Licenses & Permits

Residency Definitions

Any person holding a valid driver license is considered a resident of the state that issued the license. For a valid Oklahoma driver license to be used as the sole source of proof of residency, it must be at least 60 days from the date the license was issued, except for lifetime license applicants, whose license must have been issued for six months or longer. If a person does not hold a valid driver license, the Department may consider other reliable documentation, such as resident income tax returns, voter registration, motor vehicle or vessel registrations, and other public records documenting residence.

Residency for children under 18 years of age is presumed to be that of the custodial parent, including a custodial parent where there is a joint custody order and the physical custody of the child is shared by both parents, or legal guardian unless otherwise documented.

Persons who own land in Oklahoma but do not live here are considered nonresidents. A person cannot claim multiple states of residence, with the following exception:

Military Personnel

• A person who is not otherwise a resident of the state and is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and is on active duty and permanently assigned to a military installation located in the state shall be eligible to qualify as a resident for annual license purchases if the person presents with the license application a certificate of assignment in the state from a commanding officer or designated representative. A spouse or dependent of the person who is not otherwise a resident of the state, is living within the same household and is similarly certified by a commanding officer, shall also be eligible to qualify as a resident.
• The residency status of any person, except active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces and any dependents of the member, shall terminate if the person obtains any resident hunting, fishing, trapping license or permit or valid driver license issued by another state. A nonresident is any individual who is a resident of another state or who has resided in Oklahoma for a period of less than 60 days whether or not he or she intends to make Oklahoma his or her home.

License Requirements

Fishing License Requirements

An Oklahoma fishing license is required of all persons 18 or older who take, attempt to take or possess fish or other aquatic dwelling organisms by any method in Oklahoma. All required licenses or written evidence of exemption and identification must be carried on your person while fishing. Electronic licenses on your phone are allowed. Persons fishing the Red River must have a valid Oklahoma fishing license unless exempt. In addition, persons fishing on waters located within the Honobia Creek or Three Rivers Wildlife Management Areas must have a valid Land Access Permit, unless exempt. Persons residing in another state who own land in Oklahoma but do not live on that land, and are fishing on that land, must purchase a nonresident fishing license.

Hunting License Requirements

License requirements are listed by game animal throughout this book. For many wildlife species a “hunting license” is one of those requirements. There are many different types of “hunting licenses” that meet this requirement, and rather than listing all of them with every species, we have listed them below. So, if a “hunting license” is required, you must possess any one of the following:

If You Are A Resident

A “hunting license” is any one of the following:

• Annual Hunting License
• Annual Combination Fishing/Hunting License
• Annual Youth Super Hunting License
• 3-Year Combination Fishing/Hunting License
• Disability 5-year combination Fishing/Hunting License
• Lifetime Combination Fishing/Hunting License
• Disabled Veteran Lifetime Combination Fishing/Hunting Licenses
• Senior Citizen Lifetime Combination Fishing/Hunting License

If You Are A Nonresident

A “hunting license” is any one of the following:

• Nonresident Annual Hunting License
• Nonresident 5-Day Hunting License
• Nonresident Youth Annual Super Hunting
• Nonresident Youth 5-day Super Hunting License

(Licenses are not valid for big game, turkey, or waterfowl. As an adult nonresident you must have an Annual Hunting License to hunt big game, turkey, or waterfowl in addition to a species/season specific license. Please refer to big game, turkey, and waterfowl sections for license requirements.)

Note: Nonresidents who hold a resident lifetime license (hunting or combination) have the same exemptions as a resident lifetime license holder. The resident lifetime hunting, resident lifetime senior citizen hunting, resident 5-year hunting, nonresident lifetime hunting, nonresident lifetime combination hunting/fishing, lifetime nonresident small game hunting and lifetime nonresident combination small game hunting/fishing licenses are no longer available for purchase. However, these licenses are honored for people already possessing one.

I’m a Resident Hunter. What Licenses Do I Need?

This is a reference chart only. Please read through this guide for complete information about hunter education, license requirements, and exemptions. This chart does not apply to good-for-life licenses such as the lifetime hunting or senior citizen licenses. See License Exemptions for information on lifetime licenses exemptions.