All information provided within this FAQ applies to Cherokee Nation Citizens and is effective as of January 1, 2022 with updates as of July 12, 2024.
*As of July 12, 2024, under a Hunting and Fishing Reciprocal Agreement signed among the Choctaw, Muscogee, and Chickasaw Nations, citizens of these nations who would be eligible to hunt or fish within their own reservation under their respective tribal laws will be permitted to hunt and fish within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. Similarly, Cherokee citizens may hunt and fish on the reservation lands of these Nations, using their tribal citizenship card as their hunting and fishing license.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt refuses to re-enter into hunting and fishing compacts with the Cherokee Nation and other tribes. Governor Stitt’s unfortunate decision to end the compact licensure program has cost the State of Oklahoma millions of dollars in revenue and federal funds, and has cost Cherokee citizens the opportunity to receive state/tribal compact licenses. While the Cherokee Nation is open to future partnership with the state of Oklahoma, Governor Stitt has no prospects for a new compact in the immediate future.
Cherokee Nation citizens may use their tribal citizenship card as a valid license within the Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee, Chickasaw Nation reservations. Outside these reservations, Cherokee Nation citizens must obtain the necessary state licenses and tags for hunting and fishing. Additional forms of identification may be requested to confirm a citizen’s identity. Furthermore, completion of a Hunter Safety course is required unless exempt.
Contact Cherokee Nation Registration at: https://www.cherokee.org/all-services/tribal-registration
No, citizens of the Cherokee Nation must be fully registered with the Nation in order to be eligible to hunt and fish within the Reservation using their tribal citizenship identification. Non-citizens and citizens whose applications are in process will need to obtain a hunting and fishing license from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to legally hunt within the Cherokee Nation Reservation, unless they are also members of the Choctaw, Muskogee, or Chickasaw Nations.
Citizens with valid Oklahoma hunting/fishing licenses may hunt and fish in a manner consistent with the laws of the State of Oklahoma, and no further action is required. If utilizing tribal access lands reserved for Cherokee citizens, it is necessary to carry and have readily available your Cherokee Nation tribal citizenship card.
Cherokee citizens may hunt/fish within Cherokee Nation reservation boundaries, on any lands they would otherwise be able to hunt/fish on. All applicable trespassing laws apply and will be enforced. Additionally, designated lands within Cherokee Nation Reservation boundaries are available only for Cherokee Nation citizens to hunt and fish. Cherokee Nation maintains a map of designated lands available to Cherokee citizens for hunting and fishing at: Cherokee Nation Fish and Wildlife Map.
As of July 12, 2024, Cherokee Nation citizens can use their tribal citizenship card as a valid license within the Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Chickasaw Nation reservations. Citizens are responsible for obtaining private landowner permission for access when applicable. All applicable trespassing laws will be enforced. All such hunting and fishing is subject to the laws and restrictions of the Nation whose reservation the Cherokee citizen is visiting. It is the individual citizen’s responsibility to know and adhere to the laws of the Nation on whose reservation they are hunting and/or fishing, including any laws or restrictions regarding the properties within those reservations that may be used for hunting and/or fishing.
Outside the Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Chickasaw reservations, Cherokee Nation citizens are responsible for obtaining the necessary licenses and tags for hunting and fishing.
Citizens must adhere to the season dates and bag limits established by the Council of the Cherokee Nation within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. When hunting or fishing outside the Cherokee Nation Reservation, Cherokee Nation citizens must comply with the regulations and bag limits set forth by the respective tribal or state agency. A complete list of season dates and bag limits in the Cherokee Nation Reservation can be found at wildlife.cherokee.org.
