Nebraska Lifetime Permits and Stamps are the bargain of a lifetime for both the outdoor enthusiast and for Nebraska’s wildlife and fisheries resources.

For the dedicated hunter or angler, the permits and stamps offer virtually unlimited recreational opportunities. Depending on the lifetime permit purchased, they eliminate the need for the annual small game hunt, resident fur harvest, fishing or combination hunt/fish permit. At the same time, money from their sale goes into a special escrow account, and only the interest can be used each year. Lifetime permits help fund fish and wildlife conservation efforts for years to come.

Lifetime Permits and Stamps are available to residents and, except for fur harvest permits, nonresidents, as well. Once these permits are issued, they are valid for the holder’s lifetime, regardless of his or her place of residence at a later date. There is no age limit for Lifetime Permits, meaning parents, grandparents or others can purchase permits for children of any age provided they have a Social Security Number for the child.

What do I get?

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission believes a Lifetime Permit should live up to its name and last a lifetime. Therefore, in addition to the regular paper license, each permit or stamp comes with an enameled brass plate, engraved with the person’s name, permit number and date of birth, and a carrying case.

Since either the paper license or brass plate are accepted when afield, some people have chosen to have the brass plate mount­ed for display in their dens or offices. As an added convenience, the annual stamps can be purchased on our website and can be printed on the paper copy of your lifetime permit.

How can I obtain Lifetime Permits and Stamps?

Lifetime Permits and Stamps are available on our website, by mailing in an application to the Lincoln office or by purchasing them at Game and Parks offices that sell electronic permits.

Paper applications are available from permit agents and Game and Parks offices across the state. Permits and stamps are processed as quick­ly as possible upon receipt, usually the same day. However, engrav­ing can take up to two weeks. Ordinarily, permits are mailed within a week via First Class U.S. Mail.

Please allow extra time during the Christmas season, since processing, en­grav­ing and mail delivery all take more time during this period.

What about gifts?

Anyone may purchase a Lifetime Per­mit as a gift for another person. However, they must pro­vide all the vital statistics requested on the applica­tion form, including the last four digits of the Social Security Number. It is not necessary, though, to obtain the applicant’s signature. In this case, the donor may sign instead.

Please indicate on the application if the permit is for a gift and where it is to be mail­ed if not to the person issued. Also, gift cards and envelopes are provid­ed with per­mits/stamps purchased as gifts.

What if a permit is lost?

A lost Lifetime Permit or Stamp can be re­placed by contacting the Permits Section, Nebraska Game and Parks Com­mission, PO Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370 or by phone at 402-471-0641.

The paper license is replaced for the regular duplicate permit fee of $8. Replacement cost for the engraved plate is $13 plus sales tax to cover replacing the plate and case, processing and mailing. Replacement plates cannot be ordered online.

Why is an aquatic habitat stamp required?

A $300 fee for a Lifetime Aquatic Habitat Stamp is included in the cost of Lifetime Fish and Lifetime Hunt/Fish Permits. The money raised by the sale of Aquatic Habitat Stamps is leveraged with grants and federal funding to create and rehabilitate habitats for sport fish. An average of $2.9 million per year is spent in renovating lakes, reservoirs, rivers and streams throughout the state to improve recreational fishing.

Big game not included

Lifetime permits do not authorize:

• The hunting of big game (deer, antelope, elk, bighorn sheep or wild turkey)
• Commercial fishing
• The taking of any species of fish or game for which the open season is limited to a restricted number of permits.
• The taking of any species of fish or game for which the open season is limited to special permits for a restricted area or management unit.