Tennessee’s wildlife commission has approved a license package designed to raise about $12 million more a year from hunters and anglers, but the higher prices cannot take effect until a legislative oversight committee reviews the plan.

The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously Aug. 21 for the agency’s 2027-28 operating budget and a redesigned license schedule. The official announcement says most individual increases fall between 27% and 29%. A resident annual hunting-and-fishing combination license would rise from $33 to $42, while a Sportsman License would increase from $165 to $189.

Those figures illustrate the range rather than a uniform surcharge. The basic combination license would cost $9 more, an increase of about 27%, while the Sportsman increase would be $24, or roughly 15%. Reporting by the Tennessee Lookout found that the package is expected to increase total license revenue by 29%, or approximately $12 million.

Other changes would be more pronounced. The senior Sportsman license would move from $49 to $95, and the senior annual combination license from $4 to $21, according to the same report. The commission also approved new fees for agency shooting ranges and hunter education centers.

The package is not final. It must go before the General Assembly’s Joint Government Operations Committee later this year. Agency officials expect that review around December, and the earliest effective date would be July 1, 2027. Local coverage by WTVC likewise noted that commissioners’ approval moves the plan forward but does not complete the process.

TWRA says the redesign also aims to simplify a complicated system of licenses and permits. One possible change would charge big-game hunters according to the animal pursued rather than the method used, such as archery, muzzleloader or firearm. That means the effect on an individual customer could differ from the package-wide 29% revenue estimate.

The funding issue is structural. License fees provide 38% of the agency’s annual support for fish and wildlife projects, according to the Lookout. Federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment and Tennessee’s real-estate transfer tax supply other revenue. Agency responsibilities include wildlife-management areas, fish stocking, enforcement and shooting ranges.

Current state guidance says license dollars support wildlife conservation and that most annual licenses remain valid for 365 days from purchase. Existing fees therefore remain in force while lawmakers review the package. Until that review is complete, buyers should use the agency’s current portal rather than the proposed schedule when planning purchases or renewals.

The commission approved a similar increase in 2024, then withdrew it after legislative opposition. That history makes the oversight vote more than a formality. For residents, the immediate takeaway is that no new charge applies yet; for the agency, the proposal is its latest attempt to align user-fee revenue with rising operating costs while changing how licenses are organized.