As of March 3, 2020 a new bill (HB 330) was signed into law by Idaho Governor Brad Little. As goHUNT previously reported, the new law will directly affect hunting license and tag fees for nonresidents. The law called for a general increase of ten percent on nonresident items, with larger increases for big game tags and related items such as archery and muzzleloader permits. Additionally, junior mentored tags also saw a large increase in pricing. Note: Nonresident wolf and veterans’ tags will not be affected by this legislation.

The new fees are set to be enforced for the 2021 season when tags go on sale on December 1, 2020.

As can be seen in the table above, most tags took a big increase but Jr. Mentored tags really took a hit (391 to 654% HIT!). It is also important to note that additional access fees and processing fees are required when purchasing licenses and tags in Idaho.

Idaho has long been the contingency state for many hunters, particularly those pursuing elk, due to the relatively inexpensive tags costs and over-the-counter options. With the new tag price increases, it will be interesting to see what 2021 and the coming years bring for the Gem State.