Hunter safety: the education rule, the passport and where to sign up

Idaho requires proof of hunter education for hunters born on or after January 1, 1975. Fish and Game says classes generally fill quickly, so sign up early.

Signing up
Instructor-led certification courses are scheduled through register-ed.com. A January 2025 Fish and Game notice for the Panhandle Region listed hunter education classes in Athol and Sandpoint, trapper classes including one in Coeur d’Alene, and a $9.75 cost for instructor-led certification. That notice is out of date, so check register-ed.com or call the Panhandle Region office at (208) 769-1414 for current classes.

The Hunting Passport
For $1.75, residents and nonresidents age 8 and older can buy a Hunting Passport and hunt before taking a hunter education course. The holder must be accompanied by an adult mentor, 18 or older, with a valid Idaho hunting license. Passport holders ages 8 and 9 may hunt youth pheasant seasons and buy general turkey tags, but cannot enter controlled hunts. Passport holders cannot apply for controlled hunts.

Rules that apply once you are out there
Hunting hours run from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Deer, elk and pronghorn tag holders must file a harvest report within 10 days. In the Boundary County portion of Unit 1, chronic wasting disease transport rules apply and deer must be tested within 10 days of harvest. On pheasant permit release areas, hunters must wear at least 36 square inches of hunter orange above the waist.