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Is an online hunter safety course accepted?
In Missouri, yes, if you are 11 or older: take the knowledge part online, then an in-person skills class; residents 16 or older can do it all online. In Virginia, yes, if you live there and are 12 or older. In Arkansas, you need the course if you were born after 1968, unless an exception below fits you. One course on the state's list says you can finish online. We haven't confirmed other states.
By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.Published
The steps, in order
Check your state
Online rules differ from state to state
Check your age and where you live
Some states name residents or birth years
Take a course your state accepts
Some routes still have an in-person part
Keep your proof
Four steps in order: check your state's rule, check your age and where you live, take a course your state accepts, keep your proof. Some routes still have an in-person part.
What the rule says
How old do you have to be for Missouri's two-step route?
MDC's two-step format is for ages 11 and older. Step one is the knowledge part, and you can do it online. Step two is an in-person skills class and a final exam.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Is there a free route in Missouri?
Yes. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) lists a self-study guide as free. You order it online or pick one up at an MDC office. You still do the in-person part.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Is the Missouri class free too?
Yes. MDC lists the classroom option as free.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Can I finish the whole course online in Missouri?
Yes, if you are a Missouri resident age 16 or older. MDC says residents 16 and older can complete the entire program online.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Do I skip the in-person part in Missouri if I finish online?
On the all-online route, yes. You pass a 60-question final exam with a score of 80 percent or better, and you then receive your certification. MDC says you do not have to attend a skills class.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
What is MDC's note about age 16 and the second step?
MDC says anyone age 16 or older when they register who completes the online part does not need the second step, the in-person skills part. MDC words its all-online rule for residents. If you don't live in Missouri, ask MDC before you pay.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
What does Missouri's two-step route require after the online knowledge part?
MDC says that however you complete the knowledge part, you must register for and attend a four-hour skills session. A separate MDC note drops this session for some older applicants who finish the online part, so ask MDC whether it applies to you.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Which online courses does Missouri accept?
MDC lists two online options and says both meet the knowledge requirement. Its course page links to each one.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Do the Missouri online courses cost money?
Yes. MDC says an applicable fee is paid to the online program provider. Compare your checkout total with the price MDC lists for your course.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
What does MDC list for the traditional online course?
MDC lists it at $24.95. It calls this an online textbook-style course and says it includes everything you need to study for the in-person part.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
What does MDC list for the interactive online course?
MDC lists it at $39.95. It describes a video game-type course built around real-life scenarios.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
What do I bring to the Missouri skills class after an online course?
A skills-session qualifier certificate. MDC says you must finish all the chapter reviews to receive it. You must print a copy or show the PDF on your mobile device to get in.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Does Missouri accept a hunter course from another state?
Yes, if it is complete. MDC says it accepts complete certifications from all other states. If you took the other state's course online, ask MDC before you rely on it.
Missouri Department of Conservation · Hunter Education · checked Nov 12, 2026 (opens agency website)
Is there a free route in Virginia?
Yes, for the study part. The Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) says you can pick up and study a free student manual at any regional DWR office. That manual belongs to the self-study plus class route.
Who can take the Virginia class route?
DWR calls it the Virginia Hunter Education Course for all ages, self-study plus class.
What do I bring to the Virginia class?
Your self-study chapter review exercises. DWR says all students must submit them to the instructor at the beginning of the class.
Can I finish the whole course online in Virginia?
Yes, if you are a Virginia resident and 12 or older. DWR says you must be a Virginia resident and 12 years of age or older to take the full-online course. Not a Virginia resident? Then this course is not open to you.
Is there a class with the Virginia online course?
No. DWR says there is no classroom requirement for the full-online course.
Do I get a certificate from the Virginia online course?
Yes. DWR says the course provider allows you to print a certificate after you pass the course.
Who runs the Virginia online course?
A company, not DWR. DWR calls the course state-approved, says it is commercially provided and says a fee is paid directly to the provider. Ask the provider for the price.
Who needs the course in Arkansas?
