ParcelVisionAlabama Hunting Laws
Every rule below links to the statute or the official Alabama source we checked it against. Where a rule has exceptions, they're in the small print under it.
| Topic | Alabama rule |
|---|---|
| Safety zone around buildings | 100 yards (any hunting) |
| Posting requirements | Not required for hunting trespass |
| Purple paint | Yes — 8 x 1 in, 3-5 ft high, 100 ft apart (forest) |
| Landowner permission | Written permission required (unless accompanied) |
| Retrieving game or dogs | No — landowner permission required |
| Hunting trespass penalties | Misdemeanor; $1,000+ fine, up to 1-yr revocation |
| Landowner license exemption | Yes — residents, family and tenants |
| Hunter education | Born on/after 8/1/1977 |
| Blaze orange | 144 sq in or orange hat, gun deer season |
| Legal shooting hours | ½ hr before sunrise to ½ hr after sunset |
| Sunday hunting | Allowed |
| Baiting deer | Legal on private land with bait privilege license |
| Crossbows in archery season | Yes — any hunter |
| Hunting near roads | Illegal; 50 yards for rifles/slugs/buckshot |
| Night hunting | Illegal for deer; hogs/coyotes with night license |
| Drones | WMA ban; no statewide scouting ban found |
| Trail cameras | WMAs: no cellular cams Mar 1-May 31 |
| Landowner liability | Yes — free recreational use |
Alabama trespass and posting laws
What makes land legally posted in Alabama?
Posting doesn't matter for hunting: hunting another person's land without written permission (or the landowner with you) is a crime whether or not it is posted. For general criminal trespass, land is 'posted in a conspicuous manner' by signs likely to be seen by intruders saying entry is forbidden, or by purple paint marks.
Under § 13A-7-1, someone entering unimproved, unfenced land is treated as licensed to be there unless notice against trespass is personally communicated or the land is posted. No sign size or spacing is set by statute.
Source: Ala. Code §§ 9-11-241, 13A-7-1 · official source
Does Alabama have a purple paint law?
Yes. Purple paint marks count as posting. Marks must be vertical lines at least 8 inches long and 1 inch wide, with the bottom 3 to 5 feet off the ground, readily visible to anyone approaching, and no more than 100 feet apart on forest land or 1,000 feet apart on other land.
1,000-ft spacing applies to land other than forest land.
Source: Ala. Code § 13A-7-1(4) · official source
Do you need written permission to hunt private land in Alabama?
Yes. Hunting on another person's land, by day or night, requires the written permission of the landowner or person in control, unless they are with you. Carry it so you can show it.
Does not apply to the landowner's family, guests, servants or agents. At night, fox hunting with dogs only and raccoon/opossum hunting with dogs only are exempt (§ 9-11-242). The statute does not literally say 'carry'; carrying it is the practical way to prove permission.
Source: Ala. Code §§ 9-11-241, 9-11-242 · official source
Can you retrieve a deer or a hunting dog from posted land in Alabama?
No. Alabama requires a reasonable effort to retrieve wounded game, but the rule expressly does not let you enter another person's land to retrieve game without the landowner's permission.
No statutory exception was found for retrieving hunting dogs; § 3-1-5.1 only exempts hunting dogs from local leash laws.
Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.13 · official source
What is the penalty for hunting trespass in Alabama?
Hunting another's land without written permission is a misdemeanor: first offense is a fine of at least $1,000 and the court may revoke hunting privileges for up to one year. Second and later offenses bring at least $2,000, mandatory one-year revocation and 10 to 30 days in county jail.
Same penalties for daytime (§ 9-11-241) and nighttime (§ 9-11-242) hunting trespass.
Source: Ala. Code §§ 9-11-241, 9-11-242 · official source
Alabama hunting safety rules
How close to a house can you hunt in Alabama?
You may not hunt within 100 yards of anyone else's dwelling, occupied or not, without the owner's or lessee's permission. It is also illegal to fire so that a projectile strikes a dwelling, occupied building or commercial vessel without permission.
Does not apply to a landowner or immediate family hunting their own property, as long as no projectile strikes another's property. On WMAs the limit is 150 yards from camping areas, dwellings and other listed sites (r. 220-2-.55).
Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.139 · official source
Can you hunt from or near a road in Alabama?
It is illegal to hunt or shoot from, on or across any public road, highway or railroad or its right-of-way. You also may not hunt within 50 yards of a public road or railroad with a centerfire rifle, a shotgun with slugs or shot larger than No. 4, or a .40-caliber or larger muzzleloader.
The 50-yard rule does not apply to a landowner or immediate family hunting their own land. First offense: fine of at least $1,000; later offenses $2,000+ and one-year license revocation. Shining lights from a vehicle on a public road onto property at night is separately prohibited (§ 32-5-17).
Source: Ala. Code § 9-11-257 · official source
What are legal shooting hours in Alabama?
Deer may be hunted from 30 minutes before official sunrise until 30 minutes after official sunset.
Game animals are daylight-only except listed night exceptions (fox, raccoon, opossum with dogs; coyote and feral swine under the nighttime season).
Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.07 · official source
What are the blaze orange requirements in Alabama?
During gun deer seasons (including youth and muzzleloader seasons), all hunters of any species must wear at least 144 square inches of solid hunter orange on an outer garment above the waist, or a full-size hunter orange hat or cap.
