2025 Undersubscribed Special Licence Information

Undersubscribed Licences are special licences leftover following the draw. When too few people apply for special licences in a specific WMU the undersubscribed special licences are made available for sale to eligible hunters online and at licence issuers.

NEW IN 2025

Permitted licence combinations will now allow a resident hunter to buy one undersubscribed licence of any kind even if that hunter already holds a licence of that type. For example: if a hunter draws an antlerless elk special licence, they can still buy an undersubscribed antlerless elk special licence if one is available.

General Information

Undersubscribed Walleye Special Fish Harvest Licences are available for purchase now.
Undersubscribed Special Hunting Licences are available for purchase starting August 1, 2025 at 9:00AM.
For historical undersubscribed licence information, please see here.

Purchasing an Undersubscribed Licence

Follow these simple steps to purchase your undersubscribed licence:

Sign in and select then Purchase tab at the top of the page.
Select the Hunting or Fishing Licence option from the licence list.
Select the Purchase option next to the Species you wish to hunt, or the Walleye location you wish to fish.
Follow the on-screen prompts through to the shopping cart page to complete the checkout process.

Undersubscribed licences are available on a first-come first-served basis.
View what undersubscribed licences are available here. Select the licence you want to purchase online or go to a Licence Issuer the same day.

Real time licence availability will appear once you have logged into your profile and have selected the undersubscribed species you wish to hunt. Once quota has been depleted the licence will no longer appear.

IMPORTANT: Undersubscribed Special Licences require tags to be in hand before purchasing your licence online. Tags can ordered in the mobile App, online, or picked up at licence issuers.

Hunter Eligibility

Restrictions on eligibility and licence combinations are the same as in the regular hunting draws process. For example, if you were drawn for an Antlerless Mule Deer Special Licence, you cannot get another Antlerless Mule Deer Licence through the undersubscribed licence sale.
Non-resident (Canadian) hunters are eligible for only certain special licences. Non-resident Alien hunters are not eligible for these special licences.
You do not need to have applied in the draw to be eligible to buy an undersubscribed special licence.
Learn more about eligibility requirements in the Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations.

Mandatory Harvest and Effort Reporting

For the 2025 hunting season, holders of a Special Licence are required to complete their harvest and effort surveys by February 15, 2026 for all Special Licences they purchased. Failure to submit your 2025 mandatory reporting will result in future restrictions on the eligibility to apply for special licence draws and the requirement of a $15.00 survey fee to restore that privilege.
Reporting can be completed through your AlbertaRELM.com account or in the mobile App. Learn more on how to complete your harvest and effort reporting here.

Failure to submit your reporting will result in future restrictions on the eligibility to apply for future special licence draws and the requirement of a survey fee to restore that privilege.

Every completed survey will again be entered into a draw for a 2026 opportunity to hunt a Moose, Elk, Mule Deer or Antelope.

Your survey information is a vital component to help sustainably manage Alberta's wildlife populations and in setting future draw quotas.

Additional Information

Hunter Education: First-time hunters who have not previously held a hunting licence in Alberta or elsewhere, must complete the Alberta Conservation and Hunter Education course. Visit AHEIA.com for more details on becoming eligible to hunt.
Do I Need a Hunter Host(s): Anyone who is a non-resident hunter must be accompanied by a licenced hunter host if hunting big game, wolf, or coyote.

Resources

Need help or have questions pertaining to Undersubscribed Special Licences? Contact the Help Desk at 1-888-944-5494.

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