As hunters prepare for the firearms deer season, which opens Saturday, November 7, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is sharing tips for hunters who will use the new electronic licensing system to buy licenses and to validate and register harvests.
“A few things to remember: Buy your license early rather than waiting until a day or two before opener; know how you will validate and register harvests; and, before you leave for your hunt, either sign into the app or get that paper license printed,” said Jamie Gangaware, DNR ELS project executive. “Thank you to hunters for learning this new system! We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable season.”
Buy licenses now
The Minnesota DNR launched a new electronic license system in June. The new system is a bit different, and users may find their first transaction takes a little more time as they acclimate. In addition, some individuals who had multiple records in the old system will require customer assistance from DNR’s License Center or its vendor to transfer their history and establish their account in the new system. For these reasons, hunters are encouraged to buy licenses early.
There are three ways to buy a license — mobile app, online or in person from a license agent — and three ways to carry it: paper, digital copy or stored in the app. Customers can access the system on the Minnesota DNR website or by searching “Minnesota DNR Licensing” in the Apple or Google app stores.
There is also a frequently asked questions page with information on a variety of licensing help topics available on the Minnesota DNR website.
If buying a license in person, hunters should also ensure the place they want to buy it is selling licenses this year. The Minnesota DNR has an online map of 2026 license agents.
More than 400,000 Minnesota hunters are expected to participate in the firearms deer season. Last year, hunters bought nearly 140,000 deer licenses the Thursday and Friday before the season opener.
Validating and registering harvests
Before hunting, hunters should familiarize themselves with current deer hunting regulations, including regulations for validating and registering a harvest. Validating and registering a harvest can be done at the same time on the DNR licensing app. Hunters can also validate a printed license and then register the deer later, either online or in-person at a DNR license agent.
In addition, there is a new “quick registration” feature that allows hunters to enter limited information and quickly move right to the registration process online. This is available online at the top of the page under “Harvest Registration” and does not require hunters to log in or have a mobile app. Hunters who purchase their licenses in person at an agent location are able to use this feature to register their harvests without having an online account.
Hunters are required to register every deer they harvest within 48 hours and before processing or removing the antlers. Information from deer registration is essential for the Minnesota DNR to track and manage deer populations.
Sign in or print before leaving to hunt
Hunters using the Minnesota DNR licensing app to carry and validate their license are urged to make sure they are signed into the app before leaving for hunting. One sign-in lasts a continuous 30 days.
Once signed in, a hunter can validate and register their harvest even when they don’t have cell phone service. The mobile app stores the information while offline and will submit it automatically once service is restored. Harvest registration information will automatically upload once the hunter opens the app again within cell service range. Hunters can verify their submission by opening the “Harvest validation/registration” tile in the mobile app and checking the “Submitted” tab.
Hunters who print a paper license must carry it during hunting and use it to validate the animal once harvested. It does not need to be attached to the animal once validated.
Current deer hunting regulations are on the Minnesota DNR deer hunting webpage.
