Waterfowl Hunting in Alaska
License and Duck Stamp Requirements

License Requirements

Resident Hunters

All Alaska residents age 18 or older must possess a hunting license to hunt in Alaska and must carry it while hunting. Resident hunters 60 years old or older may obtain a free, permanent identification card issued by the Department. This card replaces the sport fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses. Disabled veterans qualified under AS 16.05.341 may receive a free hunting license. Residents with an annual family income equal to or less than the most recent poverty guidelines for the state may buy a $5.00 low-income license.

Nonresident and Alien Hunters

All nonresident or alien hunters, regardless of age, must possess the appropriate hunting license to hunt waterfowl.

Nonresident Military Personnel

Members of the military service on active duty who are permanently stationed in the state, and their dependents who are living in the state, and are not yet Alaska residents under AS 16.05.940(28), may buy a special nonresident military license or a non-resident small game license.

Duck Stamps

State Duck Stamp

Waterfowl hunters must purchase a current year's Alaska State Duck Stamp for all fall hunting and for those that qualify for the spring/summer subsistence hunt unless you:

  • are an Alaska resident under the age of 18;
  • are an Alaska resident 60 years of age or older;
  • are a disabled veteran eligible for a free license;
  • qualify for a low-income license; or
  • are hunting only cranes and snipe.

You can purchase a state waterfowl stamp from the ADF&G online store or from a local vendor. If you have any questions about obtaining a state waterfowl stamp, please contact ADF&G Licensing at adfg.license@alaska.gov or call 907-465-2376.

Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp

Purchase the E-Duck Stamp Online! The E-Stamp was recently authorized valid for the entire hunting season (https://fws.gov/story/2024-05/taking-tradition-future-implementing-duck-stamp-modernization-act).

A federal E-stamp may be purchased at the following link: https://duckstamp.com/products, or at a local US Postal Service office.

When people purchase their 2024-2025 E-Stamp starting July 1, 2024, the E-stamp certification will be valid from the date of purchase through June 30, 2025. Additionally, those who purchase an E-stamp will be mailed their physical stamp after March 10 of the purchase year. For example, when people purchase their 2024-2025 stamp after it is issued on July 1, 2024, E-Stamp purchasers will see their actual stamps arriving after March 11, 2025. By providing the actual stamp to every customer, the Service will continue to celebrate our wildlife, wildlife art, and the talented artists participating in the Federal Duck Stamp Contest.

The E-stamp proof of purchase certification can be carried in the field either on an electronic device or as a printed hard copy depending on the individual regulations of the state they are hunting in.

If purchased using the federal website, the cost of an E-stamp will be $29.00 ($25 for the stamp, $4 for the federal processing/convenience fee). Individual states also offer the federal E-stamp but may also charge additional state fees and handling charges to any sales of E-stamps. Follow this link for a list of states that sell the E-stamp: Buy a Duck Stamp or E-Stamp | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov).

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is working to sell E-stamps through their online store in the next couple of years.

State Duck Stamp

Aleutian Cackling Goose

The 2024 Alaska state duck stamp features a photograph by Zak Pohlen of an Aleutian cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii leucopareia; hereafter Aleutians). Zak is a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Program and coordinates the North American Breeding Bird Survey throughout Alaska and the Alaska Landbird Monitoring Survey (ALMS) at refuges in Alaska's interior. He also works with partners in the Department of Defense to study and monitor birds on military installations throughout the state. Zak captured the image of an Aleutian Goose for the 2024 duck stamp while working with the U.S. Air Force on Shemya Island in the far Western Aleutians. When not working, you will find Zak birding, participating in citizen science (eBird), and encouraging others to do the same.

