Tennessee hunting, fishing license fees could increase 29% next year to help fill budget deficit

Tennessee hunting and fishing license fees could increase by an average of 29% next year in an effort to bridge a multi-million-dollar deficit in the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s budget. 

The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission, TWRA’s governing body, approved new license fees along with the agency’s 2027-2028 budget on Aug. 21. 

The new fee structure will now go before the Tennessee General Assembly’s Joint Government Operations Committee, likely in December, according to TWRA Business Operations Deputy Director Frank Fiss. If the fee structure passes through that committee, the earliest it could take effect is July 1, 2027. 

“We don’t like to have to raise the fees, but we have to consider it at this time. Our costs … have gone up at least 40% since the last license increase in 2015,” Fiss said. “The dollar we had in 2015 has the buying power of 71 cents today, and we have struggled to keep our services at the level they’re at.”

Lawmakers look for long-term fix to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s budget woes

All together, the license adjustments total a 29% increase in revenue, equivalent to about $12 million. The structure of some licenses may also look different. For example, big game hunters could pay license fees based on the game they hunt (deer, turkey, elk or bear, for instance) rather than the current fee structure that is based on hunting method (gun, archery or muzzleloader).

“Some license experiences for customers may go down a little. Some may be very similar (to current fees), some may go up more than 29%,” Fiss said. “When you look at it en masse, it’s a 29% increase.”

Annual hunting and fishing combination licenses would go from $33 to $42. The senior rate for the annual combination license would increase from $4 to $21. 

The fee for an annual all-inclusive sportsman license would increase from $165 to $185. Youth sportsman licenses would increase from $9 to $12, and senior sportsman licenses would nearly double in cost from $49 to $95.

The license fee changes come after failed attempts to secure dedicated state funding for the agency’s Wildlife Fund, which is used to maintain wildlife management areas, fish stocking, enforcement and shooting ranges. TWRA Executive Director Jason Maxedon said the agency’s budget has been strained as the state legislature has placed more responsibility on TWRA but not provided additional funding sources to cover extra costs. 

License fees make up 38% of the agency’s annual funding for fish and wildlife projects. Federal taxes on hunting and fishing equipment and a state tax on real estate transfers also contribute.

The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission previously approved license fee increases in 2024, but withdrew the changes after opposition from the General Assembly.

“That opposition came with assurances of support for dedicated funding,” Maxedon said. “We appreciate the lawmakers who carried that legislation for us, but when it failed to pass this session, it sent us back to our original proposal.”