How to Get Your 2025 Hunter Education Course Georgia in 3 Easy Steps
Hunting in Georgia is a long-standing tradition deeply rooted in the state’s culture and outdoor heritage. Many people hunt there for a mix of reasons, like enjoying the abundant wildlife and natural beauty, providing locally sourced food, and spending time with family and friends.
Georgia’s diverse landscapes, from pine forests to wetlands, offer excellent habitats for deer, turkey, quail, and waterfowl. With these opportunities comes the critical responsibility of practicing hunter safety, like proper firearm handling, wearing blaze orange for visibility, understanding the hunting laws for the state, and more.
Georgia requires residents and non-residents born on or after January 1, 1961, to successfully complete a hunter education course before purchasing a season hunting license.
So, if you're planning a hunt in 2025 (and looking ahead to 2026), keep reading to learn how to take your hunter education course Georgia and get your hunting license.
How Do I Get My Hunter Education Card in Georgia?
Again, hunters born after January 1, 1961, must complete a hunter safety course to earn a hunter education card in Georgia.
You must have this certification to purchase a hunting license. Here are your options to get certified.
1. Take an Online Course
This is the most convenient way to get your hunter education certification in Georgia!
Hunters can complete the entire certification online. This means you can take the Hunter-Ed course for Georgia, pass the quizzes and final exam, and pay any required fees — all online. You’ll also be able to access your certificate to print a temporary one.
Then, to print your permanent card:
- Go to the Go Outdoors Georgia website.
- Log in using your Georgia DNR Customer ID
- Print your hunter education certificate
Make sure you take an online course approved by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR), like Hunter-Ed.
2. Take an In-Person Class
Hunters of any age can also take an in-person class with an instructor. Sign up for a course using the Go Georgia Outdoors website, choosing a date, time, and location that's convenient for you.
Just make sure you complete the course and exam ahead of the hunting season so you have time to get your hunting license and plan your hunt.
3 Easy Steps to Get Your 2025 Georgia Hunt License
With your hunter certification, you're ready to get your license and hunt! Here are three easy steps to get your Georgia hunting license.
- Meet the Requirements (and Complete a Hunter Education Course)
Again, if you were born on or after January 1, 1971, you must complete a Georgia-approved hunter education (safety) course before purchasing your license. If you are 16 years old or older, you must also have a drivers license to hunt.
Hunter-Ed makes it easy to do that with our online course, approved by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR). - Choose the Right License Type and Purchase It
Determine which license you need. Choose from resident, nonresident, apprentice, senior sportsman, combo fishing and hunting, and other options. Then, purchase your license online via the Go Outdoors Georgia website, by phone by calling 1-800-366-2661, or from an approved agent (e.g., sporting goods stores and other designated locations). - Carry Proof of Your License When Hunting (Digital or Printed)
Always carry your license when hunting. If tags are required (for deer, turkey, etc.), make sure to tag your harvest properly.
Let's look at these steps in more detail.
Take the Hunter Education Course Georgia Online!
Step 1: How to Take the Hunter Education Course Georgia
The easiest way to get your hunter safety certification is to take the Hunter-Ed Online course!
Our course:
- Can be completed in about 3 hours.
- Is approved by the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) and GDNR.
- Saves your progress! Start and stop as needed to fit your schedule and work at your own pace.
- Includes animations, illustrations, videos, games, and quizzes to help you learn the required material.
- Allows unlimited attempts to pass the final exam. You'll need to score at least 76% on the exam to pass.
- Can be taken from anywhere you can connect to the internet using a tablet, phone, or computer.
- Offered in English or Spanish for most states (including Georgia).
- Free access to the course study guide to help you learn the material and pass the final exam.
- Gives you free access to Hunter Perks!
Note: There is no minimum age requirement to take the GA hunter education course. However, hunters younger than 11 years old are not required to complete a hunter safety course.
What kind of content is in the course? Check out one of the videos you'll see in the Hunter-Ed course and study guide!
Step 2: Get Your Hunter Education Certification Card
After completing the course and passing your final exam, you have immediate access to print a temporary hunter certification card.
In your Hunter-Ed student dashboard, you'll see a button to "Print Course Certificate." Click that to print your temporary card. This convenience means you can get certified and go hunting on the same weekend!
You can print your permanent card from the GDNR's Go Outdoors Georgia website.
Your Card is Your Proof of Certification
Remember: Your hunter education card is proof that you complete the course and exam. Treat it like you do other important documents.
Remember to carry your hunter education card when you hunt as proof that you completed the hunter education course Georgia requires. When you're in the field, wildlife officials can ask to see your hunting license and safety certification. Make sure you have these documents handy.
If you lose your card, go to the Go Outdoors Georgia website and print a replacement certificate for free.
Step 3: Where to Get Your Georgia Hunting License in 2025
Your GA hunter education course is now behind you. You're ready to get your hunting license and hunt!
Remember that you'll need a new hunting license every year. Last year's Georgia hunt license isn't valid in 2025. As you plan what you want to hunt this year, make sure you research carefully and purchase the correct license to hunt legally this season.
