Splitting resident and nonresident sales will smooth the flow of high-volume sales
The sale for 2025 nonresident deer and elk tags will be held on Dec. 10 this year. The change is intended to allow residents to conveniently buy licenses and permits in early December, ensure auto-renew transactions can be processed in a timely manner, and provide better customer service to all buyers.
However, due to high volumes of online sales throughout the month of December, printing and mailing of tags will be significantly delayed. To ensure hunters and anglers get their permits and tags that are needed in January, online sales for those tags will be unavailable, and buyers will need to purchase in-person at a Fish and Game office or a license vendor location.
Nonresident regular deer and elk tags go on sale Dec. 10 beginning at 10 a.m. MST.
Licenses and tags can be bought online at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, through the Idaho Fish and Game mobile apps for IOS and Android, or by phone at (800) 554-8685. They can also be bought in person at license vendor locations or Fish and Game regional offices during normal business hours.
Nonresident hunters wishing to buy a tag online or on their mobile device need to log into their online account at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com just before 10 a.m. MST. Hunters will be placed in an online virtual waiting room prior to 10 a.m. and then randomly assigned a place in line right at 10 a.m. Anyone logging in after 10 a.m. will be placed at the back of the line.
Once your place in line has been reached, only unsold, remaining tags will be displayed for purchase. Hunters should have their primary and backup choice of hunts ready. Review the Big Game Seasons and Rules brochure to ensure you know which hunts you are wanting to purchase.
For online users, only 1 deer tag and 1 elk tag may be purchased for the person that is logged in. To purchase tags for another hunter online, you must return to the virtual line. Tags may be purchased for another person by phone, at a Fish and Game office, or a license vendor location.
For in-person sales at Fish and Game offices, customers will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Anyone (including outfitters) wishing to purchase more than five tags at a Fish and Game office must wait in a separate line that will be identified at each office.
Perspective nonresident tag buyers should contact the license vendor or individual Fish and Game office for specific sales-day information including hours of operation, camping restrictions, sales process, specific sales rules, line management, etc.
Nonresident hunters purchasing over the phone should call (800) 554-8685 at 10 a.m. MST. Callers on the line before 10 a.m. will be asked to hang up and call back at 10 a.m. Callers can remain on the line and hold, or may request a callback using the prompts provided.
After the initial statewide limits of nonresident deer tags sell out, there will be another sale for reserved white-tailed deer tags on March 20, 2025 at 10 a.m. MST.
Important note: Items purchased online during the sale will not be mailed and delivered until mid-to-late January or later due to the volume of licenses and tags being sold online that require delivery.
Don’t use multiple devices in the waiting room
Customers should log on using only one device for sale and plan to stay on that device throughout their transaction. Logging in through multiple devices can lead to system slowdowns and does not create any advantage since only one place is line can be used to purchase tags. Switching devices, such as a laptop or desktop computer to a smart phone, could result in losing your place in line.
If you’re hunting in December/January, buy your tags in person
After Dec. 9, nonresident bear, wolf, mountain lion, steelhead permits for 2024 seasons will not be sold online; steelhead e-tags still available. Residents are also encouraged to buy in-person at vendors or Fish and Game offices.
Starting on Dec. 10, all nonresident notchable tags for bear, mountain lion, and wolf for the 2024 and 2025 season will only be available at vendor locations. Those tags normally require 7 to 10 business days for delivery, and due to high volume of other license and tag sales, they would not be delivered before the end of the year.
After Dec. 10, residents needing their products before February 2025 are encouraged to purchase in-person at Fish and Game offices or license vendor locations. Purchasing any item online will have delayed mailing, not guaranteed to arrive until February 2025.
After Dec. 10, paper permits for steelhead will only be available at Fish and Game offices and license vendors, but anglers can still buy the e-tag online through the Go Outdoors Idaho app or at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com.
Residents, buy your licenses and tags before or after Dec. 10
Residents can purchase their 2025 licenses, tags, and permits (excluding deer and elk) starting on Dec. 1. However, resident products will not be available on Dec. 10 through online or telephone purchases because of the high volume of nonresident sales.
Resident licenses, tags and permits will still be available on Dec. 10 at vendor locations and Fish and Game offices, but you may experience long wait times.
Auto-renew will renew your purchases on Dec. 1 for 2025 products.
If you have enrolled in Auto-Renew, you will have your license renewed early on Dec. 1 and will receive a confirmation email to the email address saved to your GoOutdoorsIdaho.com account.
Important note about 2025 big game hunts
Big game hunting seasons for 2025 have not been set, so buyer beware that any deer, elk, pronghorn, mountain lion, bear, or wolf hunts could change. Seasons, rules, and hunt boundaries will be set at the Fish and Game Commission’s March meeting.
Hunting and fishing licenses are nonrefundable, but tags may be refunded on a discounted basis. Please consult Fish and Game’s refund policy for nonresident tags.
Hunters should also be aware that paper licenses, tags and permits purchased online can not be picked up at Fish and Game offices or vendor locations, you will only receive them by mail.
For the most current information about December license and tag sales, please follow Idaho Fish and Game’s Facebook and Instagram social media pages or subscribe to our nonresident email newsletter.