New License Sales Begin August 3, 2026:
As of now, new year license sales will begin on Monday, August 3. We fully expect this date to stand, but please understand NYS is testing daily to make sure that new year licenses and other updates are working properly. If an issue does arise, it is possible this date could change.
Due to a recent regulation change, there is a new tag structure and DMP process starting this year:
- NEW TAG STRUCTURE: Due to a change in regulation, the deer tags issued with licenses and privileges have changed. Instead of receiving a Regular Season Deer Tag with a base Hunting license, hunters will receive an Antlered Deer Tag. The Bow/Muzz Either Sex and Bow/Muzz Antlerless Tags have been replaced with Bow/Muzz Antlerless Deer Tags. A 2nd Antlered Deer Tag can be earned when the hunter reports their first harvest of an antlerless deer. The 2nd Antlered Deer Tag will automatically populate in their profile, show in the HuntFishNY app, and be emailed to them (if they have a valid email in their profile). If a customer requests that you replace their 2nd Antlered Deer tag (or Bonus DMPs) in person, they will be required to pay all the replacement fees.
- NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEER MANAGEMENT PERMITS (DMP): Applying for a DMP has been updated to allow hunters to apply for 2 Instant/Limited DMPs as well as 2 Bonus/Unlimited DMPs. Instant/Limited DMP choices are subject to the odds on the 2026-27 Chances of Selection chart while the Bonus/Unlimited DMP choices are set to a 100% chance of selection. Please make sure you specify all 4 DMP choices, you will not be able to go back in to add more DMPs choices later. . Preference points are not affected by receiving a Bonus/Unlimited DMP.
LIMITED/INSTANT DMPs: Remember, there is no advantage to buying your licenses and applying for DMPs early. You have the same chance of being selected for Limited/Instant DMPs throughout the entire DMP application period (8/3/26 – 10/1/26). We do not “run out”. Receiving a DMP is based on the pre-determined probabilities.
