Hunting licence cost 2026-2027: how much does validation cost?

For the 2026-2027 season, validating a hunting licence costs around 230 euros for the whole of France and 144 to 160 euros for a single department, according to the federations surveyed^10111213. A new hunter pays around 66 euros. Validation is done through your federation’s single window, open since 2 June 2026¹.

Imagine a hunting society chairman preparing the season’s first driven hunt. On a list of twenty members, three have not yet validated their licence for 2026. One is searching for the form on the OFB website, another is waiting for a letter that will never come, the third cannot remember how much to pay.

Yet validation has become a matter of minutes. Three common confusions make it harder: which website to use, the real price, and what happens if you make an input error. This guide draws on the texts of the Fédération nationale des chasseurs (FNC, the national hunters’ federation) and the March 2026 arrete (ministerial order) on hunting levies. It answers the most asked question this year, the cost of the hunting licence in 2026, then details the online procedure step by step.

How much does the hunting licence cost in 2026-2027?

A nationwide annual validation costs 223.55 euros before processing fees. With those fees, expect 228.55 to 230 euros depending on the federation^10111213. A departmental validation costs less, but its price depends on the membership fee voted by each federation. For small and big game, it ranges from 143.95 euros in Cote-d’Or to 160 euros in Tarn-et-Garonne, across the four federations surveyed¹¹¹².

Prices published by the federations of these departments, excluding insurance^10111213.

The nationwide validation price is almost identical everywhere, because its components are set nationally: 106.31 euros in national federation membership, 57.64 euros as the FNC’s fixed share, 50.60 euros in redevance cynegetique (hunting levy) and 9 euros in stamp duty¹⁰¹¹. Only the processing fees vary, from 5 euros in Cote-d’Or and Haute-Saone to 6.45 euros in Haute-Marne¹⁰¹¹¹³. Compulsory hunting liability insurance is added on top: all four federations offer one at 22 euros^10111213.

For the departmental validation, look at the “big game stamp” line. In Haute-Saone, it costs 18 euros and takes the validation from 141.60 euros for small game alone to 159.60 euros with big game¹³. If you hunt in two departments, compare with the nationwide validation before paying two membership fees.

What you pay, item by item

The cost of the 2026 hunting licence, meaning the annual validation, adds up three items: the redevance cynegetique (hunting levy), the stamp duty and the membership fee to a departmental federation². The first two are set by the state and identical everywhere. The third varies by department.

The redevance cynegetique is set by the arrete of 17 March 2026, published in the Journal officiel on 2 April 2026⁴. It rises to 50.60 euros for an annual validation, up from 49.95 euros in 2025³. The amount is the same for a nationwide or departmental levy³. These sums are indexed annually to the consumer price index. According to Le Chasseur Francais, they have increased by 11.11% in six years³.

On top of that comes 9 euros in stamp duty³. The state-set share thus reaches 59.60 euros for an annual validation, before the federation membership fee. This is the only figure common to every hunter in France. Everything else depends on your federation.

Levy figures from Le Chasseur Francais³ and So Chasse⁵. The half-price rate is calculated from the FNC rule². The 9-euro stamp duty is added to these amounts⁵.

Each federation votes its membership fee in the spring, at the general assembly. In the Marne, hunters voted the 2026-2027 rates on 10 April 2026: validation costs, levies and big game tag prices⁹. For the exact amount, check the website of your department’s federation. The single window shows it before payment.

Two supplements can increase the bill, depending on what you hunt:

1. A big game contribution. A federation may require a departmental big game stamp, or “Espece(s)” stamp, to fund compensation for big game damage. Its amount varies by department².
2. The local wild boar contribution. In the Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle departments (the three departments under droit local, the historical Alsace-Moselle legal system), it is required for hunting wild boar. It goes to the department’s wild boar damage compensation fund. With a nationwide validation, it is paid once for all three departments².

A new hunter pays less. Anyone validating for the first time, within one year of obtaining their licence, benefits from half price on the federation membership fee and the redevance cynegetique². For 2026-2027, the annual levy drops to 25.30 euros. So Chasse cites the Creuse, where certain offers let a young hunter start for under 150 euros in their first year⁵.

Do not confuse validation with the exam. The hunting licence is a permanent certificate, obtained once. Registering for the exam costs 46 euros for an adult and 31 euros for a minor, paid to the OFB⁸. Validation, on the other hand, is paid every season. This annual expense is what the search “hunting licence cost 2026” really covers.

The online price is the same as by post: validation is paid to the federation regardless of the channel. Add compulsory hunting liability insurance to your budget, taken out separately⁷.

When does hunting licence validation open for 2026?

Validation for the 2026-2027 season opened on 2 June 2026 on each departmental hunting federation’s single window¹. The FNC announced it on 26 May 2026, reminding hunters that the hunting season runs from 1 July to 30 June of the following year¹. Your 2026 validation therefore covers the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.

This date matters for those looking for their certificate in January or February. A validation taken in September 2026 remains valid until 30 June 2027, not until 31 December. Conversely, the 2025-2026 season certificate expired on 30 June 2026: it is no longer any use for hunting this autumn.

The calendar imposes no deadline. Validation can be done at any point during the season, covering either the full season or a shorter period². Three durations exist:

1. annual validation, for the whole season;
2. temporary validation for 9 consecutive days;
3. temporary validation for 3 consecutive days, renewable twice per department².

