In short: Yes, hunting can be legal in Guatemala, including for foreign visitors, but it requires CONAP registration, a hunting licence and authorization for the particular animals and dates. Species, location and hunting methods are restricted. Foreign hunters need a registered local hunter and a local guide. Bringing a rifle requires a separate DIGECAM process. An old ocellated-turkey itinerary is not proof that a hunt is available or authorized today.

Can you hunt in Guatemala?

Guatemala’s Ley General de Caza, Decreto Número 36-04, provides for sporting and subsistence hunting. It applies to Guatemalans and foreigners. CONAP, the Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, regulates the activity and determines authorized species, seasons and quantities by species and sex.

For a visitor planning a recreational hunt, the sporting route is the relevant one. Subsistence hunting is defined around meeting the food needs of people with limited economic resources in rural areas, for direct consumption without payment. It is not an alternative category for a tourist booking a sporting trip.

Before choosing dates, ask CONAP about the species and exact hunting area. Then establish which registration, licence and specific authorization apply. The permission attaches to regulated activity; it is not a general entitlement to take wildlife wherever you travel.

No. Article 12 requires licensed hunters to request CONAP authorization for specific wild animals on specified dates. A licence, a permitted species and an appropriate location must fit together. The hunting calendar also controls quantities and permitted sexes.

RequirementWhat it doesWhat to check before a hunt
National hunter registrationEstablishes the hunter’s official registrationRegistration must precede licensing
Hunting licenceCovers the appropriate hunting categoryLicence validity and the relevant fauna group
Specific CONAP authorizationCovers particular animals and datesSpecies, quantities and dates of the planned hunt
Hunting calendar and closuresSet species restrictions and permitted periodsThe applicable Calendario Cinegético and cuadro de vedas
Control booklet and documentationRecord the animals taken and support transportCompleted records and original licence
Firearm permissionRegulates the firearm separatelyDIGECAM authorization where applicable

The regulation, Acuerdo Gubernativo No. 84-2007, distinguishes subsistence and sporting licences, with fauna groups for birds, mammals, reptiles and mixed hunting. A sporting licence is for an adult individual. The subsistence definition also accommodates family groups of no more than three members.

The annual Calendario Cinegético and cuadro de vedas are the documents to request for species restrictions and seasons. The law provides for their publication through CONAP in the official gazette. A calendar-year licence does not mean that every species can be hunted throughout that year.

How does a foreigner get a hunting license in Guatemala?

Article 9 permits sporting licences for foreigners who enter Guatemala legally. It requires foreign hunters to hunt with at least one recognized, registered local hunter and to hire at least one local guide. The same article sets a foreigner’s licence cost at no less than double what a Guatemalan pays. Confirm those arrangements as part of planning the trip.

The regulation’s registration requirements include adult status, the application form, an identification-size photograph, a passport copy for foreigners and proof of registration payment. Registration is handled through CONAP regional offices or associations and hunting clubs previously authorized by CONAP. An outfitter’s involvement does not remove the registration requirement.

For licence issuance, the regulation calls for certification of registration and proof of payment for the licence, control booklet and hunting right. Ask for the current CONAP licence form and Tarifario final por categoría — Licencias, together with the applicable annual charges. Do not budget for a hunting trip using the licence charge alone: the documents distinguish several payments.

The regulation sets licence validity within the calendar year, ending on December 31. A nonresident foreigner’s licence cannot exceed the authorized stay in Guatemala or the annual limit. Check the proposed hunting dates against both immigration permission and licence expiry.

Before the expedition, the hunter must notify the CONAP regional office responsible for the area of the location and dates. During the hunt, carry the original licence and completed control documentation. The regulation requires recording the date, animals taken by species, male and female counts, location and relevant natural-history observations. Renewals require returning the expired licence and control booklet and updating registration information where necessary.

What about ocellated turkey hunting in Guatemala?

The ocellated turkey appears in the hunting law’s species calendar: Article 19 of Decreto 36-04 lists its season as 1 April to 31 May. That listing alone does not establish a currently available hunt. CONAP authorization, the applicable quota and the particular location still matter. The regulation permits hunting in community and industrial forest concessions within the Maya Biosphere Reserve’s Multiple Use Zone subject to the law, regulation and the relevant management plan.

The Lovett Williams Guatemala pages carry an explicit notice: the operation is not booking ocellated-turkey hunts in Guatemala, and its last hunts were in 2009. Those pages describe Uaxactún and Carmelita camps and retain historical itineraries and prices. Treat those details as the history of that operation, rather than a current booking offer. Its notice does not establish that every Guatemalan operator has stopped hunting or that the species is subject to a nationwide ban.

