California’s Big Game Drawing is the only way to get a premium deer tag, like an X zone mule deer hunt or a C zone tag. It is also how many hunters lock in an A, B, or D zone tag early. The system is simpler than most western draws, but a few rules can cost you a year of points if you miss them.

Key dates

These are CDFW’s dates for the 2026 drawing. The 2027 dates will be in next year’s Big Game Hunting Digest, but the calendar has followed the same pattern for years.

Step	2026 date
Applications open	April 15
Application deadline	Midnight, June 2 (no late applications)
Drawing held	Within 10 business days after the deadline
Results available	On or around June 15
Tags and notices mailed	By July 2
Leftover premium tags, first deer tag holders	July 2, 8 a.m.
Leftover premium tags, second deer tag holders	Apply from July 2; tags issued August 2

Step 1: Get a hunting license and hunter education on file

You need a current annual California hunting license to apply. The 2026–27 license costs $64.54 for residents and $225.46 for nonresidents. The two-day nonresident license is not valid for deer.

If you have never bought a California license before, you need proof of hunter education: a California certificate, a hunter education certificate from another state or province, or a valid hunting license from a prior year or another state. Hunter education has to be on file before you can buy online.

Step 2: Buy your first deer tag application

In California, your deer application and your deer tag are the same purchase. The first deer tag application costs $42.38 for residents and $377.35 for nonresidents. If you draw, that is your tag. If you don’t, you can use the application to buy an unrestricted tag later.

Hunters must be at least 12 by July 1 to apply. Second deer tag applications in the drawing are only for junior hunters applying for apprentice hunts.

Step 3: Choose up to three hunts

You can list up to three deer hunt choices on one application.

• 1st choice: Your premium hunt, such as an X zone. This is the only choice that uses your preference points.
• 2nd and 3rd choices: Hunts you’re likely to get, such as the A zone, B zones, or a D zone, so you still have a tag if your first choice doesn’t come through.
• Point only: To build a point without trying for a tag, enter hunt code PD as your first choice. Your purchase must be done by June 2.

Step 4: Understand preference points

• You earn one deer point each year you don’t draw your first-choice premium hunt, even if you draw your second or third choice.
• You lose all your deer points when you draw your first choice.
• For premium hunts, 90% of each quota goes to the applicants with the most points. The other 10% is drawn at random among first-choice applicants. Hunts with fewer than 10 tags give one tag by random draw.
• Apprentice (junior) hunts split 50/50 between points and random draw.
• The most points anyone can hold for any species is now 24.
• California has no separate nonresident quota for deer. Residents and nonresidents compete on equal terms.

Some X zones take many years of points. Others draw with only a few. CDFW publishes drawing statistics each year, so check them before you choose.

Step 5: Apply alone or as a party

Party members apply under one Party Identification Number and must list the same hunt choices. The party’s point total is the average of its members’ points. If a party is larger than the number of tags left in a hunt, it is skipped, not split. If the party isn’t drawn, each member earns a point.

Step 6: Check your results

Results are usually posted around mid-June. If you drew a premium tag and later can’t hunt, CDFW has a process for returning an unused premium tag to get your points back, but it has strict rules and deadlines, so check the digest before you count on it. Resident deer tag fees are not refundable. Nonresidents who didn’t get a tag, or who return an unused non-premium tag before the season opens and before the quota fills, can ask for a refund of the difference between nonresident and resident fees by March 1.

What it costs to apply (2026–27)

Item	Resident	Nonresident
Annual hunting license	$64.54	$225.46
First deer tag application	$42.38	$377.35
Due when you apply	$106.92	$602.81

License fees include a 3% nonrefundable application fee (up to $7.50 per item), and license agents add a 5% handling fee.

Point rules at a glance

• System: Preference points for premium deer zones: 90% of tags go to first-choice applicants with the most points and 10% are drawn at random. Unrestricted zones don’t need a draw.
• Nonresident share: None. Residents and nonresidents compete equally for deer tags.
• You lose your points if: you draw your first-choice premium hunt, or skip the deer drawing for 5 years in a row.
• Waiting period: None.
• Parties: Points are averaged without rounding. Every unsuccessful member earns a point.
• Point only: Put hunt code PD as your first choice on the First Deer Tag Drawing Application.

Full breakdown: how the draw works, with examples · check last year’s odds for every hunt

Didn’t draw? You still have options

• Unrestricted tags: A zone, B zone, most D zone, and Archery Only tags are sold until each quota fills. Some fill fast. The B zone tag sold out on August 9 in 2025.
• Leftover premium tags: Any premium tags left after the drawing go on sale first come, first served on July 2 at 8 a.m.
• Private land: Ranches in CDFW’s Private Lands Management program can issue their own tags, often with longer seasons. Outfitters and hunting leases are a good way in.

Let an outfitter help

Many California outfitters know exactly which zones and hunts they can get you into, and some hold private-land tags that don’t depend on the draw. Call them before June 2 if you’re booking a guided hunt.

Related: How California draw points work · Draw odds by unit · California Deer Hunting Guide · Zone tags explained · Season dates · Cost of a California deer hunt

Fees and dates are from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the 2026–27 license year. Always confirm in the current CDFW Big Game Hunting Digest before you apply.