BirdHuntBefore you pick a state for a duck trip, add up the paperwork. Between a nonresident hunting license, a state waterfowl stamp or permit and the $25 Federal Duck Stamp, the minimum you’ll spend just to be legal ranges from about $48 in Nevada to more than $260 in Oklahoma for the 2026-27 season.
These totals come from each state’s own license and fee pages, and every state page on BirdHunt breaks the number down item by item with links to the source.
How we count the minimum
- Every required item: the nonresident license, any state waterfowl stamp or permit, HIP registration and the Federal Duck Stamp at its $25 face value.
- Where a state offers a choice (a 1-day, 3-day or annual license, say) we count the cheapest option. For a short trip that’s usually a short-term license; for a whole season, expect to pay more.
- Not counted: permits you only need in certain places, like wildlife management area permits, plus agent and processing fees, which vary by how you buy.
The least expensive states
| State | Minimum | What makes it cheap |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $48.00 | 1-day hunt/fish combination permit ($23, plus $8 for each extra consecutive day) |
| Arizona | $50.00 | Short-term hunt/fish combination license ($20 per day) and a $5 migratory bird stamp |
| Georgia | $50.00 | 1-day hunting license ($20, plus $6 per extra day) and a $5 Migratory Bird Stamp |
| Rhode Island | $54.00 | 3-day tourist license ($20 online) and a $9 waterfowl stamp |
| New Hampshire | $61.00 | 3-day small game license ($25) and an $11 migratory waterfowl license |
| Pennsylvania | $63.94 | 7-day small game license ($31.97) and a $6.97 migratory game bird license |
The most expensive states
| State | Minimum | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $265.00 | No short-term option: annual nonresident license ($209) plus a $31 nonresident waterfowl license |
| Montana | $235.00 | $150 nonresident migratory bird license on top of the $50 base and $10 conservation licenses |
| North Dakota | $208.00 | Zone-restricted nonresident waterfowl license ($153) plus the general game and habitat license, certificate and restoration stamp |
| Florida | $181.50 | Annual nonresident hunting license ($151.50) with the $5 waterfowl permit |
| Arkansas | $175.00 | Short-term license plus a $50 nonresident waterfowl stamp. Hunting a WMA adds a nonresident WMA waterfowl permit ($40 for 3 days, $200 for 30 days). |
Short-term licenses are the big lever
If you’re only hunting a long weekend, a short-term license can cut the bill by half or more. Examples from this season’s fee schedules:
- South Carolina: 3-day license $40, 10-day $75, annual $125.
- Delaware: 3-day small game license $75 versus $199.50 for the annual.
- Maryland: a 3-day waterfowl and small game license for $65 versus $160 for the annual.
- North Carolina: 10-day license $99 versus $124 for the season.
Check whether the short-term license covers waterfowl: in some states it’s small game only, and a few don’t sell one at all.
Before you buy
Fees change, and a handful of our numbers come from secondary sources while we confirm them with the agency; each state page says which. Always check the state’s own license page before you buy, and remember that the price covers being legal, not access. Public land permits, draws and reservations are separate, and they’re on each state’s page too.
