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Laws and Legislation on Children Hunting

Hunting Age by State

No minimum hunting age: 37 states

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming

Minimum hunting age of 12 years: 8 states

Connecticut, Idaho, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Minimum hunting age of 10 years: 4 states

Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey

Minimum hunting age of 15 years: 1 state

Rhode Island

Recent Legislation on Age Limits and Safety Course Exemptions

Delaware: Allows children to hunt without first passing a hunter safety course

Florida: Exempts children from hunter safety courses, allowing them to hunt for a year with another hunter without receiving training.

Illinois: Allows children ten and older to hunt without first passing a hunter safety course

Kansas: Allows children under 16 to hunt with another hunter before they complete hunter safety training.

Kentucky: Allows children to hunt without first passing a hunter safety course

Louisiana: Exempts those 16 and older from taking a hunter safety course for one year if they hunt with another hunter.

Maine: Allows children 16 and older to hunt without first passing a hunter safety course

Michigan: Lowers the minimum hunting age for small game from 12 to 10, and for big game from 14 to 12. Also exempts children 10 and older from hunter safety courses if hunting with another hunter.

Minnesota: Exempts young turkey hunters who hunt with another hunter from taking a hunter safety course.

Mississippi: Allows children of any age to hunt with another hunter for a year without completing a hunter safety course.

Ohio: Allows children of any age to hunt with another hunter for three years without first completing a hunter safety course.

Oklahoma: Allows children under the age of 16 to hunt without first passing a hunter safety course

Oregon: Allows children to hunt without first passing a hunter safety course.

Pennsylvania: Allows children of any age to hunt deer, turkeys and groundhogs before completing a hunter safety course.

Tennessee: Allows children ten and older to hunt without first passing a hunter safety course

Utah: Eliminates a minimum hunting age for small game hunting.

Washington: Allows children to hunt without first passing a hunter safety course.

Updated Sept. 19, 2007

Fact Sheet: Hunters Targeting Children

State Legislation