08/01/2026
New NYS Hunting License Sales Begins Monday August 3, 2026
New License Sales Begin August 3, 2026: We fully expect this date to stand, but please understand we are testing daily to make sure that new year licenses and other updates are working properly. Therefore, if an issue does arise, it is possible this date could change. If we do need to delay the opening date, we will send out a DECALS bulletin and a GovDelivery message.
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 S*x 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 ask the customer for all 4 DMP choices, you will not be able to go back in to add more DMPs choices later. If a customer doesn’t make all 4 choices and comes back at a later time to apply for the other DMPs, please call. Preference points are not affected by receiving a Bonus/Unlimited DMP.
• 2026 Earn a 2nd buck and DMP Regulation FAQ: If you or your customers have questions about the regulation changes, more information can be found on the DEC website.
LIMITED/INSTANT DMPs: Remember, there is no advantage to customers buying their licenses and applying for DMPs early. Please help explain this to your customers in the hope that agent locations can avoid large crowds in the first several days of sales. Customers 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 that are printed on the DMP Chances of Selection chart in your agent mailing and then determined by the individual customer profile attributes ( # of preference points, landowner status, resident vs. nonresident, etc), which remain unchanged throughout the Instant/Limited lottery application period. Make sure that you ask your customers if they are a landowner of 50 or more contiguous acres of land within the WMU (Wildlife Management Unit) they are applying for and that you enter the SWIS code and tax map ID # associated with the parcel(s) they own before processing a DMP application. Do not process a DMP application if your customer is unsure of what WMU they wish to apply for or they are a landowner and do not have or cannot confirm the SWIS code and Tax Map ID #. If the landowner information has been previously entered in DECALS, you can click the ‘use previous info’ button when adding the eligibility or view the information on the customer profile page. If the customer has applied for DMP’s in recent years, you can view the ‘DMP History’ on the left of the screen. DEC will not make changes to DMP selections based on calls from anyone other than the agent that processed the transaction.
Due to a change in regulation, we have updated the DMP application process to allow hunters to apply for 2 Instant/Limited DMPs and 2 Bonus/Unlimited DMPs. Instant/Limited DMPs are subject to the Chances of Selection (ex: Low, Medium, High, LO/DV, etc) and any customer profile attributes while Bonus/Unlimited DMPs are set to a 100% chance of selection. DMP fees remain the same.
Once the WMU Selection box opens, you will have the ability to enter 2 Instant/Limited WMU/DMP choices and 2 Bonus/Unlimited WMU/DMP choices. Just like in past years, Instant/Limited choices are subject to the Chances of Selection. Bonus/Unlimited choices are set to 100% and will be awarded but will not affect any preference point totals your customer may have. Once the choices are entered, click Add To Cart:
Note: If your customer does not wish to apply for Instant/Limited or Bonus/Unlimited DMPs, you can leave the selection blank. At this time, you will not be able to go back in to add choices after the transaction is complete so make sure your customer is aware and that they have provided you with all the choices they wish to make.
