Buying a South Carolina hunting license used to be a five-minute stop at a bait shop — write down your driver’s license number, hand over cash, walk out with a paper tag. Now it’s a fully digital system through the Go Outdoors SC app, with a stack of separate permits each covering different species, land types, and seasons. For Beaufort hunters and anyone planning a trip to the SC Lowcountry, here’s the full breakdown of what you actually need to buy, what it costs, and where to get it.
The Base Hunting License (Everyone Needs This)
Every South Carolina hunter age 16 and older needs a base hunting license. SCDNR sets pricing by residency status and license duration.
Resident Rates
- Annual hunting license (12 months from purchase): $12
- 3-year license: $30
- Combination hunting and fishing license, annual: $25
- Senior (age 65+) lifetime license: $9 one-time
- Under-16 hunters: no license required, but must be accompanied by a licensed adult and follow hunter education rules
Non-Resident Rates
- Annual non-resident hunting license: $125
- 10-day non-resident license: $75
- 3-day non-resident license: $40
- Non-resident combination hunting and fishing (annual): $215
The base license alone lets you hunt small game — squirrel, rabbit, quail, dove — on private land where the landowner has given permission. For every other species and every WMA, you need at least one additional permit stacked on top.
The Big Game Permit ($6 Resident)
Any hunter pursuing deer, turkey, or bear anywhere in South Carolina needs a Big Game Permit in addition to their base hunting license. The permit costs $6 annually for residents and $100 annually for non-residents. Purchasing the Big Game Permit automatically issues you the free antlered buck tags (3 unrestricted tags for residents) and free antlerless deer tags (2 tags for residents) SCDNR distributes each license year.
Additional antlerless tags beyond the 2 free are available at $5 each and can be purchased individually through Go Outdoors SC. Turkey tags come bundled with the Big Game Permit — SC has a 3-turkey annual limit and each tag is single-use.
The WMA Permit ($30.50 Resident)
To hunt any Wildlife Management Area (WMA), state forest hunting tract, or SCDNR-managed public hunting land, you need a WMA permit on top of your base license. It runs $30.50 annually for residents and $76 for non-residents. The permit is required for ALL hunting activity on WMAs — not just deer or turkey, but also small game, waterfowl, and dove. Even if you’re just running dogs for rabbit on a WMA, you need the WMA permit.
Migratory Bird Permits: Duck Stamps and State Stamps
Migratory bird hunters (ducks, geese, dove) need two additional documents:
- Federal duck stamp: $25 annually, required for any waterfowl hunter age 16 and older, purchased through SCDNR or federal outlets. Also valid as an entry pass to National Wildlife Refuges.
- SC State Migratory Waterfowl Permit: $15.50 resident annual, $30.50 non-resident annual, required in addition to the federal stamp.
Dove hunters do not need duck stamps. Dove hunters on WMA managed dove fields need a WMA permit; dove hunters on private land only need the base hunting license.
Special Permits and Add-Ons
- Individual Antlerless Deer Tags: $5 each, valid on private land in Zones 2, 3, and 4 starting September 15 (WMA rules vary by tract)
- Bonus Antlerless Deer Tag Sets: Available in certain zones during specific seasons — check the current SCDNR guide
- Bear Tag (Zone 1 only): Issued through the annual bear hunt draw for Zone 1 hunters; only Game Zone 1 has an open bear season
- Alligator Permit: Draw-only, extremely limited, applied for annually through a separate SCDNR process
How to Buy: Go Outdoors SC
SCDNR’s licensing system runs through the Go Outdoors SC platform. Every hunter should have a Go Outdoors SC account — this is where you buy licenses, print tags, register deer through SC Game Check, apply for quota hunts, and manage your preference points. Set up an account before opening day, not on opening day.
- Download the Go Outdoors SC app (iOS and Android) or visit the SCDNR licensing portal at dnr.sc.gov/licenses
- Create an account using your SC driver’s license or SCDNR customer ID
- Purchase the license and permit combination you need
- Digital license and tags appear immediately in the app — no waiting for mail. Save your license PDF to your phone in case you’re offline in the field.
What a Beaufort Hunter’s Full Kit Costs
For a typical resident hunter in Beaufort who wants to hunt deer on both private and public land, here’s the annual bill:
- Base hunting license: $12
- Big Game Permit: $6
- WMA Permit: $30.50
- Total: $48.50 per year for full deer and turkey hunting access statewide
Add $25 federal duck stamp plus $15.50 state migratory permit ($40.50) if you also hunt waterfowl. That’s still less than a single decent lease payment.
All fees in this guide reflect current SCDNR rates. Always verify current fees at dnr.sc.gov/licenses before purchasing, and see our Beaufort Hunting Report page for zone-specific season dates and WMA information.
