Colorado runs a preference point system with a small random “hybrid” draw on top. For elk and deer, the hunters with the most points get first crack at each hunt code, so the license goes to whoever has waited longest. A small share of licenses in the hardest hunts is drawn at random among applicants with five or more points. In practice, that means you can hunt many Colorado codes with zero to a few points, but the best trophy units take a decade or more. Elk and deer points are still free in 2026, so almost everyone who hunts Colorado builds them every year.

How you get points

You earn one point per species per year in the spring primary draw, in one of two ways:

• Apply and miss your first choice. If your first-choice hunt code doesn’t draw, you get a point for that species.
• Apply for a point only. List the preference point code (P-999-99-P) as your first choice. You can’t draw a license with it, but you get a point.

Either way, you need a few things first:

• A qualifying license. You must own a current-year qualifying license before you can apply. The cheapest for most people is the annual small game license: $38.49 for residents and $104.86 for nonresidents (adult, 2026). A spring turkey license also qualifies ($38.49 resident, $194.21 nonresident). You can buy it in the same checkout, as long as it goes in your cart first.
• The Habitat Stamp ($12.76, ages 18 to 64) on your first purchase of the year.
• The application fee: $8.93 per species for residents and $11.49 for nonresidents. It is nonrefundable. There is no separate point fee for elk or deer.
• Age: You must be 12 to hunt big game. An 11-year-old can apply for a point if they turn 12 by the end of the year.

The secondary draw, leftovers, and over-the-counter (OTC) tags neither use nor award points.

How points are used in the draw

Only your first choice uses points. You can list four choices per species. CPW fills first choices in order of points, highest first. Second through fourth choices are drawn afterward and don’t use points.

Drawing your first choice resets that species to zero. Drawing a later choice leaves your points alone.

The hybrid draw. For the toughest hunts, CPW holds back a share of licenses for a random draw:

• The hunt code must have taken 10 or more resident points to draw the year before and have at least five licenses.
• You need at least five points, must apply on your own (no groups), and must list the hybrid code as your first choice.
• CPW has described the hybrid draw as covering up to 20% of the licenses in those codes.
• If you win, you lose all your points for that species. If you miss, you get a point.

Hunters sometimes confuse this with the six-point line. That number is for the nonresident cap, not the hybrid draw.

Nonresident caps. Nonresidents compete in the same draw as residents but can take only a share of each hunt code:

• Hunt codes that took six or more points for an adult resident: up to 20% to nonresidents.
• Hunt codes that took fewer than six points: up to 25% to nonresidents (this was 35% in earlier years).
• CPW sets each code’s category from the average of the three most recent limited draws, with a one-year lag. For 2026 it used the 2022 to 2024 draws.
• The cap can loosen if licenses are left after all resident first choices are drawn. Caps don’t apply in the secondary draw or to leftovers.

Group applications. Elk and deer groups can be any size. Everyone lists the same hunt codes in the same order, and the group is drawn at the point level of its lowest member. If one person makes an error, the whole group is disqualified. A mixed resident and nonresident group gets nothing if the nonresident cap is already full. Groups can’t apply for hybrid codes.

Residents vs. nonresidents

2026	Resident	Nonresident
Point fee (elk or deer)	None	None
Application fee, per species	$8.93	$11.49
Qualifying license (adult small game)	$38.49	$104.86
Habitat Stamp	$12.76	$12.76
Adult license if drawn	Elk $70.40	Elk/fishing combo $845.16; deer/fishing combo $506.92
Share of each hunt code	Rest of the quota	Up to 20% (6+ point codes) or 25% (under 6)
Hybrid draw	Yes	Yes, subject to caps

Residents and nonresidents earn points the same way and use the same point pool for each species.

Keeping and losing points

• Drawing your first choice resets that species to zero (including a hybrid win).
• The 10-year rule. You lose your points for a species if you go 10 consecutive years without applying for or holding a license for it. Applying for a point-only code counts as applying, so one point application a decade keeps you active.
• Surrendering a license. If you draw and can’t go, surrendering by the posted deadline (June 1 in 2026) gets your points restored. Later returns get a refund or points back, not both.
• No waiting period for elk or deer. You can apply again the next year.
• Separate by species. Elk points and deer points are tracked separately and can’t be swapped. They aren’t tied to a unit, so you can use them anywhere in the state.

Point creep and “points to draw”

CPW’s draw recaps show the lowest point level at which someone drew each hunt code. That’s “points to draw”: last year’s floor, not a promise. Because more people build points each year than there are licenses, many codes need a little more every year. That’s point creep.

Elk example (hypothetical). Say a rifle bull code took 6 points last year. With 6 points you’re on the line, since some at that level drew and some didn’t. With 7 you’re likely in. With 4 you have no chance in the preference draw, so hunt OTC or a leftover cow tag and apply again.

Deer example. CPW reported that a GMU 512 buck license took 11 resident and 12 nonresident points in the 2024 draw. A nonresident with 9 points is two or three years out, or more with point creep.

Rough tiers (elk and deer):

Tier	Typical hunts	Points
Easy	Many cow and doe codes, some plains and late seasons	0 to 2
Middle	Solid public-land bull and buck codes	About 3 to 10
High	Strong trophy units	10 to 20
Top	The best elk units (for example GMUs 1, 2, 10, 201)	Upper 20s and climbing

These tiers are our rough estimates from recent draw results and hunting-media summaries, not CPW figures. Always check CPW’s draw recap for the exact code you want.

Strategy

• Always get your point. Points are free beyond the application fee, so apply every year.
• Use your second choices. List codes that had leftovers in past years so you still hunt without spending points.
• Hunt OTC while you wait. Colorado still sells OTC elk licenses in many units. Nonresident archery elk west of I-25 and in GMU 140 has moved to a limited draw, but nonresident OTC rifle options remain. See OTC elk tags.
• Landowner vouchers. Some outfitters hunt private land with landowner preference vouchers, which skip the point line. See our hunting leases and discount guided hunts.
• Plan for 2028. Starting with the 2028 draw, CPW will split each hunt code 50/50 between a preference draw and a bonus draw, give nonresidents a flat 25% share, drop the point-only code, and add a point fee (amount not yet final). CPW’s adopted summary doesn’t spell out exactly how banked elk and deer points will be applied, so watch for its guidance. The 2027 draw runs under the current rules.

Key numbers for 2026

Item	2026
Application deadline	April 7, 8 p.m. MT
Results	May 26–29
Points per species per year	1
Elk/deer point fee	None
Application fee	$8.93 resident / $11.49 nonresident
Qualifying license (small game)	$38.49 resident / $104.86 nonresident
Nonresident cap	20% (6+ point codes), 25% (under 6)
Hybrid draw	10+ point codes; 5+ points to enter
Points lost after	10 years without applying or holding a license

FAQ

Do I have to buy a license to get a point? Yes. You need a current-year qualifying license, such as small game, before you can apply, even for a point only.

Can I get elk and deer points in the same year? Yes. Each species has its own application and its own points.

Will my points still count after the 2028 changes? CPW hasn’t published the full details yet. Its adopted summary doesn’t say exactly how banked elk and deer points will be used in the new split draw, so keep building them and check CPW’s updates before 2028.

Related: Colorado Elk Hunting · Colorado Deer Hunting · How to apply for the Colorado elk draw · How to apply for the Colorado deer draw · Preference points by state

Rules and fees are from Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the 2026 draw (2026–27 license year where noted). Confirm in the current regulations before you apply.