Planning to hunt Arizona some day? Here's a complete overview to make the process of buying Arizona bonus points a breeze
Item |
Resident |
Nonresident |
Hunting license |
$37 |
$160 |
Application fee (per species) |
$13 |
$15 |
Item | Resident | Nonresident |
Hunting license | $37 | $160 |
Application fee (per species) | $13 | $15 |
Purchasing bonus points for Arizona for future hunts is a little confusing as this state has one of the most complex application websites out there. The reason is that they require you to repeat the same process for each species you want to apply/purchase points for and check out one species at a time. This is because Arizona doesn't have a proper shopping cart. So you can't add all your species bonus points to your cart at once and check out with everything. Instead, you're required to repeat your complete account verification for every single species for which you want to purchase points. So be sure to carve out some time when doing this, as each time, you must start completely over.
Below is a complete step-by-step walkthrough of how to purchase your bonus points in Arizona, which will help make this process much easier to navigate.
Bonus points are species-specific in the state of Arizona. Applicants gain one bonus point for any species they apply for and are unsuccessful in the draw. You can also apply for bonus points only, but Arizona allocates a portion of the permits randomly in the draw, so we always highly recommend applicants apply for hunts. The only reason that an applicant should apply for points only is if they cannot afford the time off to hunt, you really just want to build points for certain species for the time being, or the money for the permit.
Besides purchasing bonus points, Arizona also offers two more options to gain extra bonus points. One is to apply for five consecutive years. In this case, you will be awarded a “Loyalty bonus point,” which is an extra bonus point. This point will remain as long as you continue to apply. If you miss a year of applying for that species, that loyalty point will be purged. The other is the “hunter education point”. Applicants can complete an Arizona Game and Fish Department approved hunter’s education course in person in Arizona, or they can pay to take the online course. The online course fee for nonresidents is $300 and $150 for residents. Applicants must be 18 or older to take the class. In this case, a permanent bonus point will be awarded for every species for life. Learn more about the Arizona lifetime hunter education bonus point online course here.
If an applicant does not apply for five consecutive years for any given species, the bonus points for that species will be purged. If an applicant draws any of their hunt choices, all points will be purged, except for the loyalty and hunter education points (if the applicant had those).
Purchasing Arizona bonus points is a great strategy, as that point will be used in next year's draw. Note: again, if you apply for a species in the draw and are unsuccessful, then you will be awarded a bonus point for that species if you have purchased a hunting license. So you would not need to worry about just purchasing a bonus point only.
Applicants are limited to earning one bonus point per species per license year.
Arizona has many different application periods.
NOTE: There is no separate points-only purchase period in Arizona. You must purchase your points for each species during each draw. You need to purchase a hunting license if you want to purchase points in Arizona!
Throughout GOHUNT Insider, we have research tools that will enable you to find the perfect hunt quickly and easily. Whether you’re looking for your first hunt or want to see the best way to use your points, Insider is your ticket to unlocking all hunting opportunities.
Each research tool on GOHUNT will allow you to find a hunting opportunity. Combining Draw Odds with Filtering, plus our Application Strategy articles and GOHUNT Maps, those tools are everything you need to gain an edge and become more successful.
Application strategy articles are your go-to source of information before you apply. Every year, we publish new application strategy articles for every state and species. These articles are packed with in-depth information with lots of data presented to showcase what's new in the state and how you can possibly best use your points to pick up a tag.
A GOHUNT membership makes it easy to find hunting opportunities by state, species, probability of draw odds success, and much more! Whether you have 0 points, max points, or any number of points, GOHUNT gives you the information you need to plan a successful hunt. In addition to our research tools, all Insiders have access to our GOHUNT mobile app where you can plan a hunt on GOHUNT Maps, as well as research tools on the app to help you find hunting opportunities. GOHUNT Maps is also available on the web. GOHUNT Insider is the only complete and total package set of tools to help you find the hunt you want this upcoming year or to help plan for hunts in the future.
If you're unfamiliar with GOHUNT, you can learn more about it below.
You can easily follow along on how to purchase Arizona bonus points by checking out the text and screenshots of the process below.
Navigate to the Arizona Game & Fish Department homepage here. Then click on "Apply for Big Game Draw" to get to the licensing page.
You can also just click on the button below:
Once you're on the AZFD draw licensing page (the page will look like the screenshot below), click on "Enter the Draw."
