South Dakota Nonresident Hunting License 2026: What You Need

Right after "when does the season open," this is the question we get most. Somebody has decided to come, they've got four buddies and a week in October, and now they're staring at a state licensing website trying to work out what to buy.

It's simpler than it looks.

Nonresidents hunting pheasants in South Dakota need a Nonresident Small Game License and a habitat stamp. That's the whole requirement. The habitat stamp runs $25 for nonresidents. The small game license is roughly $142 and covers two five-day hunting periods.

Everything below is detail on top of those two lines.

How the Two Five-Day Periods Work

This is the part that trips people up, and it's worth understanding before you click buy.

Your nonresident license isn't good for a continuous ten days. It's good for two separate five-day windows, and you pick the dates when you purchase. Most people use one period and forget the second one exists.

Here's the trick. Set your first period for the trip you're actually planning. For the second, choose the latest dates the calendar will allow, because you can always move a period earlier, but you can never push it later. Pick December and change your mind in November, and you're fine. Pick October and decide you want to come back at Christmas, and you're buying another license.

Nobody tells first-timers this. Now you know.

If You're Hunting a Preserve

Lazy J Sporting Club is a licensed private shooting preserve, which opens up a second path.

Nonresidents hunting preserve acres can use a Nonresident Shooting Preserve License instead of the small game license. It comes in one-day, five-day, and season-long versions, so a group coming out for a long weekend doesn't pay for coverage it won't use. Check current pricing at gfp.sd.gov.

The trade-off: a preserve license is only valid on licensed preserves, and only for the species that preserve is licensed for. A small game license works both on and off preserve acres. If your whole trip is with us, the preserve license is usually the cheaper answer. If you're mixing in public land, buy the small game license.

The preserve season runs September 1 through March 31, which is why you can hunt here in September — six weeks before the public opener.

Age and Hunter Safety

Nonresidents need to be at least 12, or turning 12 by December 31 of the current year. Under 12 cannot hunt in South Dakota, full stop.

Nonresidents under 16 need a copy of a hunter safety certificate, or a copy of a previous hunting license issued to them by any other state, in order to buy a license.

If you're bringing a young hunter, sort this out before you leave home. It's a five-minute problem in your kitchen and a trip-ruining one at a licensing counter in Winner.

Dove Hunters Need One More Thing

If you're coming in September for doves, add a South Dakota Migratory Bird Certificate to your small game license. No federal duck stamp is required for dove.

Eurasian collared-doves are open year-round with no limit, which is a nice bonus most people don't realize. More on our dove hunts.

Bringing Your Dog

Your dog is welcome here, and the paperwork is light. A current rabies vaccination is mandatory. You do not need a health certificate if you'll be in the state fewer than 30 days, which covers essentially every hunting trip.

We have kennels on site.

Where to Buy

Licenses are available online at gfp.sd.gov or through the GFP mobile app. Many nonresident licenses can also be bought over the counter at retail stores across the state — bring your state-issued ID if you go that route.

Buy online before you travel. Opening week, the counters are busy and you'd rather be eating breakfast.

Plan Your Hunt

Opening weekend and the weekends around Thanksgiving fill first, so it pays to call early. We run one-day through four-day packages with AM and PM hunt blocks.

Call 605.840.2189 or book online. If you're still working out timing, start with when pheasant season opens, then come see what a hunt here looks like.

License fees and requirements are set by South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks and can change. Always confirm current fees and rules at gfp.sd.gov before you buy.