How to Look Up Your North Dakota Hunter Safety Card

If you lose your hunter safety card, North Dakota gives hunters a public certification search that needs only a last name and a birthdate. Then, you can print your card from the Game and Fish Department's My Account area.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF) requires hunter education for anyone born after December 31, 1961, who wants a firearm or bow hunting license. Students choose between a traditional classroom course and a hybrid course because North Dakota doesn't offer a fully online option.

This resource covers how to find your hunter safety card, the card-printing step, and the fix for numbers that don't appear.

How to Look Up Your North Dakota Hunter Safety Card

North Dakota offers two quick online tools: a public search for your number and a printable card inside your account.

1. Search by last name and birthdate: Search for your certification number by entering your last name and your birthdate in mm/dd/yyyy format.
2. Write down the number: Certification numbers appear in the Department's online services once the records for a completed class have been processed.
3. Print the card from your account: Sign in to My Account, click the Print Replacement Card link, and print the pop-up through your browser.

Note: North Dakota doesn't require you to carry the card while hunting, though a printed copy can help with hunts or license applications in other states.

When Your North Dakota Certification Number Is Missing

A blank result most often means the class results are still moving through the system. Try these steps if your search initially comes up short:

1. Allow time after a class: Students generally receive their cards in the mail 7-10 days after successfully completing a class.
2. Recheck what you entered: Retype your last name and birthdate exactly, because the search relies on both.
3. Ask the Department to fix the account: If you finished a North Dakota class and your number still doesn't appear in My Account, call 701-328-6300 or email [email protected] so staff can correct it.

Remember: A missing number matters at checkout, because North Dakota asks for proof of hunter education when you buy or apply for a license.

How to Get a Replacement North Dakota Hunter Safety Card

North Dakota prints every safety course you've completed on a single card, so one reprint covers more than hunter education.

• Choose Print Replacement Card: The link sits on your My Account page, so there's no separate application to find.
• Review the pop-up: The card lists all of your successfully completed North Dakota safety courses.
• Print through your browser: Use your browser's print function to produce a paper copy.

North Dakota honors official courses from other states and Canadian provinces, so a hunter certified elsewhere should ask that agency for any duplicate.

Note: Hunter-Ed's online completion voucher expires 365 days after the course, so schedule the final classroom session within that window.

What Should a North Dakota Hunter Have Ready Before the Season?

Hunters born after December 31, 1961, show a hunter education certificate when they buy or apply for a license, and lottery species such as elk, moose, deer, and turkey add an application step.

Buying your North Dakota hunting license comes next, whether you use the website, the mobile app, a Department office, or a retail vendor. The Department's public shooting ranges give newer hunters a place to practice as they get into hunting.

Find Your North Dakota Hunter Safety Card Before the Season Begins

North Dakota's search needs just a last name and a birthdate, so checking your number is quick. If you don't find it, a call to 701-328-6300 gets staff to correct your account.

Hunters who still need certification can take the online portion through North Dakota's Hunter-Ed course, placed between two classroom sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is there a fee to look up or replace my North Dakota hunter safety card?

A: The Department's card-printing tutorial doesn't mention any charge for finding a certification number or reprinting a North Dakota hunter safety card. Hunters who want that confirmed in writing can email [email protected].

Q: What if my record can't be found?

A: A North Dakota hunter safety record that can't be found usually means the class results haven't been processed or the search details don't match. Graduates can wait for the card to arrive by mail within 7-10 days of the class, or call 701-328-6300 and ask staff to correct the account.

Q: Does North Dakota require me to carry my hunter safety card?

A: North Dakota doesn't require hunters to carry the hunter education card in the field, according to the Department's printing instructions. A printed copy can still help with hunts or license applications in other states.

Q: Do older North Dakota hunters need a hunter safety card?

A: North Dakota requires hunter education only for hunters born after December 31, 1961, so older hunters can buy a license without a card. Landowners who hunt only their own land, youth under 12, and apprentice license holders are also exempt.

Q: Can I hunt in North Dakota on an apprentice license?

A: North Dakota's apprentice hunter validation lets hunters age 12 and older who haven't taken hunter education hunt small game, including waterfowl, and deer for one license year. Hunters on an apprentice license can pursue those species while they work toward certification.

Q: Can North Dakota hunter education be completed entirely online?

A: North Dakota doesn't offer hunter education that is entirely online. Students choose the traditional classroom course, open to those who turn 11 by the end of the calendar year, or the hybrid course, open to those who turn 12.

Q: Can a bowhunter or fur harvester course replace hunter education in North Dakota?

A: North Dakota treats bowhunter certification and fur harvester education as optional, supplemental courses. Neither one meets the state's hunting education requirement in place of the hunter education course.