TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Permit applications for Florida’s 2026 bear hunting season are now open.
Applications opened this morning and can be submitted through Sept. 21, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Each application costs $5, with additional handling fees. Applicants must be at least 18 years old by Oct. 1 and may apply as many times as they would like.
A bear harvest permit is required to harvest a bear in one of the four selected Bear Harvest Zones from Dec. 5-27. A hunting license is also required to hunt bears, unless exempt.
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Permits will be distributed by random drawing. Only one nontransferable permit may be issued per person, and permits will cost $100 for residents and $300 for nonresidents, with additional handling fees. No more than 10% of permits issued will be to nonresidents.
Hunters may submit applications online by logging into their account and choosing “Apply for Limited Entry/Quota Permits,” or by completing an application worksheet and presenting it to a license agent or Florida tax collector’s office.
Further information is available at the FWC’s website.
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