Attention First-Time Hunters!

Hunter-Trapper Education courses are required for all first-time hunters and trappers before they can buy a license in the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Game Commission offers both in-person and online options, all of which are available to anyone 11 years or older.

Participants, whether in-person or online, will receive a training certificate recognized throughout North America when they pass a test at the end of the course. The course covers responsible hunting behavior, firearms basics and safety, basic shooting, wildlife conservation and management, outdoor safety and survival, hunting techniques, trapping and furtaking basics, and hunting safety.

In-person training is offered in various locations across the Commonwealth. To find a course near you, click here.

The Game Commission’s online course carries a cost of $34.95 and participants who complete it will be able to print a temporary hunter education certificate to use until the permanent certificate arrives in the mail.

The commission recently announced it also would accept the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) free online hunter education course as a prerequisite for obtaining a hunting license.

Learn more about hunter-trapper education here.