Texas Border Business
AUSTIN — Fall is drawing near, which means the beginning of new hunting and fishing seasons. Before venturing to the water or hitting the field, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) reminds hunters and anglers to purchase their new licenses for the 2024-25 season.
Current-year Texas hunting and fishing licenses (except the Year-from-Purchase All-Water Fishing Package) expire at the end of August. Licenses for the 2024-25 season go on sale Aug. 15.
Texans purchase more than 3.9 million hunting and fishing licenses annually, directly funding many conservation efforts and recreational opportunities. License sales make possible projects such as fish stocking, wildlife management, habitat restoration, public hunting leases, river fishing access, and Texas Game Wardens.
Outdoorsmen and women can purchase a variety of licenses through the official TPWD website, or in-person at retail locations throughout the state or TPWD offices. They can also purchase by phone at (800) 895-4248 during regular business hours, though they may experience long hold times during peak calling periods such as the beginning of the season. A $5 administrative fee applies to phone and online purchases.
Resident hunters and anglers continue to have the option to purchase a fully digital license for several license types, including the super combo (Items 111, 117), youth hunting (Item 169) or lifetime combo (Item 990), Hunting (Item 991), or Fishing tags (Item 992). Customers can also purchase other products such as the exempt angler tag (Item 257), bonus red drum (Item 599), and spotted seatrout tags (Item 596).
Customers purchasing a physical super combo license should note that the new spotted seatrout tag prints on a second document. For anglers purchasing a physical saltwater or all-water license, the spotted seatrout tag prints on the license document.
The digital license option is available through online purchase only when licenses go on sale Aug. 15. Digital license holders will not receive a printed license or tags. Still, they must keep their digital license available via mobile device while in the field. Digital tagging is required of digital license holders through the Texas Hunt & Fish mobile app. The license can be viewed through the Texas Hunt & Fish and TPWD Outdoor Annual mobile apps.
TPWD encourages repeat license buyers to use the expedited checkout process. This speeds up the sale of new licenses by allowing customers to re-purchase licenses bought in recent years.
Customers can provide proof of licensure in several ways other than their physical license: (1) an electronic photo of their licenses, (2) an emailed receipt of their purchases, (3) their account in the online license sales system; (4) via license lookup in the Outdoor Annual app or Texas Hunt & Fish.
Hunting and fishing regulations for the 2024-25 season are available online at outdoorannual.com or the Outdoor Annual mobile app. The mobile app is free and once downloaded, it works without internet connectivity, making it easy for hunters and anglers to view regulations in even the most remote locations. Other features include license lookup and location-based functionality such as “Hunting Seasons and Regulations by Location,” “Where to Fish,” and more. A limited supply of printed booklets will be available at select TPWD offices. Hunters and anglers are encouraged to call their local offices to check availability.
The Texas Hunt & Fish (previously called My Texas Hunt Harvest) mobile app enables the electronic submission of mandatory harvest reports, including alligator gar harvest reporting, and supports digital tagging of harvested deer, turkey, oversized red drum, and spotted seatrout for certain license holders. The app also allows hunters to complete on-site registration for many TPWD public hunting lands. Hunters can hunt on more than one million acres of public land by purchasing an annual public hunting permit.
When buying their license, resident hunters and anglers may wish to purchase an entry in the Lifetime License Drawing. Three lucky winners will each win a Lifetime Super Combo License and never need to buy a Texas hunting or fishing license again. Entries are $5 each and can be purchased online, at any license retailer or by phone. The first entry deadline is Sept. 30.
When making their purchase, license buyers can also add a donation of $1, $5, $10 or $20 to help support the Hunters for the Hungry program or the Fund for Veterans Assistance. Donations to the Hunters for the Hungry program provide hunters with a way to donate legally harvested deer to participating processors. The processed meat goes to local food banks to feed Texas families in need. Donations to the Fund for Veterans Assistance program provide grants to veteran service organizations and nonprofit charitable institutions, assisting veterans and their families at the community level throughout Texas.
For frequently asked questions about Texas hunting and fishing licenses, visit the TPWD website.