Buy Online
The easiest way to get your license is to buy it online. This can be particularly convenient if you don't live close to a retailer or you plan to hunt in Georgia as a resident of another state
Buy by Phone
If you prefer to talk to someone and purchase your hunting license over the phone, call 1-800-366-2661. You can speak with a local representative who can help you find and purchase the right license.
Buy from an Agent
If you prefer to pick up a license in person, the state of Georgia offers plenty of retail locations offering 2025 hunting licenses.
Use the "Locate an Agent" search function feature on the GDNR website to find a location near you. In general, most Dicks Sporting Goods stores, Wal-Mart stores, and other sporting goods stores offer hunting licenses in Georgia.
Why Hunter Education Is Important
Hunter education is a crucial part of responsible hunting (for new hunters and seasoned hunters). Whether you hunt with a bow, a crossbow, or a firearm, or you hunt from a blind or from a tree, hunter safety knowledge must be your foundation for every hunt experience.
Hunter education saves lives! It helps:
- Helps Create Skilled, Knowledgeable Hunters: Safety courses teach critical skills such as navigation, first aid, tree stand safety, firearm safety, and survival techniques. They also teach respectful behavior toward other hunters, landowners, and the outdoors.
- Prevents Accidents and Injuries: Comprehensive training in firearm handling, safe shooting practices, and hunting techniques significantly reduces the risk of field-related injuries and accidental shootings.
- Promotes Ethical and Responsible Hunting: Every hunter must be an ethical hunter, first and foremost. Hunter education promotes a respect for wildlife, adherence to hunting laws, and the importance of sustainable practices to help ensure healthy animal populations for future generations and hunts.
- Ensures Legal Compliance: In most areas (including Georgia), completing a certified hunter education course is required to purchase a hunting license. This reinforces the importance of understanding and following state regulations.
Hunter education helps keep the sport safe, maintains healthy animal populations, and teaches essential skills to help hunters tag out more often.
Take the Hunter Education Course Georgia Online!
Why are a State-Specific Hunter Education Courses Important?
It's true that some states accept hunter safety certifications in other states. We call this "reciprocity."
However, without taking a course that's specific to the state you plan to hunt (for example, taking the California hunter safety course for hunting in California), you miss critical information about hunting in that specific state.
State-specific information can include important rules and regulations that can be critical to hunting safely and legally in that state.
So, before you trust another course from another state or assume that "one course works in any state" to prepare you for hunting in Georgia, take a few hours to sign up for the Hunter-Ed Hunter education course Georgia and get certified!
Why Choose Hunter-Ed
There are many options and various providers that offer hunter education. However, when you choose Hunter-Ed, you get more than what other providers offer.
Not only do you get a learn-at-your-pace online course that covers everything you need to know and meets your state's requirements, you get access to Hunter Perks — something no other hunter education provider offers!
Hunter Perks is an exclusive, free offering from the team at Hunter-Ed. As soon as you purchase your course, you will have full access to:
- Hunting Tools: Hunter-tested resources to help you hunt with confidence and success.
- Ongoing Education Opportunities: Additional course options to help you learn more skills, like archery and saddle hunting — available to you at a discount!
- Easy Access to Hunting Regulations: You have easy access to learn about the hunting rules and regs for your state each year.
- Video and Article Content: Informational blogs and videos to help you keep learning and exploring how to be a better hunter.
Plus, Hunter Perks include contests to win free stuff and gear discounts to gather what you need for great hunts (while saving money).
These Perks never expire. You'll always have access to your Hunter-Ed dashboard and Hunter Perks to support you through your lifelong pursuit of hunting!
Get Hunter Safety Certified in Georgia with Hunter-Ed
Don't wait for the hunting season to get here before you take the Georgia hunter safety course. You won't be able to hunt without it!
It's easy to sign up for the Georgia Hunter-Ed course, finish every unit and quiz, then pass the final exam. Within a few hours, you'll be ready to hunt safely and legally in Georgia.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have answers to your questions about taking the hunter education course Georgia!
Q: Do I need a hunter education course to hunt in Georgia?
Yes, if you were born on or after January 1, 1961, you must complete a Hunter Education course to hunt legally in Georgia.
Q: Can you take the Georgia Hunter Safety course online?
Yes. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources approved online-only courses (like Hunter-Ed) that you can complete at your own pace.
Q: How Soon Should I Sign Up for a Hunter Education Course?
We recommend signing up and completing your course a few weeks before the season begins.
Q: Do I Need a Certification for Every Season?
No! Your hunter education course Georgia covers the only certification you'll need to hunt in Georgia after completing the course and passing the final exam. Your certification is good for life!
Q: How Much Does it Cost to Get My Hunter Education Certification?
When taking the course through Hunter-Ed, the course fee is $39.95. This cost includes the course, study guide, unlimited tries to pass the final exam, your hunter education card, and Hunter Perks.
Q: What happens if you hunt without hunter ed?
Hunting without the required Hunter Education certification can result in fines, and your hunting license may be invalid until you complete the course.
