What if I lose my Hunter Education Certificate?

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) allows you to reprint your certificate from their online portal anytime for free. It’s smart to make a backup digital copy.

Colorado Hunter Education Course: Online Only

Q: How much does it cost to get your Hunter Education Certificate?

$29. We accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, all major credit cards, and signature debit cards. We also offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

In this quick guide, we will show you how to complete your Hunter Education Course for Colorado online.

First, Who Needs Hunter Education?

Colorado law is clear: due to state regulations, anyone born on or after January 1, 1949, must complete a hunter education course.

How do I get my Hunter Education Certificate (Card)

You have 3 options to complete your hunter education requirements to hunt in Colorado.

Complete an in-person course through the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife (CPW). This course requires a minimum of 10 hours that may be split over 2 or more days.
An hybrid course through an CPW exclusive partner. In this course, students complete 4 hours of an online course and attend a concluding in-person class, which requires 4 to 6 hours of class time that may be split over two days.
Or complete our 3-hour online-only, all-video-based Hunter Education Course (Adults 17 and older only). We are an International Hunter Education Association (IHEA) and Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) approved provider. The IHEA & TPWD Hunter Education Card you will receive after our course is valid for life and is accepted in all 50 US States and any additional territories or countries that share reciprocity with the IHEA. No in-person requirements are required for our course.

That's it! Choose one of these options, and you can now go buy your hunting license(s) and hunt legally for life.

What makes our course the best?

First and foremost, we offer the best technology experience among all the courses on the market. We have students who opt to take our course even though they already have their Hunter Education Card; they simply love it that much.

We break down the guide into more detail below, but if you're short on time and ready to get started, head over to our online Hunter Education Course and complete it today!

An Overview of the Hunter Education Course for CO Hunters

Our hunter safety course is:

Online-only, no in-person course required.
All video-based, so there's no requirement to read anything. It includes closed captions, and you can search the video by keyword.
Self-paced, meaning you can come and go as needed. Your progress is automatically saved.
3 hours long, covering essential hunter safety education topics, including archery, making it one of the fastest ways to complete your requirements.
You can do it from your phone, computer, or tablet, or switch between them if you like.
Unlimited exam attempts.
Valid in all 50 US States as well as Mexico and Canada.
We offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

Signing up for your Colorado Hunter Education Course

Sign up for the course, pay, & provide your information for your hunter education certificate. Make sure it matches your driver's license or state ID, if you have one.

Taking the Hunter Education Course online

This is an overview of our course landing page, showing the 5 units you must complete to take the final exam, leading to your conclusion class:

Here is an example of a unit section. You have the choice to watch the video or read the material for each section:

Here is an example of the video content found throughout our course for each section found within the 5 units:

The Hunter Safety Final Exam

The final exam is 60 multiple-choice questions, and your scores are provided immediately.

To pass, you need a score of 80% or higher. If you’re nervous about the exam, remember:

Every answer is covered during the course, which aligns with NRA guidelines on gun safety and education.

Our course allows unlimited retake attempts if you fail the first time.

Here are a few example questions you might encounter:

What is the safest direction to point a firearm?
Which of the following is an ethical hunting or trapping practice?
What should you do first if you become lost in the woods?

Review the provided study materials and quiz yourself at home to prepare for the conclusion class. Repetition and real-world application (even dry-firing a toy gun or role-playing scenarios) help solidify learning.

Getting your Hunter Education Certification

After completing the course and passing the final exam, you’ll receive your Hunter Education Certificate. This is your ticket to purchasing your first Colorado hunting license!

Once you have completed the course, you can see your exam pass rate and temporary certificate here:

You can click the certificate page to see, save & print your temporary certificate:

You will receive a final certificate of completion upon completing our course and passing the final exam. We encourage users to print this certificate as it will act as your temporary Hunter Education Certificate until your permanent certificate is ready for download from the State, approximately 7-10 business days following the completion of your course.

