How to Start a Hunting or Fishing Outfitter Business in North Dakota: Game and Fish Licenses from $100, $100,000 Insurance and the Landowner Exemption

If you plan to take paying clients hunting or fishing in North Dakota, the Game and Fish Department expects you to hold the right license before you take the first trip. The fees are modest, but the process has more moving parts than most first-time operators expect: a license category that matches your services, insurance at set minimums, a written exam, qualification rules and a business entity that meets an ownership test. This guide walks through those steps in the order most people need them.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Outfitter rules affect liability, land access and taxes, so talk with a North Dakota attorney and a CPA before you sell your first trip.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you apply so you are not stopped partway through the process:

• Proof of age (you must be 18 or older)
• Current CPR and first aid certification, required for guides
• Records showing you hunted in part of each of the last 3 years
• A clean record with no game or fish conviction in the last 3 years
• An outfitter liability insurance policy with limits of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident
• Written permission, a lease or a deed for every property you plan to use
• A legal name for your business and a decision on entity type
• A North Dakota registered agent, if you form an LLC or corporation
• The license fee, plus a plan to sit for the next available written exam

Step 1: Confirm Whether You Need a License

North Dakota law (NDCC 20.1-03-36 to -39) requires a license for paid hunting and fishing services, but it includes an exemption. No license is needed for services on land you own or lease for bona fide agricultural interests, for registered nonprofits, or for booking agents. Read each piece carefully, because the exemption is narrower than it sounds:

• Land you own or lease. The exemption applies to land you own or lease for bona fide agricultural interests. Ask Game and Fish how it reads that phrase before you rely on it, because the wording decides whether your arrangement qualifies.
• Land you do not control. If you guide on land you neither own nor lease, the exemption does not reach that work, and you need the appropriate license.
• Booking only. The booking agent exemption covers arranging trips. Providing the hunt or fishing trip itself is a different activity, so confirm where the line falls with Game and Fish.
• Tribal land. Check with the tribe before guiding on tribal land. A state license does not answer that question.

Step 2: Choose a License Category

Pick the license that matches what you will actually sell. The annual fees below come from the Game and Fish fee schedule. Licenses expire March 31, and guide and fishing outfitter licenses are not transferable.

License	Annual fee	Notes
Hunting guide	$100 resident, $400 nonresident	Requires CPR and first aid
Fishing outfitter	$250 resident, $500 nonresident	Drops to $125 resident or $250 nonresident if you also paid for a hunting guide or outfitter license that year
Hunting outfitter	$250 resident (under 10,000 acres), $500 resident (10,000 acres or more), $2,000 nonresident	Requires prior hunting guide experience
Day-leasing permit	$200	Confirm the activities it covers with Game and Fish

Choosing a North Dakota Fishing Guide License

Many people searching for a North Dakota fishing guide license find that the fee schedule covered here lists a fishing outfitter license and no separate fishing guide license. If your paid work is only fishing, the fishing outfitter category is the one to confirm first. Call Game and Fish and ask which license covers paid fishing trips before you advertise, and ask whether the reduced fee for holders who also paid for a hunting license applies to you.

Step 3: Meet the Qualifications

Game and Fish sets these minimums. Check each one against your own record before you pay a fee.

1. Be at least 18 years old.
2. Hold CPR and first aid certification if you guide.
3. Have no game or fish conviction in the past 3 years.
4. Have hunted in part of each of the past 3 years.
5. For an outfitter license, hold a hunting guide license for 2 years first. Confirm with Game and Fish whether this applies to the fishing outfitter license you want.
6. If you operate through a business entity, make sure licensed outfitters or landowners hold a majority of its ownership. Structure ownership before you file, not after.

Step 4: Buy Outfitter Liability Insurance

North Dakota requires outfitter liability insurance of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident. Those are minimums, not recommendations. Ask your insurer for a certificate that shows these limits, confirm that the named insured matches your legal business name, and ask whether the policy covers the specific activities you plan to offer, such as hunting on leased ground or fishing from a boat. Coverage terms vary by carrier, so compare quotes from at least two agents who write outfitter policies.

Step 5: Pass the Written Exam

Game and Fish gives the written exam at least three times a year. The 2026 sessions were held in Bismarck on January 10, March 28 and August 15. Those dates have passed, so call the Game and Fish enforcement office at 701-328-6604 for the next scheduled session. Study the current regulations, not last year's booklet, and time your exam so you can finish before your target season.

Step 6: Form the Right Business Entity

North Dakota has no general statewide business license, so an entity filing is a registration, not a license. Choose the structure that fits your ownership plan and liability needs:

• Sole proprietorship: No formation filing is required. If you operate under a name other than your legal name, register a trade name with the Secretary of State for $25. Registration renews every 5 years, and amendments cost $25.
• LLC: File Articles of Organization under NDCC Chapter 10-32.1 through FirstStop for $135. The name must include the words limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. The annual report costs $50 and is due November 15 for business LLCs. Farming or ranching LLCs are due April 15 instead, so confirm which date applies if your outfitter LLC is tied to a working farm or ranch.
• Corporation: File Articles of Incorporation under NDCC Chapter 10-19.1 for $100. The annual report costs $25 and is due August 1.

