The Vaud licence: fees, conditions and the draw
The general licence costs 750 francs; access to the ibex, chamois and red deer hunts goes through a draw.
Article 2 of the directives sets licence prices for 2026-2027: general hunting 750 francs, general without carrying a firearm 750 francs, trapping 100 francs, waterfowl 150 francs per body of water (Geneva, Neuchâtel, Murten), a temporary guest licence 50 francs, and a provisional licence for candidate hunters free of charge. A general and a waterfowl licence issued together cost 950 francs. To obtain the licence, the cantonal portal lists what must be produced: the licence or the certificates of success in the hunting examination; confirmation, entered in the licence, of having passed the latest periodic shooting test — except for a licence without carrying a firearm; proof of third-party liability insurance covering damage arising from hunting; proof of paying the dog tax for every dog used; and, for anyone not resident in the canton, a sworn statement that they meet the conditions of article 31, letters a to e, of the wildlife act. The ibex, chamois and individual red deer hunts are not freely open: they go through registration and then a draw, governed by articles 13 to 20 of the directives and by the directive of 1 January 2026 on draw-based hunts. The examination itself follows the directive of 1 May 2021.