Whitetail Carcass Tag Requirements by State

Tagging requirements are different from state to state. Each state has very different laws that require you to do very different things. Lucky for you, the QDMA recently updated state-by-state tagging requirements in the 2018 Whitetail Report. That said, states fall into three primary categories: carcass tag required, carcass tag not required, and some states did not respond to the QDMA's request for information. But regardless of the category, it's important to check the regulations for each of these states. Most of them have numerous laws and additional requirements for the tagging process. Game laws constantly change, too. Regular check wildlife agencies' law books to check for altered regulations.

Editor's Note: Click here to view the entire 2018 QDMA Whitetail Report.

Carcass Tag Required

Some states require a carcass tag of some sort to be placed somewhere on the deer. In this case, the tag is usually placed on the ear, antler, leg, etc. Some of them require the tag to be notched, while others don't. Some even have to be written on. Furthermore, some require the animal to be tagged before it's moved, before it's transported, before it's processed, etc. And finally, some require the animal to be checked in, too. Nonetheless, as of the reporting date, these are the states that require some at least some level of tagging.

States: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming

Carcass Tag Not Required

Some states do not require a carcass tag to be placed on the deer. That said, many of them do require a tag if the deer is left in someone's possession other than your own. Read state laws to see exactly what your state requires.

States: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Wisconsin, New Mexico and Nevada.

No Carcass Tag Information Provided Upon Request

Lastly, some states did not provide any information. Some of these states don't have huntable whitetail populations or deer seasons, either. But for those that do, it's especially important to check current regulations or contact wildlife officials to see what tagging laws apply.

States: Alaska, Hawaii, Connecticut, Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Montana,

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