Louisiana Duck Hunting License Requirements for 2026-27
Four items make an adult legal to shoot ducks in Louisiana. The short version, with 2026-27 prices:
To hunt ducks in Louisiana at 18 or older, you need a basic hunting license, the Louisiana waterfowl license, HIP certification and a signed federal duck stamp. For a resident, the basics come to $57: $20 for the basic license, $12 for waterfowl and $25 for the federal stamp. HIP is free.
TLDR:
- Basic hunting license: $20 resident, $200 non-resident.
- Louisiana waterfowl license: $12 resident, $50 non-resident.
- HIP certification: free, every season, online or at LDWF headquarters (17 and under exempt).
- Federal duck stamp: $25, required at 16 and older, signed across the face.
- Hunter education: required if born on or after Sept 1, 1969, unless directly supervised.
- WMA access permit: $20 a year if you hunt LDWF-run land.
- Gear rules: nontoxic shot and a gun that holds no more than three shells.
The birds are the hard part. Your Louisiana duck hunting license and stamps should not be, yet it is easy to show up with a missing HIP number, an unsigned stamp or a lapsed license. The prices and rules below come from LDWF’s 2026-27 licensing information as published by eRegulations, LDWF’s regulations publisher, and from USFWS. For dates and bag limits by zone, see our Louisiana duck season 2026-27 guide.
Paperwork done? Get the hat. The SDO rope hat is a one-size, 5-panel cap with a woven patch, perforated sides and an unstructured crown, built for the job and the blind.
The Opening Morning Checklist
Here is everything on one card. The first four items are licenses and stamps. The last four are the training, land-access and gear rules.
The rest of this guide takes each item in turn, starting with the state licenses.
Louisiana Hunting and Waterfowl Licenses
Adults need two state licenses to hunt ducks: the basic hunting license and the waterfowl license. The Sportsman’s Paradise license bundles both.
Here are LDWF’s 2026-27 license fees:
| License | Resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Basic hunting | $20 | $200 |
| Louisiana waterfowl | $12 | $50 |
| Sportsman’s Paradise (combo) | $100 | $400 |
| WMA access permit (annual / 5-day) | $20 / $5 | $20 / $5 |
| Lifetime license (resident birth to 64; non-resident age 3+) | $500 | $4,000 |
Non-residents can also buy 5-day licenses: $65 for basic hunting and $35 for waterfowl. Some non-residents qualify for resident rates; check LDWF’s license and permit fee list for who qualifies.
The Sportsman’s Paradise license covers basic hunting, waterfowl and WMA access, plus fishing and other privileges. For a resident who only duck hunts, the separate licenses cost less.
HIP Certification: Free, but Not at the Store Anymore
Every licensed migratory bird hunter 18 or older needs a HIP number for the current season. It costs nothing, but you have to renew it every season and stores no longer issue it, so it is easy to miss.
Per LDWF’s migratory bird rules, you get it online through LDWF’s licensing site or in person at LDWF headquarters on Quail Drive in Baton Rouge. Retail license vendors no longer issue it.
HIP covers ducks, geese, coots, doves, woodcock, rails, snipe and gallinules. Renew it every season and carry proof while you hunt.
The Federal Duck Stamp
The federal stamp is a national requirement, good in every state for the stamp year. Every waterfowl hunter 16 and older needs a current one, including hunters exempt from state licenses.
The 2026-27 stamp costs $25, per USFWS’s announcement of the 2026-2027 stamp, and it went on sale June 26, 2026. It is valid July 1 through June 30. Sign your name across the face; an unsigned stamp is not valid for hunting.
Per the USFWS buying guide, Louisiana is one of 30 states that sell the electronic stamp. The E-Stamp receipt is valid for 45 days while the physical stamp comes in the mail. Buying through LDWF adds a processing fee on top of the $25.
Per the USFWS Federal Duck Stamp program, the stamp has raised more than $1.3 billion since 1934 and helped conserve more than 6 million acres of wetland habitat.
Duck Stamp Sales Have Slipped Since 2012
USFWS reports how many federal stamps sell each year. The count has slipped over the last decade.
Per the USFWS stamp sales report, sales fell from about 1.74 million in 2012-13 to about 1.47 million in 2019-20, then held between about 1.53 and 1.59 million a year from 2020-21 to 2022-23, the latest years reported (USFWS lists 2020-21 through 2022-23 as not final). The all-time high was 2,412,651 in 1971-72.
