Three Basic Courses

SHOTGUN - This course is required before purchasing your first firearm hunting license. You must be at least 10 years of age.

BOW AND ARROW - This course is required before purchasing your first bow and arrow hunting license. You must be at least 10 years of age. You must be able to shoot 3 out of 5 arrows into the vital zone of a 3-D deer target (approximately 10-inch diameter) between 10 and 20 yards with your own bow to pass this course. Having adequate equipment and practice is important before coming to the field session.

RIFLE/MUZZLELOADER - You must first pass the shotgun course or have a firearm hunting license before you can take this course. This course is required to obtain a NJ Rifle Permit. You must be at least 10 years of age.

There is also TRAPPER TRAINING - This course is required before you purchase your first trapping license. You must be at least 12 years of age. See the Trapping Information page or call 877-2-HUNT-NJ for course information when scheduled.

Completing New Jersey's Home Study Hunter Education Program

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife's Hunter Education program is a presented in a home-study format. Field sessions and testing are conducted at centralized teaching locations throughout the state.

The Hunter Education home study video/manual/workbook series is designed to cover shotgun, muzzleloading/modern rifle and archery courses. The video covers information previously provided in the traditional courses. It also adds new hunting scenarios designed to test the students' split-second decision making ability all responsible hunters must have.

Videotapes or DVDs, manuals and workbooks are available at specified license agents and Division field offices (link below).

The one-day field session consists of students working with instructors to complete an extensive field walk and mandatory live-fire session. Students learn new information in addition to being tested on information covered in the video and manual. A review of the home study material concludes with a mandatory written exam.

Materials, Field Sessions and Exams

The Hunter Education Materials
Home Study Workbook (pdf, 38kb)
Practice Exams
Consent Form - Required for those under 18 (pdf, 9kb)
Hunter Education Field Session and Exam Information
Hunter Education Field Session and Exam Registration Information
Directions to Hunter Education Field Session and Exam Locations

After the Course

Upon completion of a hunter education field session and passing the exam students are issued a temporary course completion card. This temporary card allows them to hunt (a pheasant stamp isn't required for youths under 16). The course completion card, and the free Youth License for students 10 to 15 years of age, is received within 10 business days. While hunting, youths ages 10 to 13 must be accompanied by a properly licensed adult 21 years of age or older.)

The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife’s popular Take a Kid Hunting Program is designed to provide a quality hunting experience for properly licensed youth hunters. See the Take a Kid Hunting Program page for details.

If you lose your hunting or trapping license and had never taken a hunter education course, you must also take one of these courses. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THE COURSE. (If you did take the course and need a duplicate, see the Duplicate Hunter Education Certificate page.)

Walk Through 3-D Archery Course

New FREE 15 target walk through 3-D course at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center is available the fourth Sunday of the month March through October. Test your archery skills and practice before deer hunting with this fun shoot. The shots are designed to simulate real shooting scenarios through lush fields and woods. Along the way you will shoot at deer, turkey, coyote, fox and bear. Bring some extra arrows to test your skills at our steel deer. Most shots are between 15 and 35 yards. 10am - 3pm, no registration required.

Becoming a Hunter Education Instructor

New Jersey's Hunter Education Program relies on the dedication of trained volunteer instructors. If interested complete and fax (908-735-5689) or mail (NJ DFW - Hunter Education, 26 Rt. 173W, Hampton, NJ 08827) the application form (pdf, 18kb).

General Information

Hunter education courses are offered FREE by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. The training, classroom and range rental fees, books, equipment and ammunition are funded through the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Act, commonly called the Pittman-Robertson Act. This law imposes an excise tax, paid by the manufacturer, on all sporting arms, ammunition, archery equipment and hand-guns. The funds are distributed to the states by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Anyone seeking accommodations for a physical or learning disability, or a foreign language interpreter, should contact the Hunter Education Office at 856-629-0552 or toll-free at 877-2-HUNT-NJ. Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from hunter education training programs is available to all individuals without regard to their race, color, national origin, sex, age, or handicap. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to the Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Interior, Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC 20240.

The Division is extremely proud that its Hunter Education program is continually recognized as one of the top programs in the country. The future of hunting in New Jersey remains rooted in hunter education.