General season deer and elk tags may be returned back to IDFG. Those tags are then made available in Returned Tag Sales throughout the year.
2026 Returned Tag Sale Dates:
- April 23
- June 25
- August 6
- September 17
Returned Sold-Out Tags
Tags returned back to the department through refunds, exchanges, etc. are made available for sale during a scheduled Returned Tag Sale. Returned tags are sold online at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, in person at any Idaho Fish and Game regional office or license vendor locations, and over the phone at 1-800-554-8685, beginning at 10 a.m. mountain time.
Hunters purchasing online will be placed in a virtual waiting room when logging into the sale, and randomly assigned a place in line when the sale begins at 10 a.m. mountain time. Hunters logging into the sale after 10 a.m. will be placed at the back of the line.
Once a hunter is within their customer account, they should move through the sale process as quickly as possible to allow the next hunter in line the opportunity to enter the site. Once the sale transaction is complete, hunters will receive an email confirmation to the email address on file.
Hunters purchasing online will be placed in a virtual waiting room when logging into the sale, and randomly assigned a place in line when the sale begins at 10 a.m. mountain time. Hunters logging into the sale after 10 a.m. will be placed at the back of the line.
Once a hunter is within their customer account, they should move through the sale process as quickly as possible to allow the next hunter in line the opportunity to enter the site. Once the sale transaction is complete, hunters will receive an email confirmation to the email address on file.
Any tags returned back to the department will be advertised on this webpage the Tuesday prior to the sale date. General season tags are returned throughout the year, and Controlled Hunt tags can be returned to the department after Leftovers are on sale in late August.
You may be eligible to exchange your tag during a Returned Tag Sale. General season tags can be exchanged to another general season tag of the same species that has available tags, and before the first day of any hunt for the current tag. Exchanges will not be available if any hunt season has started on your current tag. During a Returned Tag Sale, a tag can be exchanged through your online customer account at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, over the phone at 1-800-554-8685 or any Idaho Fish and Game regional office, but note that exchanges can not be processed at license vendor locations at any time.
If you are able to successfully exchange a tag during a Returned Tag Sale, our Licenses office will reach out to you directly by email to provide next steps on returning your previous tag to our office so that we can mail the new tag to your address on file.
Exchanges are not available online or over the phone outside of scheduled Returned Tag Sale. Please contact your local Idaho Fish and Game regional office for exchange options outside of these sales.
If you are able to successfully exchange a tag during a Returned Tag Sale, our Licenses office will reach out to you directly by email to provide next steps on returning your previous tag to our office so that we can mail the new tag to your address on file.
Exchanges are not available online or over the phone outside of scheduled Returned Tag Sale. Please contact your local Idaho Fish and Game regional office for exchange options outside of these sales.
A tag is returned back to the department when a hunter is approved for a refund or completes an exchange. View our department Nonresident Refund Information or review the exchange information above.