Resources / Tennessee & donations
Finding Tennessee hunting-license information
Use TWRA’s official license portal to check current requirements, permits, and eligibility rather than assuming one license fits every hunter.
Reviewed October 6, 2026
Call (615) 604-3887Use the official portal
TWRA links to Go Outdoors Tennessee for license and permit purchases and account management. Begin with that official link rather than an advertisement or an unrelated license reseller.
This website does not publish a license fee or determine which license you need. Requirements can depend on residency, age, eligibility, the animal, equipment, and the hunting location. Verify the current requirements with TWRA.
Source: TWRA: Buy Your License; TWRA: Deer Seasons and Regulations
Do not guess about an exemption
If you believe you qualify for an exemption, ask TWRA how it applies to your situation. A processing shop is not the authority that grants a hunting-license exemption.
TWRA’s check-in instructions explicitly say its big-game tagging and reporting procedures apply to landowners and those exempt from license requirements. An exemption from a license is not an exemption from those procedures.
Source: TWRA: Tag Before You Drag
Keep hunting documents separate from the shop order
Your TWRA harvest confirmation number must accompany the deer to a meat processor. The shop may also have its own identification or intake-document requirements; call to ask.
Buying a license does not itself confirm that a particular harvest, transport route, or processing order meets every requirement. Check each step using the relevant official guidance.
Source: TWRA: Tag Before You Drag; TWRA: Regulations and Hunting with CWD; Owner-provided business information
Checklist
- Enter the license portal through TWRA’s official page.
- Verify the requirements for your situation.
- Ask TWRA about any claimed exemption.
- Keep harvest confirmation information available for processing.