CONAP’s public conservation message also matters. In the Diario de Centro América report dated June 12, 2026, CONAP launched a campaign against illegal wildlife hunting. Its executive secretary proposed replacing hunting with ecotourism and wildlife observation. That report describes a campaign and policy message; it does not announce a new blanket prohibition on all licensed hunting or a turkey-specific closure.

Before paying for an ocellated-turkey trip, ask CONAP about the proposed species authorization, quota and exact concession or other location. Ask the operator to identify the permits covering the hunt and any trophy export. If your aim is to see wildlife, wildlife watching in Guatemala offers another way to plan the visit.

Can I bring a hunting rifle to Guatemala?

There is a temporary-entry application route for foreign visitors, but a CONAP hunting licence does not authorize carrying a firearm. The hunting regulation explicitly separates the hunting documents from firearm possession and carrying permissions.

Article 36 of the Ley de Armas y Municiones, Decreto 15-2009, says foreigners seeking temporary entry of civilian or sporting firearms must apply in advance through the respective Guatemalan consular mission or their representative. The application goes to DIGECAM for authorization. If approved, DIGECAM grants a special temporary carrying and/or transport licence and communicates the decision through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for consular authorization of shipping documents.

The government’s procedure catalogue describes temporary firearm entry for foreigners staying less than 60 days. Its listed cost is Q 150. Requirements include the application form, evidence that the firearms are registered in the country of origin, a Spanish translation where applicable, a complete passport copy, a photograph and digital signature, and the payment receipt. Obtain the current instructions before arranging transport; the catalogue does not give a numeric response time.

Keep that entry procedure separate from adding or removing a firearm from a DIGECAM licence. For other luggage questions, use the Guatemala customs guide. Neither a travel booking nor a hunting reservation replaces firearm authorization.

Where and how is hunting prohibited?

Article 31 prohibits hunting in national parks, biological reserves, protected biotopes, biosphere reserve core zones, natural and cultural monuments, historical parks, and scenic routes. It separately identifies permitted categories and zones, including qualifying multiple-use and buffer areas. Do not assume that permission somewhere in a biosphere reserve extends to its core zone. Hunting inside protected areas where it is permitted requires local guides registered with CONAP.

The quetzal has total protection and an absolute hunting closure, with the law’s exception for duly authorized scientific research. CONAP also publishes the protected-species list. A permitted hunting method cannot make a prohibited species lawful to take.

The law prohibits traps, slings, poisonous or toxic attractants and artificial lights. The regulation also prohibits night hunting, hunting from vehicles, automatic or burst-fire weapons, and using motor vehicles to pursue or drive wildlife. Hunters must not injure visibly pregnant females or females with dependent young or nests, and must not leave wounded animals.

Commercial sale is restricted too. Article 22 prohibits selling game animals and their derivatives, with an exception for authorized, CONAP-controlled captive breeding or hunting preserves. A sporting licence is not permission to sell the catch to a restaurant.

Penalties and taking a trophy home

Article 29 provides criminal penalties for conduct including unauthorized hunting, prohibited species or seasons, prohibited locations, disallowed weapons or capture methods, and unauthorized exports. The stated punishment is imprisonment for five to ten years and a fine of ten to twenty thousand quetzales. Licence suspension and cancellation also appear in the law and regulation for specified violations.

Transport within Guatemala requires the relevant licence, control documentation and specific authorizations. Export is a further step. The regulation requires CONAP export requirements and an origin certificate or CITES certificate, as applicable. The law expressly requires additional CONAP authorization for hunting products from species in CITES Appendices II and III. Settle those requirements before treating a trophy as something you can simply pack for the flight home.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you hunt in Guatemala?

Yes, within the regulated system for sporting and subsistence hunting. Registration, a hunting licence, specific CONAP authorization, the permitted location and the applicable species calendar all matter. A licence does not authorize unrestricted hunting.

Is hunting legal in Guatemala?

The Ley General de Caza provides for lawful hunting subject to controls. Hunting without the required authorization, in prohibited areas or outside the permitted species season can be a criminal offence. Protected species and prohibited methods remain restricted.

Can a foreigner get a hunting license in Guatemala?

The law allows sporting licences for foreigners who enter legally. Foreign hunters must hunt with at least one recognized, registered local hunter and hire at least one local guide. Registration and the licence are separate from permission for a particular hunt.

Can I book ocellated turkey hunting in Guatemala?

Do not treat an old itinerary as a current offer. Lovett Williams states that it is not booking ocellated-turkey hunts in Guatemala and that its last hunts were in 2009. Ask CONAP about current species authorization, quotas and the proposed location before paying for a hunt.

Can I bring a hunting rifle to Guatemala?

Foreigners can apply in advance for temporary entry of civilian or sporting firearms through the Guatemalan consular mission or their representative, for DIGECAM authorization. A hunting licence does not itself authorize carrying a firearm.