If you need time to file, a name reservation costs $10 and holds the name for 12 months, renewable. A reservation does not register the business. Search existing names on the FirstStop business search first, because a name must be distinguishable from every registered entity and trade name in the state.

LLCs and corporations must name a North Dakota registered agent with a physical address in the state. Your business cannot serve as its own agent, and you must get the agent's approval before naming them. Agent filings cost $10 for a change of address or agent and $25 for service of process. The Secretary of State publishes no guaranteed turnaround for filings, so call Business Services at (701) 328-2900 for current timing. The main agency site is sos.nd.gov.

Step 7: Register for Taxes and Workers' Compensation

North Dakota levies no franchise tax, and an LLC pays no separate state privilege tax. The only recurring state charge on the LLC itself is the $50 annual report. An LLC taxed as a partnership or disregarded entity passes income through to its owners, who pay individual income tax at 0%, 1.95% or 2.50% depending on bracket. An LLC that elects C corporation treatment pays corporate income tax at 1.41%, 3.55% or 4.31% by bracket.

The state sales tax is 5%, plus city and county taxes. If your outfitting fees are taxable sales, apply for a sales and use tax permit from the Office of State Tax Commissioner through ND TAP about 30 days before you open. Whether your fees are taxable is a question for the Tax Commissioner, so confirm it through the Tax Commissioner website before you publish prices.

Workers' compensation in North Dakota runs through WorkForce Safety and Insurance (WSI), which operates as a state monopoly. If you hire guides or other staff, set up coverage with WSI before the first paid day.

Step 8: Apply, Track Renewals and Plan for Transfers

1. Confirm your license category, qualifications and exam date with Game and Fish.
2. Form your entity and receive the filing confirmation before you advertise under the business name.
3. Pass the written exam, then submit your license application and fee. Ask Game and Fish for current processing time, since this guide does not list one.
4. Calendar the March 31 license expiration and your entity annual report deadline.
5. Plan for ownership changes. Guide and fishing outfitter licenses cannot be transferred, so a buyer must qualify on their own. Confirm how other license types handle changes in ownership.

Step 9: Consider Nonresident Whitetail Allocations

Outfitters share up to 100 nonresident antlered whitetail licenses, with a limit of 5 per outfitter each year, at $350 each. This allocation can add value for an outfitter who serves nonresident hunters. Confirm your eligibility and how the allocation is awarded with Game and Fish before you build it into your pricing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming any land qualifies. The exemption covers land you own or lease for bona fide agricultural interests. It does not cover every property you can reach.
• Ignoring the ownership test. An entity without majority ownership by licensed outfitters or landowners cannot meet the requirement, no matter how well the paperwork is filled out.
• Buying minimum-only insurance without checking the certificate. A policy below $100,000 per person or $300,000 per accident fails the requirement.
• Treating the name reservation as registration. The $10 reservation holds a name for 12 months. You still need to file the entity.
• Advertising trips before the license is issued. Confirm your license status before you take deposits.
• Looking for a city or county business license. Counties do not license businesses, and cities license specific activities only.
• Overlooking the March 31 expiration. A lapsed license stops paid work until it is renewed.
• Guiding on tribal land without permission. Check with the tribe first.

Tips for a Smoother Launch

• Call Game and Fish before you buy insurance or book a trip, so the license category and exemption questions are settled first.
• Ask the enforcement office for the next exam schedule and build your timeline around it.
• Review your plan with advisors at the North Dakota Small Business Development Centers, hosted by the University of North Dakota Nistler College of Business and Public Administration.
• Check resources from the SBA North Dakota district for additional startup support.
• Keep one compliance calendar covering license expiration, annual reports, sales tax filings and insurance renewal.

What Results to Expect

Following these steps in order may put your license, entity and insurance in place before your first season. Timing depends on exam dates and state processing, which North Dakota does not guarantee. Revenue is a separate question. It depends on your land access, your market, the season and your marketing. The license fee may be a small share of startup costs compared with insurance and land arrangements. Many new outfitters find that the first season is a learning year, so a realistic plan may budget for a slower start while you build a client base. Treat these outcomes as possibilities to plan around, not promises.

Next Steps

Start with the landowner exemption and the license category, because those two decisions shape the rest of the filing. Then form your entity, buy insurance at or above the minimums and schedule your exam. Because outfitter work touches liability, land rights and taxes, consult a qualified North Dakota attorney on entity and land questions and a CPA on tax planning before you sign leases or take paid bookings.