Anyone born after 1968, says the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). AGFC lets some children hunt without it under direct supervision, and some older hunters can use a free deferred code instead.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission · Hunter Education · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)
Can children hunt in Arkansas without the course?
Yes, with one rule. AGFC says children under 16 who haven't finished the course may hunt if a licensed hunter at least 21 years old directly supervises them.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission · Hunter Education · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)
Is there a free route in Arkansas?
Yes. AGFC lists a free class with an instructor. It runs 10 hours and ends with a test.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission · Hunter Education · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)
Can a code take the place of the course in Arkansas?
For hunters 16 and older, yes. A free deferred code can take the place of the requirement. It comes with rules. You must have a valid Arkansas hunting license while you hunt. A licensed hunter at least 21 years old must directly supervise you, and that hunter must be certified or have been born on or before Dec. 31, 1968. You may not have been convicted or forfeited bond for prior hunter education certification violations, or have other AGFC-sanctioned hunting privilege revocations.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission · Hunter Education · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)
Can I finish the course online in Arkansas?
One of the courses AGFC lists says you can finish Arkansas's hunter course online. Check that a listed course says so before you enroll.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission · Hunter Education · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)
Where people go wrong
- Paying before you check your age and where you live is the first trap. Missouri words its all-online option for residents 16 and older. Virginia words its online course for residents 12 and older.
- Assuming online means no in-person part is the second. In Missouri, the two-step route needs an in-person skills session after the knowledge part.
- A course from another state can work in Missouri, which accepts complete certifications from all other states. Ask DWR about Virginia's rule first.
- A course accepted for one purpose may not count for another. DWR's hunter page says online courses are no longer accepted for concealed handgun permit applications.
- In Arkansas, a deferred code can take the place of the course for hunters 16 and older, but it comes with rules, so read them before you rely on it.
- Read your state agency's own page before you pay.
Questions
Is an online hunter safety course valid in every state?
Not necessarily. This guide covers three states, Missouri, Virginia and Arkansas, and each has its own rule. Read your state wildlife agency's page for the current rule.
Can I take the course online if I don't live in the state?
In Virginia, no. DWR says you must be a Virginia resident to take the full-online course. In Missouri, MDC words its all-online option for residents 16 and older. Its two-step route is for ages 11 and older, and its note about skipping the in-person part says 16 or older at registration. Ask MDC before you pay. In Arkansas, ask AGFC who can enroll in the online courses it lists before you pay.
Do I still need a class after the online course?
In Virginia, no. DWR says there is no classroom requirement for the full-online course. In Missouri, the two-step route ends with an in-person skills session. MDC's note drops that step for anyone age 16 or older at registration who completes the online portion. In Arkansas, ask AGFC or the course provider whether an online course needs an in-person part.
Is the online course free?
No, in Missouri and Virginia. Missouri says a fee is paid to the online program provider, and MDC lists $24.95 and $39.95 for its two online courses. Virginia says a fee is paid directly to the provider. The free options we found are Missouri's self-study guide and class and Virginia's study manual. Each leads to an in-person part. In Arkansas, the free option is a class with an instructor, and AGFC lists prices for the online courses it lists.
Does a course from another state count?
In Missouri, yes, if it is complete. MDC says it accepts complete certifications from all other states. Arkansas says it recognizes certificates from other states. For Virginia, ask DWR.
Do I get a certificate I can print?
In Virginia, the full-online course provider lets you print a certificate after you pass. In Missouri, the online part of the two-step route gives you a qualifier certificate to print or show at the skills session. On the all-online route, you get your certification after the exam; ask MDC if you can print it. In Arkansas, a digital certificate shows on your profile after you pass, and AGFC sells hard cards. Ask AGFC whether you can print it.
Sources we read
- mdc.mo.gov › hunter education · read Nov 12, 2026
- dwr.virginia.gov › hunter education course · read Nov 12, 2026
- dwr.virginia.gov › education · read Nov 12, 2026
- www.agfc.com › Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Hunter Education · read Nov 13, 2026
Who publishes this guide
State Cert Guide is an independent guide to what each state requires. If a fact on this page is wrong, tell us and we fix it.