Alligator Season Dates, Rules & Regulations
2026-27 Alligator Zone Map
Season Dates
- Sept. 18-21, 2026
- Sept. 25-28, 2026
Season ends 30 minutes before sunrise Sept. 28, or the night the quota is reached, whichever comes first.
Season Limit
One alligator (must be 4 feet or longer)
Public Land Hunts by drawn permit only, visit www.agfc.com for details. Permit application period in 2026 is 8 a.m. July 1 to 11:59 p.m. July 31.
Private Land Hunt (quota hunt, permit required). Hunters must call 833-345-0398 after 2 p.m. the day of their hunt to determine if the zone quota has been met.
Alligator Quotas
All other zones are closed.
- NEW THIS YEAR: Private Land hunters may use bowfishing tackle to capture alligators instead of a snare or harpoon. However, restraining with a snare prior to dispatch is still required. Bows must have a minimum 35 lbs. draw weight. Arrows must include an arrowhead that detaches from the shaft after shooting. Arrowheads must be attached to at least 50 ft. of 300 lbs. break-strength line with a minimum 5 inch diameter float attached to the line.
- Arkansas residents must possess a valid resident big game license to hunt alligators on public or private areas.
- Non-residents are permitted to hunt alligators on private land ONLY and must possess a non-resident big game license as well as the Private Land Alligator permit. Non-residents are not eligible to participate in the public land tag permit application draw.
- Non-residents assisting must possess a minimum of a 3-day non-resident big-game license.
- You must be 16 years of age to obtain a permit or participate as an assistant.
- The Private Land Alligator (PLA) permit is nonrefundable and nontransferable.
- The PLA are assigned to specific harvest areas based on Alligator population data. Desired harvest areas are selected by hunters at the time of application. Harvest area boundaries have been determined by the AGFC. Holders of a PLA must make sure they understand what the boundaries of their selected harvest areas are prior to initiating the hunt. Individuals hunting on private property other than their own must obtain written documented permission to hunt prior to the hunt. This permission must kept on their person and available upon Enforcements potential request.
- Public tags may only be used on their respective designated body(s) of public water.
- Each permit authorizes the harvest of one (1) alligator, four (4) feet or greater in total length, as measured from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail.
- Only night time hunting is allowed. The season will be the last two weekends in September from: ½ hour past sunset on Friday, through ½ hour before sunrise Monday.
- You are not allowed to search for alligators prior to legal hunting hours if you have harvest equipment in your possession. Legal night time hunting hours are from ½ hour after sunset through ½ hour before sunrise.
- You must be in possession of your PLA while engaging in hunting activities. All alligator hunting assistants must have their hunt assistance letter (issued by the PLA holder) in their possession while engaged in any alligator hunting activities.
- A maximum of three assistants (licensed) will be allowed in the same boat as the holder of the PLA. Assistants may not be in another boat assisting the permit holder. Only the holder of the PLA is permitted to snare or harpoon an alligator. Only the holder of the PLA is permitted to dispatch a restrained alligator. Alligator Hunt Assistants are permitted to operate the boat/motor, shine/hold spotlights and to help hold a restrained alligator while the holder of the PLA dispatches the alligator. No one else can participate in any portion of the hunt, capture or harvesting process.
- Alligators may be taken only with the use of hand-held snares or harpoons attached to a hand-held restraining line. The use or possession of any other equipment or firearms for taking alligators is prohibited.
- Only shotguns or shotgun load bangsticks are permitted for dispatching alligators once a restraining line has been affixed. Only shot size no larger than #4 common shot may be used to dispatch a restrained alligator.
- Immediately upon dispatching the alligator, a temporary tag (taken from the AGFC guidebook or homemade) must be affixed to the harvested alligator. This tag must contain the hunter’s name, phone number, address, date, AMZ, and check verification code. No person shall possess any untagged alligator carcass or hide. Recommendation: Place the tag in a Ziploc bag and zip tie to a leg.
- Successful hunters must check their alligator within twelve (12) hours of harvest via agfc.com or the AGFC mobile app. Once checking is completed, a verification code will be issued that must be written on the temporary tag.
- A USFWS CITES tag will be mailed to successful hunters once checking requirement have been verified. Failure to check the alligator will result in putting the hunter out of compliance and in violation of permit requirements. Non-compliance issues will be turned over to the Wildlife Enforcement Division for violation assessment. CITES tags must be affixed six inches from the tip of the tail. Once the CITES tag is in place the alligator is legally tagged.
