No person thirty (30) years of age or younger may purchase or receive any hunting license or hunting tag unless the person possesses and can exhibit a certificate of competency and safety in the use an handling of firearms from the Department of Wildlife Conservation except those following the apprentice rules. Persons under ten (10) years of age may take the hunter education course but are not eligible to be tested for and receive hunter safety certification. A hunter safety certificate issued by another state or country and approved by the Department of Wildlife Conservation shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this section. (Youth participating in a youth deer, youth turkey or youth waterfowl season must adhere to accompaniment requirements for those seasons.)
Exempt from Hunter Education
- Anyone thirty-one (31) or older: Not required to have Hunter Education certification to buy a hunting license in Oklahoma; or
- Honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces; or
- Currently on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces; or
- A member of the National Guard.
Question: Can I hunt without hunter education? Answer: Yes, You can hunt with an apprentice-designated license.
- Hunters thirty (30) and younger: Anyone who is not hunter education-certified may buy an apprentice-designated hunting license. Such hunters must abide by accompanying hunter requirements.
- Hunters nine (9) and younger: Anyone who is not hunter education-certified may buy an apprentice-designated hunting license. Such hunters must abide by accompanying hunter requirements for all species.
Accompanying Hunter Requirements
- Big Game (deer, elk, bear and antelope) – accompanying hunter shall be within arms lengths of the apprentice hunter or close enough to take immediate control of the firearm or archery equipment of the apprentice.
- Small Game (including turkey) – accompanying hunter shall be in sight of and able to communicate with the apprentice hunter in a normal voice without the aid of any communication device. When a license is not required (residents under sixteen (16) years of age, nonresidents under fourteen (14)years of age), the hunter must still be accompanied.
- Accompanying hunter must be eighteen (18) years of age or older who possesses a certificate of hunter safety or is exempt from the hunter safety certification requirements.
Apprentice-Designated License
Anyone buying a hunting or season specific license who has not completed Hunter Education Certification will have the hunter education number on that particular license designated as apprentice. An individual who is in possession of an “apprentice-designated” license must abide by accompanying hunter requirements. For those requirements as well as apprentice-designated qualifications, see below:
- Hunters 30 and younger: Anyone who is not Hunter Education-certified may buy a hunting license that is apprentice-designated. Such hunters must abide by accompanying hunter requirements.
- Hunters 9 and younger: Anyone who is not Hunter Education-certified may buy a hunting license that is apprentice-designated. Such hunters must abide by accompanying hunter requirements.
- Accompanying hunter requirements: A person 18 or older who is licensed (unless exempt) and Hunter Education-certified (unless exempt). For big game hunting, an accompanying hunter must be within arm’s length of the apprentice hunter or close enough to take immediate control of the firearm or bow of the apprentice. For small game hunting, the accompanying hunter must be within sight of and able to communicate with the apprentice in a normal voice without aid.
- Anyone 31 or older is not required to have Hunter Education Certification to buy a hunting license.
Hunter Education Classes
If you are unable to attend one of the scheduled classes or prefer to complete your hunter education certification online you can take the course online for free. Just go to Hunter Education to Take the Hunter Ed Course online. You must pre-register for in-person classes at GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com. Due to COVID-19, some classes may be postponed or cancelled (if you are registered for an in-person class and it is postponed or canceled, you will receive an email).