View each state's web site to get the full detail on hunting regulations.
- Alabama
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Crossbows legal for all persons during all deer hunting seasons. Magnified scopes are now allowed on crossbows only. http://www.outdooralabama.com/hunting
- Alaska
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May be used for big game or small game during general season. Permitted during archery-only season for Physically Challenged. For more info go to:http://www.state.ak.us
- Arizona
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May be used for big game or small game during general seasons and during H.A.M. (Handgun, Archery, Muzzle loader) and fishing. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.gf.state.az.us
- Arkansas
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Classified and permitted as part of the state’s archery deer season. Also permitted for small game, predators and fishing. For more info go to: http://www.agfc.state.ar.us
- California
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May be used for big game during general firearms season. Permitted for small game. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.dfg.ca.gov
- Colorado
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May be used for big game during general firearms season and for small game birds. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.wildlife.state.co.us
- Connecticut
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May be used by the Physically Challenged during hunting season. For more info go to:http://www.dep.state.ct.us
- Delaware
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May be used by all hunters during all archery seasons. For more info go to: http://www.dnrec.state.de.us
- Florida
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Legal in full archery season. For more info go to http://www.MyFWC.com/commission
- Georgia
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Classified and permitted as part of the state’s archery deer season for all hunters. Also permitted in all gun and general seasons. For more info go to: http://www.gadnr.org/
- Hawaii
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Permitted for big game and small game on private lands only. For more info go to: http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dcre/home.htm
- Idaho
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Permitted during the general firearms season for big game. Permitted for small game and fishing. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.state.id.us/fishgame
- Illinois
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A person may use a crossbow if one or more of the following conditions are met: (1) the user is a person age 62 or older (2) the user is a handicapped person to whom the Director has issued a permit to use a crossbow, (3) the date of using the crossbow is during the period of the second Monday following the Thanksgiving holiday through the last day of the archery deer hunting season (both inclusive) set annually by the Director. For more info go to: http://www.dnr.state.il.us
- Indiana
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Classified as archery equipment and legal in all seasons for all game except migratory waterfowl. For more info go to: http://www.state.in.us/dnr/
- Iowa
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Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.iowadnr.com
- Kansas
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Crossbows are legal in the full archery season for hunters that are over the age of 55 and under the age of 16. For more info go to: http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us Modifed on 5/31/12
- Kentucky
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Permitted for part of archery season and all of general firearms season. Permitted for turkey. Legal in archery season for handicapped hunters. For more info go to: http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/fw/kdfwr.htm
- Louisiana
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Classified as archery equipment and legal in all seasons for all game except migratory waterfowl. Crossbows legal in archery season for hunters on Wildlife Management Areas. For more info go to: http://www.wlf.state.la.us Modified 6/6/08
- Maine
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Permitted in general firearms season for deer and bear. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. Crossbows legal for persons 16 years of age or older to hunt bear with a crossbow during the bear hunting season. For more info go to: http://www.state.me.us/ifw/
- Maryland
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service now allows crossbows to be used to hunt any game species during any open season where a vertical bow may be used (excluding waterfowl and certain furbearers). This would permit the use of a crossbow during the entire deer bow season in all counties. Minimum draw weight is 75 pounds, telescopic sights are permitted and the crossbow must have a working safety. For more info go to: http://www.crossbow.com/newsarticle/18 or http://www.dnr.state.md.us.
- Massachusetts
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Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged by permit only. For more info go to: http://www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dfw.
