How Long Is the Mississippi Hunter Safety Course?
The Mississippi hunter safety course through ilearntohunt takes about 3 hours to complete online. The course is self-paced and approved by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP), letting you work through it whenever fits your schedule.
Mississippi residents 12 and older can finish entirely online, with no field day required afterward. Younger residents and nonresidents need the in-person classroom course instead.
Here's what to expect and how long each path actually takes.
Who Needs to Take the Mississippi Hunter Safety Course?
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1972, must complete hunter education before buying a Mississippi hunting license.
However, anyone born before that date is grandfathered in and doesn't need certification at all.
The online course is open to Mississippi residents ages 12 and up. Residents ages 10 and 11, along with nonresidents of any age, must complete MDWFP's in-person classroom course instead, since the online path isn't available to them.
Age also affects how younger hunters can hunt while working toward certification:
- A child between 12 and 16 can hunt without a certificate if directly supervised by a licensed or exempt Mississippi hunter at least 21 years old.
- A child under 12 must always be directly supervised by a licensed or exempt adult hunter at least 21 years old, certificate or not.
Mississippi also offers a resident Apprentice Hunting License for residents over 16 who haven't completed hunter education. It can only be used once per hunter, and the apprentice must be accompanied by a licensed or exempt resident hunter at least 21 years old. A resident combination small game hunting and fishing license also falls outside the hunter education requirement.
Once you're certified, your certificate never expires. Additionally, Mississippi accepts hunter education certifications earned in other states.
What's Included in the Mississippi Hunter Safety Course?
The ilearntohunt online course covers the material MDWFP requires new hunters to know:
- Tree stand safety
- Firearm and bow handling
- Hunter ethics and responsibility
- Wildlife identification and conservation
- Game care and first aid
- Mississippi hunting laws
The course is broken into short, interactive modules with quizzes built in, wrapping up with a final exam. Once you pass, you can print your Hunter Education Completion Card right away.
Visit the MDWFP Hunter Education page for the state's complete requirements.
How Long Does Each Course Format Take?
For Mississippi hunters, total time depends on which format applies to you.
Mississippi Hunter Safety Course: Timeframe by Format | ||
Format | Time | Notes |
Online course (residents ages 12+) | About 3 hours | Self-paced. No field day required afterward. |
Classroom Course (required for ages 10-11 and all nonresidents) | 10 hours | Free. In-person, taught by MDWFP staff or certified volunteers. |
Since Mississippi doesn't require a field day for eligible online students, residents 12 and older have the fastest path to certification. Younger residents and out-of-state hunters complete the same material through the longer, in-person classroom format instead.
To learn more about both types of hunter education classes, see how the online and in-person courses compare.
How to Get Hunter Safety Certified in Mississippi
If you qualify for the online course, here's the process from start to finish:
- Confirm you're eligible for the online course. You'll need to be a Mississippi resident at least 12 years old. If not, register for MDWFP's classroom course instead.
- Complete the ilearntohunt online course. Visit the ilearntohunt Mississippi course page and work through the modules at your own pace. Most students finish in about 3 hours.
- Pass the final exam and print your card. Once you pass, your Hunter Education Completion Card is ready immediately, so you can buy your license the same day.
Since there's no field day to schedule for eligible residents, the process wraps up as soon as you finish the exam.
When Do I Need to Get Certified?
Mississippi hunting licenses run on an annual cycle, so plan your certification timeline around the season you're targeting rather than waiting until the last minute.
Since your Hunter Education Completion Card never expires, there's no downside to getting certified well before opening day.
Check the MDWFP hunting seasons and bag limits page for current season dates once you're certified.
Start Your Mississippi Hunter Safety Course Online Today
Getting certified in Mississippi takes about 3 hours online for eligible residents, with no field day standing in the way. Start early so you're ready well before your hunting season opens.
Take the Mississippi hunter safety course with ilearntohunt to get one step closer to your hunting license.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How long does the Mississippi hunter safety course take online?
A: The online Mississippi hunter safety course takes about 3 hours to complete. It's self-paced, so you can finish it in one sitting or spread it across multiple sessions.
Q: Is there an in-person field day required for the Mississippi hunter safety course?
A: No. Mississippi residents 12 and older who complete the online hunter safety course don't need a field day afterward. Once you pass the final exam, you're certified.
Q: Is there a minimum age to take the Mississippi hunter safety course online?
A: Yes. You must be a Mississippi resident at least 12 years old to take the Mississippi hunter safety course. Residents ages 10 and 11 must complete the in-person classroom course instead.
Q: Can nonresidents take the Mississippi hunter safety course online?
A: No. The online hunter safety course is limited to Mississippi residents. Nonresidents must complete MDWFP's in-person classroom course, which runs 10 hours.
Q: Do I need to take the Mississippi hunter safety course if I already have a hunting license from another state?
A: Not necessarily. Mississippi accepts hunter education certifications from other states that meet IHEA-USA standards, so you likely won't need to retake the course if you're already certified elsewhere.
Q: Can I take a traditional in-person classroom course instead of the online course in Mississippi?
A: Yes. MDWFP offers a free classroom course open to residents and nonresidents. It runs 10 hours of instruction and ends with a written exam.
