Am I allowed to go hunting in Denmark?
Yes — but you must have a valid hunting licence and have passed the hunting exam. The licence is issued by the Agency for Green Land Conversion and Aquatic Environment, and the licence fee is 680 kr a year in 2026. It runs for a hunting year from 1 April to 31 March — not a year from the day you buy it, so a licence bought late in the season expires within weeks. The age limit is 16, and under 18 needs parental consent. The trap is that the exam alone is not enough: to own hunting weapons you need a weapon permit from the police, with a valid licence as a precondition, and rifle hunting for larger game needs an extra rifle test. Hunting seasons vary by species, and hunting out of season is illegal.
📋 The rules
- Required: valid hunting licence and passed exam
- Licence fee: 680 kr a year in 2026
- The licence is valid 1 April to 31 March
- Age limit 16, under 18 with parental consent
- Hunting weapons need a weapon permit from the police
🔓 Exceptions
- Hunting seasons vary by species, and hunting out of season is illegal
- Rifle hunting for larger game needs an extra rifle test
- Some species are protected all year
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Hunting without a valid licence, out of season or without a weapon permit is punishable with a fine, confiscation of weapons and loss of the hunting licence — and the three are linked. Lose the licence and the precondition for your police weapon permit falls away, so you can end up with no right to own the guns you already bought. Confiscation hits the rifle or shotgun itself, and that bill is in a different league from the 680 kr a year. Nor does the paperwork save you if you shoot a species protected all year or hunt outside the season.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I go hunting in Denmark?
Yes, with a valid hunting licence, a passed hunting exam and a weapon permit from the police. The licence is issued by the Agency for Green Land Conversion and Aquatic Environment and runs a hunting year at a time, not a year from the day you buy it.
What does a hunting licence cost?
The licence fee is 680 kr a year in 2026, paid to the Agency for Green Land Conversion and Aquatic Environment. The licence runs a hunting year from 1 April to 31 March, so it expires on a fixed date whenever you buy it.
How old must I be?
16, and you can take the hunting exam as early as the calendar year you turn 16. If you are under 18 you need parental consent, and you still need a weapon permit from the police to own a hunting weapon.
What is needed to own hunting weapons?
A weapon permit from the police, and a valid hunting licence is a precondition for that permit. Passing the hunting exam alone is not enough, and rifle hunting for larger game needs an extra rifle test on top.
What is the penalty for illegal hunting?
Hunting without a licence, out of season or without a weapon permit is punished with a fine and confiscation of weapons. You can also lose the hunting licence, and with it the precondition for your police weapon permit.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I go hunting denmark”
- “hunting licence 680 kr”
- “hunting exam age 16”
- “weapon permit hunting”
- “hunting seasons species”
- “hunting licence year”