Hunters with Disabilities
Have you completed your hunter education course?
Colorado law requires that individuals born on or after January 1, 1949, must complete an approved hunter education course before applying for or purchasing a Colorado hunting license.
Take a Hunter Education Class
Hunter education classes are available in-person in a classroom setting or online with an in-person completion exam.
Find a Hunter Education ClassClass Accomodations
If you need class accommodations, please contact the instructor or the Hunter Education Office at 303-291-7233 or 303-291-7470 at least 15 days before the event you wish to attend.
Hunter Education AccommodationsLicenses
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers multiple programs that offer various hunting licenses to hunters with disabilities that qualify for the program(s). Questions can be directed to 303-291-7235 or [email protected].
Some doe deer, cow elk, doe pronghorn, and spring turkey licenses are offered to hunters with mobility impairments. Hunters must have a mobility impairment resulting from permanent medical conditions, making it physically impossible to hunt without someone else’s help. Evidence of mobility impairment may include, but is not limited to, the prescribed use of the following:
- Wheelchair
- Canes
- Walker
- Crutch(es)
- Other prescribed medical devices or equipment
Approval for the Mobility Impaired Program is a lifetime approval. Approved applicants are also exempt from the Habitat Stamp requirement. To apply, applications may be submitted electronically at [email protected] or through a customer’s CPW account at cpwshop.com.
Each year, approved program members are mailed a list of available doe deer, cow elk, and doe pronghorn licenses and a license request form after the Big Game Secondary Draw has completed. The big game licenses need to be requested each year. Customers are then notified if their requested license is available and provided information on how the license(s) can be purchased.
Colorado residents that have a permanent occupational disability as a result of their official duties as a First Responder may qualify for the First Responder License and Pass Program. Qualifying applicants can obtain a Lifetime Small Game and Fishing Combination License, which can be used as a qualifying license to apply for the primary and secondary draws.
To apply, applications may be submitted electronically at [email protected] , through a customer’s CPW account at cpwshop.com, or by mail to the address listed in the application.
Military veterans who are Purple Heart recipients or have a service-connected disability (with an overall combined rating of 60% or more by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs) and are residents of Colorado can obtain a Lifetime Small Game and Fishing Combination License. The Veteran’s Combination License can be used as a qualifying license to apply for the primary and secondary draws.
To apply, applications may be submitted electronically at [email protected] , through a customer’s CPW account at cpwshop.com, or by mail to the address listed in the application.
Accommodation Permits
Accommodation permits are available to hunters with disabilities. Hunters must have a temporary or permanent disability that significantly impairs major daily life functions and the ability to hunt. Accommodation permits are not licenses; permit holders must still purchase hunting and fishing licenses to participate in these activities. Possession of an accommodation permit does not exempt the permit holder from obeying all hunting, fishing, and property-use laws.
Accommodations may be granted on either a temporary or lifetime basis, depending on the information provided by the applicant’s medical provider. Temporary accommodation permits must be resubmitted each year with an updated application and information from the applicant’s doctor.
Nonresident Accommodation Permits
Colorado Parks and Wildlife does not honor accommodation permits or applications from other states and/or countries. Customers wishing to utilize an accommodation in Colorado must be approved through our application process to be granted an accommodation.
Commonly Requested Accommodations for Visual Disabilities
To request an accommodation permit, requires documentation of a visual disability in Section 2 as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Scopes with Magnification Greater than 1X on Crossbow
CPW allows the use of non-magnifying scopes and red dot sights that magnify 1X or less with a Crossbow/Draw-Loc permit. This accommodation does NOT allow laser or battery operated/electronically powered devices that are attached to or incorporated into the crossbow which aid in range finding and/or aiming or a sighting device that emits light from a crossbow to the animal. The intent of these seasons is to provide a “primitive” style recreational opportunity for hunters.
Scopes on Muzzleloader
This accommodation may be appropriate if you have a visual disability that does not allow you to focus on the front sight, rear sight, and animal at the same time.
Commonly Requested Accommodations for Physical Disabilities
This list is not all-inclusive and other accommodations may be requested for specific disabilities.
Shoot from Motor Vehicle/Off Highway Vehicle
Colorado Parks and Wildlife does not grant accommodations to shoot from a public road. Conditions that typically qualify you to shoot from a vehicle include:
- Use of a prescribed mobility device such as a wheelchair, crutches, braces, etc.,
- Documented severe difficulty getting in or out of a vehicle,
- Problems with standing or balancing
- A medically valid need for controlled temperature and environment.
Crossbow or Draw-Loc during Archery Season
Conditions that typically qualify include:
- Inability to reach above head
- Limited range of motion in arms and/or shoulders
- Decreased grip strength
- Decreased finger and hand coordination
- Inability to push or pull
Assistant to Track and Dispatch Wounded Game
If you cannot track and retrieve wounded game, this accommodation allows an assistant to do it for you. The assistant must use the same method of take as the issued license and/or permit. For example, if the permit holder is utilizing a crossbow permit, the assistant must use either a crossbow or standard compound bow to dispatch the animal. CPW does not grant accommodations allowing off road OHV access for the purposes of game retrieval.
Request an Accommodation Permit
Completed applications for accommodation permits should be submitted no fewer than 30 days before the start of the desired hunting season.
Applications may take up to 30 days to be processed. If an application was submitted more than 30 days ago and the applicant has not received any notice, please reach out to us via email ([email protected]) or by phone 303-291-7485 for assistance.
Email or Mail Your Application
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife Attn: ADA Accommodation Permits 6060 Broadway Denver, CO 80216
- 303-291-7485
- [email protected]