Aleutians are one of three subspecies of cackling geese that breed in Alaska. Aleutians nest on several islands in the Aleutian Islands Archipelago, and in smaller numbers on the Semidi Islands in the Gulf of Alaska. Aleutians winter primarily in the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento River Delta of central California, but the Semidi Islands breeding segment winters exclusively in Tillamook County, Oregon. They are distinguished by their small size and distinctive, white-colored neck ring. Aleutians were listed as endangered in 1967 under the Endangered Species Act due to a severe population decline, numbering only a few hundred birds in the 1970s. However, dedicated recovery efforts that spanned three decades and their entire annual range led to their delisting in 2001. Presently, Aleutians are abundant, numbering over 200,000 geese, and are cooperatively managed by state and federal partners in the Pacific Flyway.

The State Duck Stamp is valid from February 1 to January 31 the following year to encompass both the spring/summer subsistence and fall-winter hunting seasons.

Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp

Duck Stamp 2024-2025 | FWS.gov:As an accomplished artist from Belgrade, Montana, Chuck Black's depiction of the Northern Pintail will grace the 2024-2025 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. Chuck's captivating oil painting of a Northern Pintail was selected as the winner of the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, chosen from among 199 entries. Chuck stated "My passion lies in the outdoors, and art is my way of expressing that. I've dedicated my life to learning about the wild places around us and the animals the roam them. I feel like I have a story to tell, one which I can only convey through my artwork. My hope is that one day, through the creation of many paintings, I'm able to share this story in enough depth that if helps further the understanding, importance of, and relationship we have with nature and each other."
Duck Stamp 2024-2025, Chuck Black/USFWS, Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved - Used by Permission, https://www.fws.gov/media/duck-stamp-2024-2025

Federal Duck Stamp

By purchasing a Duck Stamp, you will be showing your support of bird conservation in our National Wildlife Refuge System, 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchasing of vital bird habitat benefitting ducks, geese, and other migratory birds.

Federal Duck Stamp Exemption for Subsistence Hunters

A Federal Duck Stamp is not required if you are a qualified permanent rural Alaska resident or an eligible person living in an included area. Seasons when you may hunt without a federal duck stamp vary depending on how you qualify for this exemption. However, you must purchase a hunting license and state duck stamp unless you qualify for license and duck stamp exemptions listed above. For questions or clarifications, please contact the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement at (907) 786-3311.

Junior Duck Stamp

The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program is an integrated art and science curriculum developed to teach environmental science and habitat conservation. The program combines art, science, and cultural curricula to teach a greater awareness of our nation's natural and cultural resources. Participants select a species of North American waterfowl, do research on this species and its habitat, and then depict the waterfowl in an artistic medium. Students learn about conserving habitats while they explore the aesthetic qualities of wildlife and nature.

2019 Junior Duck Stamp
The 2024-2025 Junior Duck Stamp, features the award-winning artwork of Emily Lian of Beaverton, Oregon. At 17 years old, Emily's stunning oil painting of a King Eider earned first prize at the National Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest in Falls Church, Virginia. This collectible stamp showcases Emily's breathtaking portrayal of a King Eider, capturing the beauty and elegance of this majestic waterfowl. Funds raised from the sale of these $5 stamps support conservation-based educational programs that engage and inspire the next generation of conservationists. Perfect for nature enthusiasts, bird watchers, and stamp collectors, this Junior Duck Stamp not only celebrates exceptional young talent but also contributes to the preservation of America's wildlife habitats. Add this stamp to your collection and be a part of the ongoing efforts to protect and conserve our natural resources.

The Junior Duck Stamp Program has many benefits:

  • Introduces school age children to an important and fragile part of the natural world.
  • Instills a sense of individual responsibility toward the environment.
  • Benefits waterfowl and their habitats as well as all migratory birds and hundreds of plants and animals that share wetland habitats.

The Junior Duck Stamp is not required to hunt waterfowl. Proceeds from the sale of the $5 stamp are re-invested into the Junior Duck Stamp Program to support conservation education and provide recognition for contest participants and winners. The Program continues to educate youth about land stewardship and the importance of connecting to their natural worlds.

For more information or to learn about and participate in this program: