ​​​​will not be able to purchase a hunting licence for the following hunting season until the take information is submitted.

​Lost or damaged ​​hunting licence cards or tags

​Hunting licence ​​cards

If a Hunting Licence Card is lost or damaged, the holder should login to the hunting licence portal​​ and order a replacement licence card or alternatively contact Wildlife Services.  There is no charge for a replacement card.

​Deer t​​ags

​Lost or damaged deer tags may be replaced.  Please contact Wildlife Services on the contact details at the bottom of the page to arrange a replacement. 

A statutory declaration must be completed and submitted prior to a replacement tag being issued. ​

How to​ ap​ply

There are two ways to apply for a hunting licence once the Hunting Season opens each year: 

In pe​​​rson  

Visit your closest Service Tasmania Service Centre and submit a Hunting Licence Application Form ​

Apply online 

Click on the declaration below to proceed to the online application portal. 

Contact

Game Services Tasmania

GPO Box 44,
HOBART, TAS, 7001.

Wildlife Services - Hunting Licence Administration

GPO Box 44,
HOBART, TAS, 7001.