Crossbow Laws by State 2023

Crossbow Laws by State 2023

Crossbow laws vary greatly from state to state and may change at any time. It is advisable to confirm current regulations with local officials before hunting.

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State
Crossbow Guidelines
Additional Details
AlabamaAllowed during deer season. Hunters must have a permit and be aged 16 or higher.Source
AlaskaAllowed in any hunt that does not restrict the use of weapons. Wielders must complete certification course.Source
ArizonaLegal with license, which may be temporary or permanent.Source
ArkansasClassified as an archery weapon. Legal for big game, but not for elk. Bolt tips may not be poisoned.Source
CaliforniaNot permitted for hunting during archery season or from a moving vehicle.Source
ColoradoAllowed during firearm season. A hunting license is required. Prohibited during archery season, though disabled hunters may obtain a special disability permit.Source
ConnecticutAllowed during archery season to hunt deer, turkey, and other permitted game.Source
DelawareAllowed during general hunting season. Prohibited during archery season, but disabled hunters may obtain a special permit.Source
FloridaAllowed during deer and crossbow seasons. Permits required include a Florida hunting license, crossbow hunting permit, and a deer permit.Source
GeorgiaAllowed during all hunting seasons, including firearm and archery seasons, but may at times be restricted to specific in-season species. Crossbow hunters must obtain and possess a primitive weapons license.Source
HawaiiAllowed only for disabled persons who cannot effectively operate a traditional bow (physician's note required) and for feral hogs (special permit required).Source
IdahoAllowed during general hunting season. Prohibited during archery season, though disabled hunters may obtain a special permit.Source
IllinoisAllowed during the archery deer season (archery hunting license required).Source
IndianaAllowed during archery season and deer reduction zone season. Crossbow license is required, and applicants must pass a hunter education class and be more than 13 years of age.Source
IowaAllowed during primitive weapon hunting season. Disabled hunters may get permit for other seasons. Hunters aged 70+ may get permit to hunt antlerless deer w crossbow.Source
KansasAllowed for big game and only during January archery season. Electronic arrow-control devices are prohibited.Source
KentuckyAllowed only during specified crossbow season. Hunters must be at least age 18 and must wear orange when crossbow season overlaps with modern gun season.Source
LouisianaAllowed during all seasons except migratory bird season. Archery permit required, and hunters must be between 16 and 59 years of age.Source
MaineAllowed during October archery season and Fall wild turkey season, and for deer, bear, and moose during the corresponding firearms seasons. Archery and crossbow permits required, and hunters must be at least 16 or supervised by an expert hunter.Source
MarylandAllowed for all game except waterfowl, weasels, beavers, mink, muskrats, and river otters. Not permitted during primitive weapon season. Disabled hunters may hunt with a crossbow without a permit.Source
MassachusettsAllowed only for disabled persons who cannot effectively operate a traditional bow (physician's note required). Crossbows may be used only during daylight hours, beginning 30 minutes before sunrise and ending 30 minutes after sunset.Source
MichiganPermissions vary by peninsula. Allowed on lower peninsula for hunters aged 10+ for any season in which firearms are allowed. Upper peninsula is similar, but bans crossbows during the December archery and muzzleloader seasons.Source
MinnesotaAllowed during firearms season (firearms license required) and for ages 60+ or disabled hunters during archery season (archery license required).Source
MississippiAllowed during open deer and turkey seasons. Hunting and bow/primitive weapon licenses required, and hunters must wear orange during gun season for deer. Hunting dogs not permitted.Source
MissouriAllowed during all seaons for all hunters. Electronic calls may be used alone, but not in conjunction with artificial light or night vision equipment.Source
MontanaAllowed during firearm season, but not archery season. A 2021 state bill to grant disabled hunters permission to use crossbows during archery season died in committee.Source
NebraskaPermitted during archery season. Hunters must carry their bowhunter education certificate.Source
NevadaAllowed during any hunting season except archery-only and muzzleloader-only seasons. Disabled hunters may obtain a permit to use crossbows during archery season.Source
New HampshireAllowed during deer firearm season, no crossbow permit needed. Not allowed in archery seasons, although disabled hunters may obtain special permission.Source
New JerseyAllowed during all seasons except muzzleloader and shotgun season. License requires either previous year bow and arrow license or hunter education certificate.Source
New MexicoAllowed for hunting turkey, bears, cougar, elk, deer, javelin, pronghorn, Barbary sheep, oryx, Persian ibex, and bighorn sheep. May be used during restricted muzzleloader deer hunting and sporting arm seasons.Source
New YorkPermissions vary by hunter age. Hunters aged 12+ may use crossbows to hunt deer. Hunters aged 14+ may use crossbows to hunt bears, small game, and other unprotected game. Licenses required in all cases.Source
North CarolinaAllowed during bow and arrow hunting season and open, gun, archery, and muzzleloader seasons. Migratory birds are off-limits. Fewer restrictions on Sundays.Source
North DakotaAllowed only for disabled hunters and only during the deer gun/rifle season. Hunters born after 1961 must take a hunter education course to obtain a hunting license.Source
OhioAllowed for all game other than migratory birds. Attachments capable of projecting a beam of light (such as laser sights) are prohibited.Source
OklahomaAllowed during archery season. May be used alongside leverage-gaining devices.Source
OregonProhibited.Source
PennsylvaniaAllowed during archery seasons for deer and bear. Hunters must have a general hunting license and archery stamp.Source
Rhode IslandAllowed during deer archery season. May also be used to hunt coyotes, but not turkeys. State has requirements for minimum draw weight and broadhead size.Source
South CarolinaAllowed during archery, muzzleloader, and gun seasons for deer, bear, and turkey. Further allowed on private and WMA lands during all hunting seasons.Source
South DakotaAllowed only for disabled hunters unable to operate a traditional hunting bow. Firearm safety training and hunter education class required. Mechanical broadheads are prohibited during elk season. Cutting diameter of head must be at least 7/8 inch and as long as the arrow is wide.Source
TennesseeAllowed during archery, muzzleloader, and gun seasons. May not be used in conjunction with night vision devices.Source
TexasAllowed during general hunting, archery only, and Easter spring turkey seasons. Archery stamp required for deer during archery season.Source
UtahAllowed during firearm big game hunting season, but not during archery-only seasons. Hunters must be age 12+ for permit and 16+ to hunt unaccopmanied by an adult.Source
VermontAllowed during archery-only seasons. Bowhunter education course required.Source
VirginiaAllowed during archery and firearm seasons. Archery permit required during archery-only season. Also requires hunting permit, which may in turn require hunter education course completion.Source
WashingtonAllowed during firearm season, but not archery season. Must have at least 125 pounds of draw weight.Source
West VirginiaAllowed during big game firearm seasons. Must have at least 125 pounds of draw weight and a functional safety switch.Source
WisconsinAllowed for all hunters during archery and firearm seasons.Source
WyomingAllowed during archery and firearm seasons.Source
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Crossbow Laws by State 2023

Sources