Next, accept the SSN Disclaimer by checking the box that you acknowledge you read the statement and check the box that you are not a robot. And then click "Submit Acknowledgement."
Now, you will need to add yourself to this application for bonus points. Click on "Add Applicant."
The next page will allow you to add an applicant by entering your Arizona Customer identification and birthdate. After entering that information, click "Add Customer To Application."
If you don't know your customer ID, you can find that information on your hunting license, or it can be retrieved in several ways. The easiest way is to tap on the "Customer ID Retrieval Tool." Fill out that information and click Submit. You will then receive an email with your customer ID information. The other way is to look up that information on your Arizona Portal Account.
Now, you need to review and verify that your address information is correct.
After reviewing your address, the first action box that you need to select is asking if you have a U.S. Social Security Number. Then, fill in that number.
The next part asks if you are an Arizona resident. Select your option for resident or nonresident.
The last main section mentions that you must have an Arizona hunting license that is valid on the draw deadline day. Select the box that says yes to agreeing that you must have a hunting license, and then enter your hunting license number. If you need to look up your hunting license number, you can do that in your Arizona Portal Account.
If you don't have a current Arizona hunting license, click the link in that section to purchase one.
Finally, enter your email address, and then you can decide whether you want to be texted a link to fill out the Hunter survey.
Now, click "Add This Customer To My Application."
Once again, Arizona allows you to review your current application. It will show your account information, address, birthday, residency, and the application fee of $15.00 for a nonresident. You can edit your applicant or add another applicant.
If you are satisfied with everything, scroll down to the bottom of this page and check the box that you acknowledge that you have read the statement above, and then click "Submit Applicants and Continue."
After all those steps, we are now in the section where you can elect to apply for hunts or, in this case, purchase bonus points only. I like to first do the bonus point option before I select the species, but you can do this either way. Check the box that says, "I DO NOT WANT to select hunts, and wish to apply for a bonus point only for this species (This will skip the hunt selection screen)."
Then click in the "Select Species" dropdown box to select the species you want to purchase bonus points for. Finally, click on "Submit Species Selection and Continue."
Note: The species selection area will be different depending on the application period you are buying points for.
You will need to confirm that you want to purchase a bonus point only for this species. If you do, click on "Yes I want a bonus point only." The example below shows what it looks like when selecting a turkey bonus point.
Arizona will now give you the option to purchase any add-ons to your application (Arizona Wildlife Views Magazine). Select yes or no under the "Purchase Magazine" section. At the bottom, you can choose to make a donation.
Since you're applying for bonus points only, you will not be able to purchase PointGuard or PointGuard Plus for this species.
Click the "Submit Add-Ons and Continue" button.
This page will again show you a summary of your bonus point application, the up-front bonus point application fee, and the species for which you are purchasing a point. Review this information, click the check box that says you acknowledge that you have read the statement, then click "Submit Review and Continue."
Again, you'll be offered the chance to review your application for a bonus point purchase in Arizona. Click on the "Pay" button at the bottom.
You are finally on the billing and credit card page. Fill in your address information or double check that it auto-filled correctly, and then enter in your credit card information, and click the "Next" button.
You will have another chance to review your bonus point purchase one final time. If everything looks good, click the "Pay" button.
After clicking "Pay" from the previous screen, you will receive a receipt for your bonus point purchase transaction. I like to click "Print" to save this receipt as a PDF or just take a screenshot.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the downside to Arizona's system is that there is no actual shopping cart. You can't add multiple items to your cart and checkout with all your species bonus points at once. So... you'll need to go back to step one and start this entire process over again. Yes, you read that right, you need to start over entirely from step one.
Click the button below to be taken right back to the Arizona draw licensing page and start your point purchase all over for another species.
One last step I always like to take is to jump into GOHUNT’s Point Tracker Tool and update my bonus point totals for Washington. This way, I know everything is in sync between the state's website and my Insider account. Point Tracker will then seamlessly transfer your point totals into Filtering and Draw Odds when you're researching for future hunts.
The first deadline to purchase points is February 6, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. Arizona time for elk and antelope.
The second deadline to purchase points is June 4, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. Arizona time for deer, bighorn sheep, bison, javelina, and turkey.
The third deadline to purchase points is roughly the first week of October each year for spring bison, javelina, and turkey.
So, if you want to hunt elk or antelope in Arizona someday, this is the only chance you have to purchase points for those species.
Again, if you want to hunt those species someday, you must purchase points during this application window.