Each duration comes in a nationwide or departmental version. The departmental annual validation authorises hunting in one department only, plus the adjoining parts of the same hunting ground located in neighbouring departments². The nationwide validation covers the whole of France, including overseas departments². The 9-day and 3-day formulas cannot be combined in the same department².

Validating early is the right habit. Without a validation certificate, no hunting: the FNC reminds hunters that this certificate is one of the three documents required during an inspection². For a chairman, a validation done in June means one fewer member to chase up the day before the season opens. To find the opening date in your department, check our hunting opening dates by department.

How to validate your hunting licence online, step by step

Online validation is done on your departmental hunting federation’s single window, not on an OFB website¹. The confusion is common. The OFB handles registration for the licence exam, on permischasser.ofb.fr⁸. It is the hunting federations that carry out validation². The FNC says this online service is already used by over 500,000 hunters¹.

Here is the process, as the FNC describes it.

1. Check that your licence is valid. Licences issued from 1 July 1975 onwards are still valid, whether the “green licence” or the credit-card format issued by the ONCFS and then the OFB⁶. A “white licence” issued by a town hall before that date must first be replaced through the OFB⁶.
2. Keep your licence number to hand. It serves as your identifier on the validation single window and appears on your certificate⁶.
3. Choose your federation. You can validate with the federation of your choice. For an extension mid-season, the FNC recommends staying with the federation of the initial validation².
4. Select your formula: annual or temporary, departmental or nationwide, with any big game supplements². Check twice. Online validation offers no refund in case of input error².
5. Add hunting insurance if you wish. Some federations offer an insurer during validation. You remain free to insure elsewhere⁷.
6. Pay online. Payment is secure and replaces the cheque¹.
7. Collect your certificate. Two options: print the validation immediately from your computer, or choose postal delivery from the federation¹.

Immediate printing, called e-validation, is subject to certain conditions depending on the federation². If in doubt, call your federation before paying, not after.

The table below compares the three ways to validate described by the FNC¹².

For a hunting society, online validation also simplifies tracking. Each member can send their printed certificate to the chairman as early as June. Societies that have already digitised their hunt documents go further, as we described for electronic signatures on hunt logbooks.

What to do if online validation doesn’t work

If you are stuck, your first contact is your departmental hunting federation: they carry out the validation, guide the process and communicate the prices². Four situations come up regularly.

Your licence is not recognised. Check its date of issue. A licence issued before 1 July 1975 by a town hall is no longer valid⁶. Replacing it does not require retaking the exam. Provide the original or a certificate from the town hall, then send the OFB the CERFA 13943*03 form with a cheque for 30 euros⁶. The new credit-card format certificate carries the number used as your identifier on the single window⁶.

You chose the wrong formula. A departmental validation taken by mistake is not refunded². It can, however, be upgraded at any point during the season. A departmental annual validation can be extended to other departments or converted to a nationwide annual validation. A temporary validation can become annual². You then pay only the difference, rather than starting over.

You have lost your certificate. Contact the federation of your initial validation. They issue a new document marked “Duplicata”².

You are requesting a refund. The FNC leaves no room for doubt: refund of sums paid for validation is impossible². So take the time to choose your formula, especially between departmental and nationwide.

For hunters less comfortable with the internet, paper validation remains possible. The federation sends an order form to hunters who validated in a previous season, to be returned with the amount due². A family member or friend can also help with the online process, provided they have the correct licence number.

How to store and use your validation certificate

While hunting, you must always carry three documents: your permanent hunting licence, your current season’s validation certificate and your current season’s hunting liability insurance certificate⁷. The validation certificate alone is not enough.

The insurance must cover bodily injury caused by any act of hunting or destruction of nuisance animals, and the hunter’s civil liability for their dogs (article L. 423-16 of the Code de l’environnement)⁷. In chasse accompagnee (accompanied hunting for beginners), only the mentor takes out the insurance, which must cover the accompanied hunter⁷.

Whether printed at home or received by post, keep the validation certificate with your licence, in a waterproof wallet if you hunt in the rain. Also keep a digital copy on your computer. In case of loss, the federation issues a duplicate², but not on the morning of a driven hunt.

If you are a society chairman, ask your hunters for their validation certificate and insurance when they join the society. One file per member is enough. This centralisation avoids paper exchanges on the morning of the driven hunt itself. A members’ area for your hunting society keeps these documents in one place and shows you at a glance who is ready for the opening. To compare existing tools, our comparison of hunting apps in 2026 reviews the main options.

Conclusion

Validating the 2026 hunting licence is no longer a chore. It takes a few minutes on your federation’s single window, open since 2 June 2026, not on an OFB website. The price boils down to three lines: 50.60 euros in redevance cynegetique, 9 euros in stamp duty and your federation’s membership fee. The only real trap is choosing the wrong formula, because nothing is refunded.

We recommend validating as soon as the window opens, choosing your formula with your federation if in doubt, and printing the certificate straight away. Keep it with your licence and your insurance certificate: those are the three documents an officer will ask for during an inspection.

For a society chairman, the right time to chase up members is June, not the day before the season opens. An up-to-date list of who has validated, who is insured and who is still missing avoids nasty surprises at the morning briefing. Mes Chasses helps you maintain that list. Create your society’s space, invite your members and track their documents before the next driven hunt.

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