Who needs hunter education
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) runs the state's hunter education program. California requires hunter education for anyone who has never held a California hunting license. Age does not matter. A 40-year-old buying a first license needs it just as much as a 12-year-old.
Proof that CDFW accepts
You do not have to take the California course if you can show one of these when you buy your license:
- An earlier California annual hunting license.
- A hunter education certificate from California or from any other state or province.
- A current hunting license, or one issued within the two previous years, from any state or province.
- A California hunter education validation stamp, or a Two-Day Nonresident license issued after the 1999/2000 license year.
If none of these apply to you, you need to pass a California hunter education course before you can buy a hunting license.
How to complete the course
California offers two ways to earn a hunter education certificate. Both need time with a certified instructor.
| Option | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Traditional course | At least 10 hours of classroom, homework and field instruction, then a final exam. CDFW says first-time hunters often prefer this option. |
| Online course plus follow-up | An online course from an approved provider, then a 4-hour follow-up class with a certified instructor |
The online course on its own does not earn a certificate. You must finish the online part before you can attend the follow-up class. CDFW used to offer an online-only course, but that option is no longer available.
Classes are booked online through links on CDFW's hunter education page. Traditional classes are also offered in Spanish, and an approved online course has a Spanish version. If you need an accommodation, contact the hunter education District Coordinator for your county. Ask early if you need an ASL interpreter.
Fees
A class may not charge for the instructor's service. Any fee can only cover training aids such as slides, flip charts and targets.
Lost certificates
If you took the course on or after January 1, 2016, you can buy a Hunter Education Certificate (Duplicate) online, from a license agent or at a CDFW license sales office. For older courses, the steps depend on the year, and in some cases you may need to repeat the course.
Young hunters and families
There is no minimum age to take hunter education in California. CDFW warns that the course can be demanding for young children, and an instructor can help a family decide if a child is ready. Instructors generally ask that students be at least 10.
- The online course and follow-up class are designed for students 12 and older.
- Students under 18 need a Student Consent Form signed by a parent or guardian.
- Parents are encouraged to attend with students under 16.
- Parents and guardians generally cannot help during the final exam.
There is also no minimum age to buy a hunting license, as long as the applicant can show proof of hunter education. That makes the course the real gateway to hunting for California youth.
The nonlead ammunition rule
Assembly Bill 711, signed in October 2013, told the Fish and Game Commission to phase in the rule. Since July 1, 2019, nonlead ammunition is required when taking any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California.
What the rule covers
- All wildlife taken with a firearm, on public and private land.
- Hunting under a depredation permit, which needs certified nonlead ammunition statewide.
- Possession: while hunting, you may not carry lead ammunition along with a firearm that can fire it. The only exception is ammunition for a concealable firearm kept for personal protection and not used to take wildlife.
What it does not cover
- Target shooting, unless the agency that manages the land has its own rule.
- Pellet rifles, which are not firearms, so lead pellets are not banned. Air rifles may not be used for big game, and CDFW encourages nonlead pellets for small game.
Certified nonlead and enforcement
A nonlead projectile must contain 1 percent lead or less. Makers apply to have their products certified, and approved products go on CDFW's certified nonlead list. Wildlife officers may inspect any ammunition you carry. If an officer suspects lead and you cannot show otherwise, the officer may seize a cartridge or bullet for testing. Keep your ammunition in its original box in the field.
Licenses, big game and birds
Once you have hunter education, you can buy a hunting license from CDFW, a license agent or online. Some species need more than a license.
- Big game in California means deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, black bear and Nelson bighorn sheep in certain areas. Big game hunters need tags as well as a license, and some tags are given out by draw.
- Hunters of migratory game birds, such as ducks, geese, coots, doves and band-tailed pigeons, must complete a free Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey and have a HIP validation printed on their license.
Studying for the final exam
The final exam tests what the course teaches: safe firearm handling, ethics and the law, wildlife identification, conservation and outdoor survival. Learn the basic safety rules until they are automatic. Know how to identify your target and what is beyond it. Then work through the US-wide practice sets, and use practice test 1 to check the California rules above.
Key terms
The 16 words and rules to know for this test. Read the list or study them as flashcards: flip each card, then mark it "Know it" or "Still learning".
- CDFW
- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which runs the state's hunter education program and sells hunting licenses.
- Hunter education requirement
- Anyone who has never held a California hunting license must pass hunter education first, whatever their age.
- Accepted proof
- An earlier California annual license, a hunter education certificate from any state or province, or a recent license from elsewhere.
- Bowhunter education
- A separate class that does not meet California's hunter education requirement. You still need the full course.
- Traditional course
- At least 10 hours of classroom, homework and field instruction, then a final exam. First-time hunters often prefer it.
- Online course plus follow-up
- An approved online course followed by a 4-hour class with a certified instructor. The online part alone earns no certificate.
- District Coordinator
- The hunter education contact for your county to ask about accommodations, such as an ASL interpreter.
- Student Consent Form
- A form signed by a parent or guardian that students under 18 need for the course.
- Minimum age
- California sets no minimum age for hunter education or a hunting license, though instructors generally ask students to be at least 10.
- Assembly Bill 711
- The 2013 law that phased in California's nonlead ammunition rule through the Fish and Game Commission.
- Nonlead ammunition rule
- Since July 1, 2019, nonlead ammunition is required to take any wildlife with a firearm anywhere in California.
- Certified nonlead
- A projectile with 1 percent lead or less that appears on CDFW's certified list.
- Lead possession rule
- While hunting, you may not carry lead ammunition with a firearm that can fire it, except for a concealable personal protection firearm.
- Pellet rifles
- Air guns that are not firearms, so lead pellets are not banned. They may not be used for big game.
- Big game
- Deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, black bear and Nelson bighorn sheep. Hunters need tags as well as a license.
- Harvest Information Program (HIP)
- A free survey migratory bird hunters must complete, with a HIP validation printed on their license.