Exempt: stands 12+ ft high, enclosed box stands, enclosed vehicles, and walking 20 ft or less between an operating enclosed vehicle and an exempt stand. Also exempt: turkey and migratory bird hunters, and fox/raccoon/opossum hunters at night. Camo orange and shades of red are not legal. The current eRegulations digest also accepts fluorescent pink.
Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.85 · official source
Is night hunting legal in Alabama?
Hunting protected birds or animals at night is illegal; violations carry a $2,000 to $3,000 fine, possible jail and a mandatory 3-year loss of hunting privileges. Feral swine and coyotes may be hunted at night on private or leased land during the special nighttime season if you buy the nighttime feral swine and coyote license. Raccoons, opossums and foxes may be hunted at night with dogs.
Night vision/thermal equipment and gun- or bow-mounted lights are illegal while hunting any species, except for nighttime feral swine and coyote license holders during that season.
Source: Ala. Code § 9-11-235; Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.07, 220-2-.11 · official source
Alabama licenses, hunter education and Sunday hunting
Do you need a hunting license to hunt your own land in Alabama?
Yes, for residents. Alabama resident landowners and their resident immediate family don't need a hunting license on land they own, and the same goes for a tenant and family hunting land they lease or rent and live on. Non-resident landowners are not exempt.
Exempt hunters still must buy a bait privilege license to hunt deer/feral swine over bait (§ 9-11-244(b)(4)) and the nighttime feral swine and coyote license to hunt those at night. Youth 15 and under are also license-exempt.
Source: Ala. Code § 9-11-44 · official source
Who needs hunter education in Alabama?
Anyone born on or after August 1, 1977 and age 16 or older must show a hunter education certificate to buy an annual, trip or wildlife heritage hunting license. Instead of taking the course, license buyers may choose 'supervision required' status and hunt only under the supervision of a licensed adult.
Active-duty military, Alabama National Guard members and certified law enforcement officers are exempt. The certificate is only shown on the first license purchase.
Source: Ala. Code § 9-11-44.1 · official source
Is Sunday hunting legal in Alabama?
Alabama has no statewide Sunday hunting ban; hunting is allowed any day of the open season on private land.
Some WMAs and special areas limit hunting to certain days of the week — check the area's rules.
Source: Ala. Code Title 9, Ch. 11 (no Sunday restriction) · official source
Alabama baiting, crossbow, drone and trail camera rules
Is it legal to bait deer in Alabama?
Yes, on private or leased land only, for deer and feral swine, if you buy and carry a bait privilege license — required even for license-exempt hunters. Baiting is banned on public land (including WMAs) and on all land in the CWD Management Zone. Without the license, feed is presumed not to be bait if it is more than 100 yards away and hidden from view by natural vegetation or terrain.
The 100-yard/line-of-sight rule (r. 220-2-.157) doesn't apply on public land. No other game animals may be hunted over bait. Within the CWD Management Zone, all baiting and supplemental feeding of wildlife is prohibited, with narrow exceptions (r. 220-2-.167(10)). Where hunting over bait is not allowed, an area stays off-limits until 10 days after all feed is removed or eaten (r. 220-2-.11).
Source: Ala. Code § 9-11-244; Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.157, 220-2-.167 · official source
Can you use a crossbow during archery season in Alabama?
Yes. Alabama defines a legal bow as a long bow, recurve, compound or crossbow, and crossbows are legal for any hunter during archery deer season. Crossbows need at least 85 pounds of peak tension and a working safety.
Broadheads need at least a 7/8-inch cutting diameter and 2 sharpened edges. Magnified sights are allowed on crossbows. You may not possess a firearm while bowhunting except as allowed (r. 220-2-.10).
Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.03 · official source
Can you use a drone to scout or recover game in Alabama?
On Wildlife Management Areas, no one may launch, land, possess or use a drone without written permission from the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. State law also bans hunting any bird or animal while on any kind of aircraft. No statewide ban on drone scouting of private land was found.
Hunting from or by the aid of aircraft or other mechanically propelled devices is also prohibited by r. 220-2-.11.
Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.55(1)(mm); Ala. Code § 23-1-387 · official source
Are trail cameras restricted in Alabama?
On Wildlife Management Areas, you may not possess or use a game camera that can monitor remotely or automatically send photos or video from March 1 to May 31 without written permission. No statewide trail camera restriction applies on private land.
Standard (non-transmitting) cameras are not restricted by this rule.
Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 220-2-.55(1)(ll) · official source
Alabama landowner liability
Is a landowner liable if someone gets hurt hunting on their land in Alabama?
An owner, lessee or occupant owes no duty to keep land safe for, or warn, people entering to hunt, fish, trap, camp, hike or for other recreation. A separate article gives the same protection to owners who allow free public recreational use.
No protection for willful or malicious failure to guard or warn against danger, or where permission was granted for a commercial enterprise for profit (§ 35-15-3; § 35-15-26).
Source: Ala. Code §§ 35-15-1 to 35-15-5; 35-15-20 to 35-15-28 · official source
Season dates and bag limits
Seasons, zones and bag limits change every year, and some change mid-season. Get them straight from the source: the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division current hunting regulations.
Hunting near a state line? Laws change at the border: Mississippi hunting laws, Tennessee hunting laws, Georgia hunting laws, Florida hunting laws.
Find the parcel you hunt: Alabama property boundaries by county · Alabama parcel maps.
Know Which Side of the Line You're On
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This page summarizes Alabama law for general information and isn't legal advice. Laws and regulations change; each rule links to the official source it was checked against on October 7, 2026. Confirm current rules with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division before you hunt. ParcelVision is a visualization aid, not a legal survey.