Receiving your state-issued hunter education card

Once you complete the certification, we submit your course results to TPWD. They will issue and email you your permanent Hunter Education Certificate (card). This is valid for use in all 50 U.S. states (including Colorado), Mexico, Canada, and any other country or U.S. territory that has reciprocity with IHEA-USA & State (TPWD) Issued Hunter Education Certificates (TPWD).

You will receive this email from "TPWD Element LMS" when your permanent certificate is ready for download in approximately 7-10 business days.

Treat your card like a driver’s license, and be sure to understand the wildlife laws associated with its use. You can either print it and store it in your wallet or keep a digital copy on your phone. Keep it safe, as you’ll need to show proof of certification when applying for a new hunting license or if requested by a game warden in the field.

Where to buy your Colorado Hunting License

As soon as you receive your permanent Hunter Education Certificate from completing our course (you will get it via email from "TPWD Element LMS" within a few business days), you are eligible to go and buy your hunting license in whichever states you plan on legally hunting in.

Next, you can purchase your license either online through the official licensing platform Colorado Parks and Wildlife Online Licensing or in person at an authorized licensing agent. A comprehensive list of in-person agents is available here: CPW Issuer Locations.

Below are some suggested authorized in-person hunting license agents in the state of Colorado:

Bass Pro Shops – Denver, CO Address: 7970 Northfield Blvd, Denver, CO 80238 Phone: (720) 385-3600
Cabela's – Thornton, CO Address: 14050 Lincoln St, Thornton, CO 80023 Phone: (303) 625-9920
Walmart Supercenter – Colorado Springs, CO Address: 707 S 8th St, Colorado Springs, CO 80905 Phone: (719) 633-0738
JAX Outdoor Gear – Fort Collins, CO Address: 1200 N College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80524 Phone: (970) 221-0544

Please note that it isn't required to verify your TPWD Hunter Education card/certificate with CPW but you may want to if you don't want to carry your card in the field. It is super easy to verify (under an hour via email) by emailing or mailing copies of your card/certificate to one of the below addresses:

Email: [email protected]

Mail: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Attn: Hunter Education Section
6060 Broadway
Denver, CO 80216

For more information, you can contact:

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)

Contact Information: Phone: (303) 297-1192 Email: [email protected] Website: cpw.state.co.us

Level Up: Next Steps for Confident Hunters

Having a Hunter Education Certificate opens many doors beyond simply purchasing a hunting license, including opportunities with the NRA, firearm hunting, wildlife conservation, and attending a completion class.

All states accept our online-only Hunter Education Course if you're an adult and 17 or older.

Some insurance companies, including those that offer ATV insurance, provide discounts to graduates of hunter safety education programs.

Additional courses—like advanced archery, bowhunting, basic hunter-trapper education, or advanced hunter-trapper education—are available if you are interested in expanding your skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early should I sign up for the course before the hunting season?

Ideally, take your course by summer so you don’t miss out during the license purchase rush in late summer and fall.

How much does it cost to get your Hunter Education Certificate?

$29. We at HunterSafetyUSA accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, all major credit cards, and signature debit cards. We also offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

Will the Texas Hunter Education Card (Certificate) be accepted in Colorado?

Yes, the permanent Texas Parks & Wildlife Hunter Education Card (Certification) is recognized by Colorado and all other states and provinces with mandatory hunter education requirements due to reciprocity agreements with the International Hunter Education Association (IHEA).

The CPW Website states that "Acceptable proof of hunter education consists of one of the following...an original, duplicate or replacement hunter education card issued by any U.S. or Mexican state or Canadian provincial wildlife agency. Temporary hunter education cards issued by a U.S. state or Canadian province wildlife agency will be honored only for the year when the card was issued." Since our Hunter Education Card/Certificate offered through HunterSafetyUSA is from TPWD, you have the option to verify your identity by emailing (under an hour for verification) or mailing copies of your Hunter Education Card/Certificate to the addresses below. If you verify your account, you don't have to carry the card with you in the field; it's on your license.