Which Hunter Safety Course Is Right For You?
Important Information
- If your child is under 18 years of age, they must present a Parental Release Form signed by the child's parent or guardian to the instructor at all courses. This will allow your child to participate in the live fire exercises. Download the Parental Release Form.
- Parents or legal guardians are required to accompany children under the age of 16 to all classes.
- This course is designed for students 12 years old and up.
- The FWC wants to ensure individuals with special needs have access to hunter safety programs. If a student needs special accommodations, please notify the FWC regional coordinator for your county a minimum of two weeks prior to the first day of class.
- Questions regarding our program? - Ask FWC or Search the Knowledge Base.
Hunter Safety Course Options
The online Hunter Safety Course and FWC Field Day covers the knowledge, skills and attitude needed to be a safe hunter. Students should complete one of the third-party online hunter safety courses listed below, then register for an FWC Field Day. Allow approximately 8 hours to complete an online hunter safety course.
Step 1 - Complete one of the following third-party online courses.
- NRAHE.org - From the organization that built the first-ever hunter education program in 1949, the NRA Online Hunter Education course is designed to help new hunters of all ages learn how to be safe and responsible members of the hunting community. This state-of-the-art course is the most comprehensive online hunter education instruction in the United States, and it’s 100% FREE!
- Beasafehunter.org - Engaging videos, photos and graphics, this course is fully narrated and provides the necessary information for a student to become a safe hunter. This course has 24/7 toll free technical support and you only pay when you pass. ($28.95)
- HunterEdCourse.com - Interactive animations and photos with narration and closed captioning so you hear, see and read the course, making learning easy and enjoyable. Pay only if you pass. Over 90% of users recommend. ($19.95)
- Hunter-Ed.com Florida - Listen, read, or both! Course pages are read aloud, with pictures to trigger your memory. Learn with hundreds of realistic illustrations and see exactly how firearms work with detailed animations. ($34.95 - pay up front!)
- HUNTERcourse.com Florida - Fully narrated, illustrated and full of engaging animations and videos. EXCLUSIVE – Virtual Field Day to best prepare you for your field day! Offer 7 day/week customer service and tech support. ($29)
- Interactive Course – ilearntohunt - A fully interactive hunter safety course that is built around real-life scenarios. Students make choices for their avatar, and complete in-game challenges that allow them to move to the next level. Realistic illustrations and animations help bring hunting safety education to life. ($49.50 – pay up front)
- Hunter-ed Florida - Spanish - ¡Escucha, lee, o las dos cosas! Las páginas del curso se leen en voz alta, y las acompañan imágenes para disparar tu memoria. Aprende con cientos de ilustraciones realistas y descubre por medio de animaciones detalladas cómo funcionan las armas de fuego. ($34.95 - ¡Pago por adelantado!)
Step 2 - Register for an FWC Field Day near you. Click on the date you would like to attend and complete the online registration form. You must have completed an online hunter safety course and have a copy of the completion certificate or field day voucher prior to taking an FWC Field Day. Some FWC field days take place over a two-day period and students must attend both days in their entirety to successfully complete the course.
There are two FWC Field Day options:
- Virtual Field Day - The virtual field day is facilitated through Microsoft Teams software. An invitation to attend the meeting will be sent to your provided email address the day before the scheduled class. Students will need an internet connection and a computer or smartphone. Students using a smartphone can download the Microsoft Teams app or access the meeting through their web browser.
- In-Person Field Day - Students meet at a physical location for the following hands-on activities: Safe firearms handling; loading and unloading; safe and effective shot placement; and shoot or don’t shoot scenarios. Please bring a pen or pencil and wear closed-toed shoes. All shooting safety gear will be provided. However, students may bring personal shooting glasses and hearing protection (earmuffs).
This option is recommended for adults only who are Florida residents. If you have already completed previous firearms training, meeting one of the acceptable firearm training requirements listed on the application linked below, you can receive a Florida hunter safety card by completing one of the online courses listed above, reading the current years hunting regulations and following the procedures outlined in the Application For Hunter Safety Certification With Previous Firearms Training. Please refer to the application to see which forms of previous firearms training documentation is acceptable. Applications can be emailed, faxed or mailed to the Regional Offices listed on the back of the application.
Florida Virtual School (FLVS®) is now offering high school students (grades 9-12) the ability to complete their Hunter Safety and Boater Safety certification while earning 0.5 credit for high school. The new FLVS physical education course is now available for free to Florida students. To learn more, watch this video:
- Florida Virtual School Outdoor Education Course- Free and open to Florida residents ages 12 to 18. The only course in the nation to combine both hunting and boating safety. Participants will develop skills in outdoor activities and learn about the benefits of physical activity while using proper safety procedures to experience wildlife, outdoor and extreme sports. By meeting all of the requirements of the Outdoor Education course, not only will students receive their Florida Boating Safety Education ID Card and be eligible to obtain a Florida Hunter Safety Certificate, they’ll also earn a 0.5 credit for high school, and meet public school requirements for taking an online course and a physical education course.
- Florida Virtual School Completion Application
- Hunter Safety 50 ft. Light Rifle Target
The traditional hunter safety course is a face-to-face, instructor led course covering the knowledge, skills and attitude needed to be a safe hunter and a hands-on Field Day. Register for a course near you.
When registering for your course, be sure to include your e-mail address where indicated. This will ensure that you receive your confirmation notice and your reminder prior to the date of the course. This also gives us another way to reach you in case the course date has been changed or canceled due to an emergency.