Texas Lifetime Hunting License

I am thinking of buying a Texas Lifetime License. Do I understand correctly, that once I buy, whether I live in Texas or move in the future, I can come here and hunt without any additional license fees?

Thanks
Jayson

Yep, you got that correct. That is unless you break the law and your license gets revolked.

Correct for the state portion. Just go to a retailer and they print new tags every year for no charge. The lifetime license does not cover the annual duck stamp, which is a federal charge.

My wife has a Lifetime License, gets a new one every August. I think her dad got it for her and her sister when they first came out.

If you are young you should do it, although it isn't quite as good of a deal as it once was.

I have a lifetime license in both Arkansas and Texas, and I got the Texas one back when it was $1000.

I'll be buying one for my son as soon as he's old enough to start hunting.

So, something that I've often wondered, Would a Texas lifetime license still be valid when you move out of the state? Or would some Non-res fee's apply when that person comes back to hunt?

I bought just the lifetime hunting license back when they first came out. Two years later, I moved out of state. For the next 12 years, as an 'out of state' hunter, I just stopped by a P&W office (after a Walmartian screwed up my licensing and when I went to an Academy, the same thing happened) and they print one out.
Moved back to Texas 11 years ago and it's just go get one printed out. If I were to take up duck/goose etc hunting, I'd have to buy a stamp. But otherwise, I have everything the 'Super-combo' has (I think).

^^ This. My son and I both have the life time. It makes the retailer do a double take when the cost comes up $0!

Bought my son hus as soon as he was old enough to take the Hunter's Safety Course. I think he was 13. Went to go get his tags printed. Walmart ask for his drivers license. Told them he didn't have one. The guy was clueless on what to do. I told him to just call TP&W. They walked him through it. I guess back then not many sales people had seen them. I think his license has paid for itself.

If you like to fish go ahead and pony up for the Combo Lifetime.
I got my Combo in 1991 just before they went from $500.00 to $1000.00. Back then you still had to pay for the various stamps then in '95 or '96 they changed to stamps all inclusive. Smartest investment I've ever made.

You also used to have to be 18 to buy one but they changed that about 15 years or so ago. If you do buy one for a child and they really aren't old enough to hunt yet DO NOT GET CAUGHT USING THIER LICENSE OR TAGS.

Over the years I have had some fun with people at Wal-Mart and Academy trying to explain to them what I need.

yep, wish I had bought mine years ago but by the time I started looking at it to buy my son his, it wasn't cost effective for me to buy mine even if I hunt until I'm in my 90s, they go back to exempt license at 65 (I think?)

Never underestimate the future costs of licenses. As a general rule, they have increased at rates that would have shocked me if you asked ten years ago and especially twenty or thirty years ago.

Politicians of all stripes are adept at reaching into our pockets.

I'm very glad I bought mine when I did. Even if it does not appear to pencil out right now, the funds go to the TPWD Foundation trust fund and not the state's general revenue, so it is an investment for the natural resources and environment for the state.

But, in ten years in hindsight, the current cost may look very cheap. Try hunting out of state and paying hundreds for a single tag, and that may be our future at some point.

Hunt Dog I too bought mine the last year of a 500 combo. I only went to wally world one time to get my tags. The guy stood there dumb founded. After about 3-4 minutes of him looking at the then "credit card looking license" I asked for it back and went to the TPWD office in town. I have gone there ever since. All I have to do is hand them my DL and ask for my tags. I feel like it has been paying me for the last 10 years. I may be wrong, but when I bought mine the combo then was about $13 plus stamps. Look what it cost now and how long has it been at the rate now. I would think any year they would be raising it again. If someone can swing the cost it will pay off in time.

Anyone have the cost per license over time. I’d love to see how much it’s gone up over time and see if I can justify to my wife spending $1800:)

Look at past data and show a prediction of the future:)

Well with today's price of the super combo it will take 27 years for the cost of todays lifetime license to pay its self off, really to me it's only worth the cost if you're under the age of 50 so that you will more than likely get a return on it.

At my age it would never payoff for me to get the lifetime. I wish I would have bought mine when I was 18. It would have already paid for itself.

but you have to take into consideration that at age 65, the license price drops to $7 instead of $25 ... so, taking current rates for basis hunting license $25 and $1000 for lifetime, it would take 40 years for it to break even ... so buy at 25 years old, it would start saving when the price drops to $7 ...

at 50 using current rates, you would have to hunt until 154 years old to make the break even point ...

of course, the rates do tend to go up a little bit here and there over time

Yeah and when they up the prices, it seems as if the price of the lifetime license also creeps up.

Does the lifetime license include public hunting?

Agreed. Except for the youngest hunters/fishers, the lifetime license isn't a good deal any way you slice it.

Kansas's lifetime hunting license is $502. Texas's lifetime license is too expensive and would take a lifetime before it actually started to make sense.

Hey TPWD, are you listening?

NO.

So your saying it will take a lifetime ta pay for it ? Hmm makes scents.
another way of looking at it, investing in the future of hunting, depending how they use the money. cool thread. Used ta spend money at end of season ta buy products for hunting, arrows stands & such. Last several years started buying & checking out products supose ta benifet deer, different products for food plots. Giving back more or less. Minnesota winters are hard on wildlife. summers (warm weather) are hard on wildlife.

My dad bought my son his when my son was 6... you don’t have to wait until any certain age, could buy them whenever..

Some folks don't grow up in hunting families, or discover hunting later in life. But let's face it, TPWD doesn't want you to buy a lifetime license. Think about it.