HuntSAFE courses are designed for persons age 12 through 15. Adults are also welcome and invited to attend. Persons who are 11 may participate, but will not be issued a Hunter Safety certification card until their 12th birthday, unless the card is clearly marked that the card is not valid until the person’s 12th birthday.

Federal guidelines require a minimum of 10 hours of instruction. At the discretion of the instructor, additional hours may be added.

Courses are taught by certified volunteer instructors, assisted by Game, Fish and Parks Conservation Officers. If you’re interested in becoming an instructor in your community, contact your local Conservation Officer.

Students must attend all scheduled course meetings. No absences will be accepted.

There will be a written test at the end of the course. Students are also evaluated on their skills and attitude throughout the course. Most courses include a live-fire exercise, under the close supervision of the instructors. Students will be expected to demonstrate what they have learned about firearms safety.

A parent or guardian must accompany youth under the age of 16 to a license agent. Show the license agent your Hunter Safety Card and purchase a Youth Small Game license ($5). This will license the young hunter for all small game, including upland birds, furbearers, predators and varmints. To hunt migratory birds, (waterfowl, mourning doves, snipe) youth hunters must also fill out and purchase a Migratory Bird Certification ($3).

Big game, turkey, swan or special Canada goose licenses are by application only. Applications are available on the GFP website, at GFP offices, and at some license agents and County Treasurer offices.

No, but it’s a good start in the right direction! There is a separate course in bowhunter education and you need to complete both (HuntSAFE and Bowhunter Ed) courses to be eligible for an archery license. GFP regulations require all archery hunters between the ages of 11-15, all first-time big game archery licensees regardless of age and all archery elk licensees to successfully complete an approved bowhunter education course. These courses are taught in conjunction with the National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF). Course schedules are posted on the GFP website or you may contact your area GFP office.

Hunters under the age of 16 must be accompanied in the field at all times by a parent, guardian or responsible adult who is at least 18 years of age.

Dove hunters under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult 21 years of age or older.

While this course is primarily designed for youth who wish to begin hunting, it is valuable for anyone who has firearms in the home or who wants to know more about storing and handling guns safely.

The HuntSAFE card certifies that the cardholder has completed the requirements of a Hunter Safety Course. It is not a hunting license! The card is a license requirement for persons age 12 through 15.

The parent or guardian of persons ages 12 through 15 (and any 11-year old who will turn 12 from September 1 to December 31 of that same year) must present the card to a license agent. Until the youth hunter turns 16, the Federal Waterfowl Stamp is not required.

It’s a good idea to keep your Hunter Safety card permanently. Many states require all hunters, regardless of age or experience, to show proof of completion of a hunter safety course as a licensing requirement.

If you ever completed a HuntSAFE course in South Dakota and need to receive a replacement  safety card, you can replace your card online, send your name, full mailing address and date of birth to: Wildinfo@state.sd.us or call the Game, Fish and Parks HuntSAFE office in Pierre at (605) 773-3485.

Some communities offer courses in the spring, but most are early in the fall. You will find a partial listing on the GFP website. You may also contact your local conservation officer for further information.

Any HuntSAFE student with special needs is urged to notify the instructor prior to the course. Advance notice will allow instructors to make a reasonable effort to accommodate persons with special needs.

Family or friends may be asked to read or translate course materials or assist individuals with special needs. Verbal examinations may be administered. However, each student is responsible for mastering course content, knowing the correct answers on examinations and successfully completing field tests.