A general season tag is all you need to hunt deer in Washington. Special permits are a bonus: they open hunts with lower hunter numbers, better bucks, antlerless deer, or dates outside the general seasons. Many hunters apply every year just to build points. Here’s how the drawing works.

Key dates

Step	2026 date
Applications open	April 20
Application deadline	May 27 (extended from May 20)
Results	By the end of June, in your WILD account and by email
Return a permit to restore points	Up to two weeks before the season opens

The 2027 dates will be in next year’s pamphlet. Recent application windows have run from late April through May.

Step 1: Buy your license and choose your tag

Before you can buy a deer special permit application, you must buy a hunting license and select your general season transport tag, including your hunt method. This means a nonresident pays for the full deer license before applying.

Item (2026)	Resident	Nonresident
Deer license	$61.70	$599.07
Deer and elk license	$116.85	$1,020.06
Special permit application	$9.61	$152.30
Quality special permit application	$18.72	$152.30

Youth under 16 pay $29.82 for a deer license and $5.05 per application. A 2.9% processing fee is added to card purchases online or by phone.

Step 2: Pick your permit categories

Deer permits are sorted into categories. You apply once per category you qualify for (up to seven deer applications in all) and build points separately in each. The main categories:

Category	Choices	2026 example hunt
Quality	Up to 2	Kelly Hill white-tailed buck, GMU 105, November 20–24
Buck	Up to 4	Palouse, white-tailed 3 point minimum, GMUs 127–142, November 7–19
Antlerless	Up to 4	Olympic, GMU 621, October 17 – November 1
Second Deer	Up to 4	Benge, antlerless, Deer Area 2010, December 17–24

There are also categories for youth, hunters 65 and over, hunters with disabilities, Master Hunters, and multi-season tags (a separate application). A Second Deer permit requires a second deer tag using the same weapon as your first tag.

Check the pamphlet’s deer special permit section for the full list of hunts, dates and permit numbers. Some private timberland owners limit access or charge fees, so don’t apply for a hunt unless you can get access.

Step 3: Choose your hunts

List up to four hunt choices on a regular application, or two on a quality application. The drawing considers them in the order you list them. Each permit you draw needs its own hunting report, on top of your general season report. If you’re hunting under a hunter education deferral, you can’t apply.

Step 4: Understand how points work

• Each application earns one point in that category.
• Points can’t be moved between categories or people.
• The drawing is weighted. More points help, but it’s still a lottery, and new applicants can draw.
• Getting drawn resets your points in that category to zero.
• The “point saver” option builds a point without entering you in a hunt.

Step 5: Apply alone or in a group

Deer groups can have up to eight hunters (two for multi-season). The leader applies first, members apply with the leader’s WILD ID, and points are averaged. If the group draws, everyone gets a permit and can take a deer.

Step 6: Check results

Results are posted in your WILD account by the end of June and emailed to you. If you can’t use a permit, call WDFW at (360) 902-2515 at least two weeks before the season to return it and restore your points.

Multi-season deer tags

A multi-season deer tag lets you hunt the archery, muzzleloader and modern firearm general seasons in units open to those seasons. It’s awarded by drawing only, through a separate application (for 2026, December 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026, with results in April). If drawn, the tag costs $191.77 in 2026.

Other limited-entry options

• Scotch Creek. WDFW runs a limited-access deer hunt at the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area.
• Raffles and auctions. WDFW raffles a few deer permits, and conservation groups auction others.
• Second deer tags. Residents pay $68.48 and nonresidents $356.90 for a second deer tag where one is allowed.

Point rules at a glance

• System: Squared points. Your points in a category are squared to set your number of entries in a fully random drawing, so 3 points means 9 entries. Nothing is reserved for top point holders.
• Points by category: Points are tracked separately for each deer permit category you apply for.
• Nonresident share: None set. Residents and nonresidents enter the same drawing.
• You lose your points if: you are drawn in that category (points reset to zero). Current rules describe no expiration for skipped years.
• Groups: Up to 8 hunters (2 for multi-season), with points averaged.
• Point only: Choose the Point Saver option on the special permit application. It costs the same as an application.

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

Didn’t draw?

Your general season tag is still good. See how general season tags work. Your point carries to next year.

Related: How Washington draw points work · Draw odds by unit · Washington Deer Hunting Guide · General season deer tags · Season dates · Cost of a Washington deer hunt

Fees and dates are from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for 2026. Always confirm in the current Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet before you apply.