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Do I need a hunter safety course to hunt in Virginia?

Yes, if you are 12 to 15, or a first-time hunter 12 or older. A new hunter can buy an apprentice license first. You then have two years to take the course. You hunt with an adult who carries a valid Virginia hunting license and supervises you directly. Hunters under 12 don't need it.

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The rule, fact by fact

Who needs it
Hunters age 12 to 15 and first-time huntersVirginia's wildlife agency, the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), says the course is mandatory for these hunters. Hunters under 12, resident or not, don't need it.
Verified. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources · Hunter Education (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026
Free option
A free student manual from any regional DWR officeIt is the study part of DWR's self-study plus class course. You still go to a class and hand in your chapter reviews there.
Verified. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources · Hunter Education Course (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026
Online accepted
Yes, if you are a Virginia resident age 12 or olderThe full-online course has no classroom part, and the provider lets you print your certificate when you pass.
Same source and date as above
Cost
DWR's page calls the Hunter-ed.com online course a $30 courseThe fee is paid straight to the provider. The study manual for the class route is free.
Verified. dwr.virginia.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026
Apprentice license
A new hunter can buy an apprentice license first and has two years to take the courseAn adult with a valid Virginia hunting license must go with you and supervise you directly. It doesn't replace the course: you need the course to buy a regular license.
Verified. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources · Hunting Licenses & Fees (opens state website) · checked Nov 12, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check your age and your hunting history. Hunters 12 to 15 need the course, and so does any first-time hunter 12 or older. Hunters under 12 don't need it.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course. Virginia lists two. One is a self-study plus class course for all ages. The other is a full-online course. The online one is state-approved, but a company runs it, not DWR. Start on DWR's course page.

  3. Step 3. On the class route, study the manual first. Give your chapter review exercises to the instructor when class starts. You can find and sign up for a class from DWR's course page.

  4. Step 4. On the online route, you print your certificate after you pass the course. If you must carry it, DWR says an electronic copy meets the rule. Lost your card? A replacement card costs a fee. See DWR's hunter education page.

Before you pay

Look at the free option before you pay. DWR gives you a free student manual, but the self-study route also needs a class. Ask what the class costs.

The online course charges a fee, and it goes to the provider. DWR's page calls it a $30 course. Read the course page before you pay.

Not a Virginia resident, or under 12? The online course isn't open to you.

An apprentice license doesn't skip the course. You need the course to buy a regular license.

We haven't confirmed the class price, any extras on the online course, or how long the certificate lasts. Ask DWR through its hunter education page.

Questions

What do hunters under 12 need?

Resident hunters under 12 don't need a hunting license or hunter education, says DWR. Nonresidents under 12 need a license but not hunter education. Any hunter under 12 must have a licensed adult along who supervises directly.

I held a Virginia hunting license before. Can I get an apprentice license?

No. DWR says people who held a Virginia hunting license before can't buy one.

I hunted in another state. Do I still need Virginia's course?

Maybe not. Virginia's rule counts you as in compliance if you are 16 or older and have held a license to hunt in any state or country before. If not, the age rules and the apprentice license still apply. An apprentice must hunt with an adult over 18 who carries a valid Virginia hunting license and supervises directly.

What to do next

Check your age and hunting history first. Then pick your route on DWR's course page.

dwr.virginia.gov

Sources we read