Hunting permits

You will need a Duck Hunting Permit or a Quail Hunting Permit if you want to hunt duck or quail, or if you want to assist someone to hunt duck or quail, during an open season.

Key permit information

• Adult, Concession and Junior (14 - 17 years of age) permits available
• Permit is issued for open season dates and times only
• Species allowed and daily bag limit is listed on the permit
• Taking of eggs and sale of carcasses is prohibited
• Interstate export of carcasses is allowed
• Season reporting is required

To learn more about the open season see Native bird hunting.

Fees

There will be a significant increase in duck and quail hunting permit fees for the 2025 open hunting season.

Following the inquiry into native bird hunting, a review of the costs associated with administering and managing an open season has been undertaken. Permit fees have been adjusted, and will continue to increase incrementally over the next 5 years, to more accurately reflect these expenses.

The new permit fee for a 2025 open season Duck Hunting Permit or Quail Hunting Permit is $100 for each adult permit or $50 for each junior or concession permit.

See the current wildlife permit fees by permit type.

Assessment criteria

Permit applications are assessed with consideration to the following:

• passing a Waterfowl Identification Test for Duck Hunting Permit applicants
• a parent/guardian declaration (if under the age of 18)
• applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a permit.

Waterfowl Identification Tests

Waterfowl Identification Tests (WIT) are managed nationwide by the Victorian Game Management Authority (GMA). GMA have advised that from mid-February 2025 WITs will move to an online assessment process. Permit applicants who wish to take the WIT will need to create a My Game Licence (MyGL) account and complete the online test unsupervised via the Game Management Authority website. The online test will include a mandatory 90-minute training component.

GMA have advised that there will be no alternative offline option available for individuals who do not have access to the internet. The department encourages people who need help to complete the WIT to reach out for assistance from a friend or family member, their local hunting organisation, or attend their local library.

Permit conditions

Conditions on a permit may include, but are not limited to:

• Hunting permit, identification, and firearms licence must be carried while hunting.
• Proof of passing a Waterfowl Identification Test (Duck Hunting Permit only) and concession card must be supplied within 5 days if requested by a warden.
• Hunting must comply with the Code of Practice for the Humane Destruction of Birds by Shooting in South Australia.
• Hunting game birds may not occur from a moving vessel.
• Hunters must not scare, rouse or feed game birds so they may be hunted.
• Protected animals may not be used for the purposes of hunting.
• Vegetation, burrows or nests must not be removed, damaged or destroyed for the purpose of hunting.
• Game birds hunted must not be retained alive.
• Permit holders must leave a fully feathered wing on a hunted game bird until immediately before cooking or taken to the permit holders ordinary place of residence.
• Game birds may only be hunted using a firearm that has a smooth bore diameter of 19mm or less, can be held and fired at arm’s length with no other support, has the capacity of three cartridges or less, and is break, bolt or lever action.
• Ammunition shot must be more than 4.1mm diameter and made from steel, bismuth or molybdendum. Only quail hunting allows lead shot.
• While hunting a permit holder must not be in possession of a prohibited firearm or ammunition.
• Permit holders must complete a hunting survey within 30 days of the conclusion of the open season.

To hunt feral animals recreationally, or to assist someone in hunting, you will need a Basic Hunting Permit. A permit is not required if you are carrying out the destruction of feral animals to manage impacts to crops, stock or property as the landowner, a member of their household or at the landowners request.

For more information see Hunting feral animals.

Key permit information

• Adult, Concession, Junior (14 - 17 years of age) and Sub-Junior (under 14 years of age) permits available
• Permit is available for 1, 3 or 5 years, Sub-Junior permit is only available for 1 year.
• Allows for hunting of introduced (feral) animals and unprotected native animals (listed in Schedule 10).

Fees

See the current wildlife permit fees by permit type.

Assessment criteria

Permit applications are assessed with consideration to the following:

• a parent/guardian declaration (if under the age of 18)
• applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a permit.

Aboriginal people do not require a permit for hunting if the animal hunted will be used for:

• food for the person who takes it, or for their dependents, or
• for cultural purposes of Aboriginal origin.

For more information, including areas for hunting, see Aboriginal hunting and gathering.