Every stamp is a vote for more marsh. So is showing up on opening morning. Wear the duck-foot logo to the ramp and the job site.
Hunter Education
Louisiana requires hunter education for anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1969. There is a supervision exception, but it has specific conditions.
Per LDWF’s general hunting rules, anyone born on or after Sept 1, 1969 must complete an LDWF-approved hunter education course before hunting.
You can hunt without it under direct supervision, meaning within voice contact and line of sight, of someone 18 or older who has proof of hunter education, or of someone born before Sept 1, 1969 who holds a valid license.
The minimum age to certify is 9, and kids 11 and under must hunt under direct supervision even after they certify.
Youth Hunters
Young hunters get a break on the state side, but not on the federal stamp. The age cutoffs are different, so they are worth reading twice.
Under LDWF’s migratory bird rules, hunters 17 and under do not need a Louisiana hunting license, waterfowl license or HIP to hunt ducks. The exception is WMA youth waterfowl lottery hunts, which require HIP. The federal duck stamp still applies from age 16. Youth and veterans also get their own hunt days in each zone; see our 2026-27 Louisiana duck season dates.
Hunting on WMAs
Louisiana’s wildlife management areas add one more permit and a few rules of their own. Read the specific WMA schedule, and check which duck zone the WMA falls in, before you go.
Per LDWF’s WMA rules, anyone using LDWF-administered land needs a WMA access permit unless they are 17 or younger. The permit costs $20 a year or $5 for 5 days.
The permit is included with the Sportsman’s Paradise, senior and lifetime licenses. WMAs also use a self-clearing check-in and check-out permit, or LDWF’s Check In/Check Out app.
Shot and Shotgun Rules
Two federal gear rules apply to every duck hunter, on public or private ground. Both are easy to get right and expensive to get wrong.
Per federal regulation 50 CFR 20.21, you may not hunt ducks, geese or coots while carrying shells loaded with anything other than approved nontoxic shot, such as steel.
The same rule limits your shotgun to three shells, with a one-piece plug that can’t be removed without taking the gun apart.
The nontoxic shot rule has been in place nationwide since 1991, per USFWS.
What Hunters Ask About Louisiana Duck Licenses and Stamps
These are the questions that come up every September. Short answers below; confirm anything close with LDWF.
What license do I need to duck hunt in Louisiana?
Hunters 18 and older need a Louisiana basic hunting license and the Louisiana waterfowl license, or a combo license like Sportsman’s Paradise that includes both. You also need free HIP certification for the season and a signed federal duck stamp. Hunters on WMAs need a WMA access permit, too.
How much is a Louisiana waterfowl license?
The Louisiana waterfowl license costs $12 for residents and $50 for non-residents for 2026-27, per LDWF’s fee schedule. Non-residents can also buy a 5-day waterfowl license for $35. It is required on top of the basic hunting license for hunters 18 and older.
How do I get HIP certified in Louisiana?
Get HIP online through LDWF’s licensing site or in person at LDWF headquarters in Baton Rouge. It is free, it has to be renewed every season, and retail license vendors no longer issue it. Carry proof of your HIP certification while you hunt.
Do kids need a license to duck hunt in Louisiana?
Hunters 17 and under do not need a Louisiana hunting license, waterfowl license or HIP to hunt ducks, except on WMA youth waterfowl lottery hunts. Anyone 16 or older still needs a signed federal duck stamp. Young hunters must also meet the hunter education and supervision rules.
How much is a federal duck stamp in 2026-27?
The 2026-27 federal duck stamp costs $25 at face value. You can buy it online or in person, and Louisiana sells the electronic E-Stamp, whose receipt is valid for 45 days. Buying through LDWF adds a processing fee. Sign the stamp across the face before you hunt.
Is the Louisiana duck stamp still required?
No. The paper Louisiana duck stamp is no longer the hunting requirement. Today the state requirement is the Louisiana waterfowl license, $12 for residents and $50 for non-residents in 2026-27. You still need a signed federal duck stamp from age 16, plus HIP if you are 18 or older.
Prices are from LDWF’s 2026-27 fee schedule as published by eRegulations. Fees change, so confirm with LDWF’s license and permit fee list before you buy.
Squared away, start to finish. License, HIP, stamp, steel shot and a hat that can take the weather. Questions about an order? We answer the phone.
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