Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Ed Carter, Executive Director

Tennessee Code Annotated 70-2-108 became law in 1985 and states:

(a) Every person born on or after January 1, 1969, before hunting, shall possess, in addition to all other licenses and permits required, proof of satisfactory completion of an agency approved hunter education course…

If you were born on or after January 1, 1969 you must possess proof of successful completion of a hunter education class before hunting in Tennessee.

Those under 10 years of age do not need a Hunter Education certificate, but must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age, who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device.

The course is offered free of charge to anyone interested regardless of age; however, you must be nine years of age or older in order to become a certified hunter education graduate.

Parents are encouraged to go through the course with their child. Parents who participate and who pass the test will receive hunter education certification. Many states require hunter education certification regardless of age. Parents that do not wish to become certified, typically find the class is both informative and enjoyable.

The basic Hunter Education Course provides firearms safety training and introduces students to their responsibilities in the fields of hunter ethics and wildlife management. The main objective of the Hunter Education Program is to reduce the potential for hunting accidents and ultimately reduce the number of hunting injuries. The course is taught according to standards established by the International Hunter Education Association. By meeting these standards the Tennessee Hunter Education program is recognized by all states, Canada and Mexico.

The basic course is free of charge and consists of a minimum of ten (10) hours of classroom participation. Most classes generally last 12-16 hours. Students must successfully pass a written test consisting of 100 multiple choice questions. All students are required to participate in a live fire exercise. Students must attend all classes. Students need to bring their Social Security Number and a #2 pencil to the class.

Course Content

• Hunter ethics
• Hunter responsibility toward wildlife, the environment, landowners and the general public
• Archery and the history of modern day bowhunting
• Tree stand safety
• History of firearms
• Blackpowder and muzzleloading firearms
• Knowledge of modern firearms and ammunition
• Proper gun handling and storage
• Marksmanship fundamentals
• Hunt preparation: specific laws and various equipment
• Principles of wildlife management and wildlife identification
• Survival
• Hypothermia
• First aid

The availability of classes varies depending on the area of the state and time of the year. Go to our class schedule page to check on class availability near you.

In addition to the traditional twelve hour hunter education course the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has developed a CD/Online Field Day Course to better accommodate peoples busy schedules. This option allows students to complete the majority of the classroom work on their computer. The student must then attend a Field Day in order to complete the certification. Younger students may have difficulty keeping up with the faster pace of the CD/Online Course.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) offers two options to complete the distance learning portion of a Field Day. One option is the Online Course and the other option is the Hunter Education Course on CD-Rom.

The Online Course

TWRA offers two options for taking the hunter education course online. Students must log-on and complete all sections, quizzes, and tests. The student then brings the printout to a scheduled field day.

1. The first course option is beasafehunter.org, this course is free of charge.
2. The second option is HunterExam.com, this course costs $24.95, however it offers 7-days a week tech support by way of phone, e-mail and instant messaging.

HunterExam Tennessee

HunterExam Tennessee offers an alternative approach to the Tennessee hunter education program. The 12-chapter online course covers all aspects of hunter education which are studied in a traditional classroom course, complete with interactive flash exercises, and the entire course is narrated to cater to those with learning disabilities, and to help students enjoy an added level of engagement.

The HunterExam course is convenient and does not need to be completed all at once. Students can log in and log out at any time, picking up right where they left off. Every chapter is completed by a 10-question review quiz. A score of 80% is required to proceed to the next chapter.

Once students have passed the online course, they will have the option of purchasing a “Field Day Voucher” in order to attend the Field Day portion of the course, to get their Hunter Education Certificate. Note that the Field Day is complete with a lecture, live fire exercises and a final exam.

The CD Course

The CD course consists of an interactive CD-Rom to complete at home, this is a mirror image of the free Online Course.

The CD-Rom covers several components of hunting including firearm safety, survival skills, hunter ethics, and more. There are questions at the end of each section and students must answer 75% of the questions correctly to be admitted to the field day. After completing the CD-Rom, students should be prepared to successfully pass the written test.

Note: Students using the 3.0 version of the CD will need to apply a patch in order for the program to run correctly.

Finally, students must pass a 100 question true-false/multiple choice test to complete the course. Upon successful completion of the CD course, students will receive a Tennessee Hunter Education certificate, patch, and a card (must be carried in the field).

Completing A CD/Online Course

In order to finalize the CD/Online course, a student must sign up and complete a corresponding CD/Online Field Day. At the Field Day, students must pass a 100 question true-false/multiple choice test. In addition to the test, students must demonstrate how to handle a firearm safely and must participate in a live fire session in order to become certified. Field Days typically last four to six hours.

Upon successful completion of the CD course, students will receive a Tennessee Hunter Education certificate and a card (must be carried in the field).

Because the CD/Online Field Days are labor intensive for our instructors, the field days are not offered as often as the traditional classes.

Therefore, it is critical that an individual first locate a CD/Online Field Day prior to signing up for the CD/Online course.

A traditional 12 hour course is not structured the way a CD/Online course is structured; the classroom portion of a CD/Online course covers a lot of information rather quickly. Younger students are encouraged to attend the traditional classes, the faster pace of the CD/Online class may prove difficult for younger students. The last day of a traditional class cannot be substituted for a CD/Online Field Day.

The following is a list of four steps that must be completed before becoming a certified hunter education graduate from a CD/Online course:

• Locate and sign up for a CD/Online Field Day
• Complete the Online course or the CD version of the course
• Bring the printout of successful completion of either the CD course or the online course to the CD/Online field day. You may not attend the last class of a traditional class to complete certification, you must attend a CD/Online field day.
• Complete the field day requirements; lecture, live fire and complete the final exam.

In an effort to introduce new hunters to the sport, we have developed a new type of hunting license designed especially for people who may wish to sample the pleasures of Tennessee’s many outdoor opportunities.
The agency’s Apprentice Hunting License will provide a one-time exemption from Tennessee’s Hunter Education requirements for anyone ten years of age or older for a period of one license year.  The license may only be purchased once during the lifetime of the hunter.

Potential hunters who have not completed the state’s usually mandatory Hunter Education course may purchase the type 012 license for $11.  This license allows the holder to hunt in Tennessee for one license year (March 1 to the last day of February) without having to complete the Hunter Education course. 

Hunters purchasing the Apprentice Hunting License must be accompanied by a person 21 years of age or older who is a hunter education graduate or is exempt from the hunter education requirements (born prior to 1969).  This person must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device. 

The Apprentice Hunting License is valid only in Tennessee and will not exempt people hunting outside from that state’s hunter education requirements.  However, out-of-state hunters coming to Tennessee to pursue game may purchase the Apprentice Hunting License one time only.

Bowhunter Education is a voluntary program in Tennessee; however, at least 16 states require bowhunter certification. Studies have shown that bowhunters who have completed the Bowhunter Education program, harvest many more deer than archers who have not.

To replace a Hunter Education Card, first contact your TWRA Regional Office during normal business hours. Verify that your Hunter Education number has been updated in the TWRA license system. Then you may go to a TWRA license agent and purchase a Type 500 (Hunter Education Card Replacement), for $7.00.

Hunter Education classes are taught by dedicated volunteer instructors who provide expertise and devote many hours to ensure the success of the program.  Each year volunteer instructors throughout the state conduct hundreds of classes and successfully certify approximately 20,000 students annually.  After a safe and enjoyable hunt, be sure to thank a volunteer instructor because without them the program could not exist. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer instructor, the TWRA offers a training program to help you achieve this goal.