- Michigan
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Legal for all hunters in all archery seasons except the late season in the U.P. For more info go to: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr
- Minnesota
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Permitted general use during firearms season. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. Crossbows can be used by anyone during Turkey and Bear season. For more info go to: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us Modified 5/22/08
- Mississippi
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Crossbows are legal for all hunters on all state Wildlife Management Areas during all seasons. (About 50% of MS hunters do their
hunting on WMA lands). This new reg makes crossbows legal in the early archery season on WMA areas. Last two weeks of six week early archery season changed to PW season statewide. Legal weapons are vertical bows, crossbows and PW. Does only for all hunters. Hunters must wear orange. Crossbows legal in new PW season that runs from 12/8 – 12-19. Crossbows legal in new archery and PW hunting season from 1-20-11 till 1-31-11. As during last year, crossbows still are legal in early archery season for handicap permit holders. For more info go to: http://www.mdwfp.com
- Missouri
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Permitted during regular firearms season and in some urban areas in archery season. Permitted for fishing. Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged in archery season. For more info go to: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/
- Montana
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Permitted for regular firearms season. Permitted for small game and predators. For more info go to: http://www.fwp.state.mt.us
- Nebraska
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Crossbows are legal archery equipment for big game (deer, antelope, elk, turkey and bighorn sheep). For more info go to: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/
- Nevada
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Crossbows may only be used for hunting big game during an "Any Legal Weapon" hunt. Crossbows are not allowed for archery hunts. Crossbows must have a minimum 125 pound draw weight, minimum draw length of 14 inches from front of bow to nocking point, minimum 18 inch stock and a positive mechanical safety. Arrows must be minimum 16 inches and have a broadhead. For more info go to: http://www.state.nv.us/cnr/nvwildlife
- New Hampshire
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Permitted general use during firearms season. Permitted in archery season by the Physically Challenged. Legal for all hunters to take a deer in the firearms season. Legal for all hunters on Long Island in Moultonborough with Long Island Deer Permit. Crossbow hunters must purchase a crossbow hunting permit. For more info go to: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us
- New Jersey
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Crossbows are legal in any bow and arrow hunting season and other hunting seasons for all species where the use of bow and arrow is allowed. Crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 75 pounds and a minimum stock length of 25 inches. For more info go to: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw
- New Mexico
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Permitted for use during archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us
- New York
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Beginning in 2011, crossbows can be used only during the Regular firearms seasons in the Northern and Southern Zone, during the late muzzleloading and bowhunting seasons, and during the January firearm season in Suffolk County beginning with the 2011-2012 hunting seasons and continuing until December 31, 2012 for Deer and Bear only. Crossbows must have a stock with a working safety, minimum limb of 17 inches, minimum draw weight of 100 pounds and a maximum of 200 pounds, overall length minimum of 24 inches and arrow minimum of 14 inches.
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A Modified Crossbow Permit for physically challenged people authorizes the use of a crossbow modified with a device that requires no hand movement, since it is released by means of a person's discharge of breath. For more info go to: http://www.dec.state.ny.us
- North Carolina
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Crossbows are legal for all hunters in the full archery season. The state of North Carolina legislatures have passed and Gov. Perdue has signed on April the 28th Senate Bill 406. This act repeals the previously needed crossbow permit that was required before a person could receive, sell, purchase, or otherwise transfer a crossbow within North Carolina. Non residents of North Carolina now may also purchase a crossbow within North Carolina. Mail order firms may now also ship a crossbow to a North Carolina user. This repeal is now in place and took effect upon the signature of Gov. Perdue. For more info go to: http://www.enr.state.nc.us/
- North Dakota
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Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.gf.nd.gov
1 - Crossbows are now legal for all hunters during the rifle season.
2 – Crossbows are now legal for all hunters during primitive weapon season. NOTE: Crossbows used during the primitive weapons season may NOT be equipped with optics that have any magnification. Only scopes and red dots with 1x magnification may be used during the PW season.
- Ohio
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Classified as archery equipment and legal in all seasons for all game except migratory waterfowl. For more info go to: http://www.ohiodnr.com
- Oklahoma
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Legal for all hunters during the state wide archery season. For more info go to: http://www.state.ok.us/~odwc
- Oregon
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Not recognized as a legal hunting weapon for Big Game. For more info go to: http://www.dfw.state.or.us
- Pennsylvania
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Crossbows are legal for all hunters during all archery seasons.
- Rhode Island
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Crossbows are approved for deer hunting for all hunters during the regular archery hunting season. All crossbow hunters, after taking the required bow hunter education course, will qualify for an archery deer tag. For more info go to: http://www.dem.ri.gov
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- South Carolina
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Classified as archery equipment and legal in all seasons for all game except migratory waterfowl. For more info go to: http://www.dnr.state.sc.us Modified 6/10/08
- South Dakota
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Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. Must have minimum draw weight of 125 pounds and a functional mechanical safety device. Telescopic sights and lighted sight pins are prohibited. For more info go to: http://www.state.sd.us/gfp/
- Tennessee
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The use of crossbows is now permitted during all seasons including the regular archery season. For more info go to: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/
- Texas
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Crossbows are legal for all hunters in both the archery season and the general hunting season except in Grayson County. For more info go to: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us
- Utah
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Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.nr.utah.gov
- Vermont
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Permitted for use by the Physically Challenged during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.anr.state.vt.us
- Virginia
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Permitted for use during archery season. For more info go to: http://www.dgif.state.va.us/
- Washington
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Permitted for use in archery season by the Physically Challenged. For more info go to: http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/. Crossbows allowed for all hunters during the firearms season in firearms restricted areas.
- West Virginia
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Effective January 1, 2006 qualifying Physically Challenged hunters may obtain a Class Y permit which allows the use of crossbows for hunting in established archery seasons. For more info go to: http://www.wvdnr.gov
- Wisconsin
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Legal for all hunters 65 and older and the Physically Challenged during the state wide archery season. For more info go to: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us
- Wyoming
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Permitted for use during any legal season for legal game. Permitted for fishing. For more info go to: http://gf.state.wy.us/