Bowhunting Draw Weight Minimums by State
Most US states that set a minimum bowhunting draw weight require 35 or 40 pounds, with a few at 30 pounds and several western states requiring 50 pounds for elk, moose or grizzly bear. Roughly a third of states set no draw weight minimum at all. Regulations change between seasons, so verify with your state wildlife agency before hunting.
Minimum draw weight is the most searched archery regulation in the United States and the least consistently reported. States write the rule differently, measure it differently, and revise it without much notice. The table below compiles what is currently published for all 50 states, but the only authoritative source is your state agency's current regulation booklet.
Minimum draw weight for bowhunting by state
Values below are for vertical bows, meaning compound, recurve and longbow. Crossbows are regulated on an entirely separate scale and are not included. Where a state ties the requirement to species, the tiers are noted.
| State | Minimum draw weight | Other published equipment requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to big game |
| Alaska | 40 to 65 lb, tiered by game class | Tiered minimum arrow weights and a minimum arrow length also apply |
| Arizona | 30 lb (40 lb for buffalo) | Broadhead at least 7/8 in with metal cutting edges |
| Arkansas | Commonly published as 40 lb | Broadhead at least 7/8 in for deer, bear and turkey |
| California | 30 lb | Reduced from 40 lb in 2019, Title 14 CCR section 354 |
| Colorado | 35 lb | Maximum 80 percent let-off; broadhead at least 7/8 in |
| Connecticut | 40 lb | Broadhead requirements apply to deer and bear |
| Delaware | 35 lb | Broadhead requirements apply to deer |
| Florida | 35 lb | Broadhead requirements apply to deer |
| Georgia | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to big game |
| Hawaii | 30 to 40 lb, varies by bow type | Check the island and unit specific rules |
| Idaho | 40 lb at or before 28 in of draw | Max 85 percent let-off; broadhead 7/8 in and 0.015 in edge; arrow with broadhead at least 300 gr and 24 in; no mechanical broadheads |
| Illinois | 40 lb | Arrow at least 20 in |
| Indiana | 35 lb | Broadhead requirements apply to deer |
| Iowa | No minimum commonly published | Arrow at least 18 in |
| Kansas | No minimum commonly published | Broadhead requirements apply to big game |
| Kentucky | No minimum commonly published | Sources differ, verify with the state agency |
| Louisiana | No minimum commonly published | Broadhead requirements apply to deer |
| Maine | 35 lb | Broadhead at least 7/8 in |
| Maryland | 30 lb at the hunter's draw length | Applies to deer and bear |
| Massachusetts | 40 lb at 28 in or at peak draw | Sharpened steel broadhead at least 7/8 in |
| Michigan | 30 lb peak within normal draw length | Applies to deer and turkey |
| Minnesota | 30 lb at or before full draw | Broadhead requirements apply to big game |
| Mississippi | No minimum commonly published | Broadhead requirements apply to deer |
| Missouri | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to deer and turkey |
| Montana | No draw weight minimum | Bow at least 28 in; arrow at least 20 in and 300 gr |
| Nebraska | Varies by species, commonly 40 lb for big game | Verify the species tier before the season |
| Nevada | 40 lb peak | Max 80 percent let-off; arrow at least 24 in and 300 gr; broadhead at least 7/8 in |
| New Hampshire | 40 lb | Fixed broadhead between 7/8 in and 1.5 in |
| New Jersey | 35 lb | Measured at draw length for stick bows, at peak for compounds |
| New Mexico | No draw weight minimum commonly published | Broadheads must have cutting edges |
| New York | 35 lb | Measured at draw length for stick bows, at peak for compounds |
| North Carolina | 35 lb, higher for some species | Broadhead at least 7/8 in |
| North Dakota | 35 lb for deer, 50 lb for larger species | Broadhead at least 3/4 in; arrow at least 24 in |
| Ohio | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to deer |
| Oklahoma | 30 to 40 lb, varies by species | Verify the species tier before the season |
| Oregon | 40 lb (50 lb for elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goat) | Fixed, unbarbed broadhead at least 7/8 in; mechanical broadheads not allowed for game mammals |
| Pennsylvania | 35 lb | Broadhead at least 7/8 in |
| Rhode Island | 40 lb, higher for some species | Broadhead at least 7/8 in |
| South Carolina | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to deer |
| South Dakota | Varies by species, commonly 40 lb for big game | Big game arrow at least 26 in and 275 gr; two metal cutting edges |
| Tennessee | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to big game |
| Texas | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to deer |
| Utah | 40 lb | Broadhead requirements apply to big game |
| Vermont | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to deer and bear |
| Virginia | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to big game |
| Washington | 40 lb | Arrow at least 20 in and 300 gr |
| West Virginia | No minimum specified | Broadhead requirements apply to big game |
| Wisconsin | 30 lb | Broadhead at least 7/8 in |
| Wyoming | 40 lb (50 lb for elk, moose, grizzly bear) | Broadhead at least 1 in |
Published summaries conflict most often on Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and South Dakota. Those are the rows to check first against the source document rather than any summary, including this one.
How to read the wording, not just the number
Three phrasings appear across state codes and they do not mean the same thing. Peak draw weight is the highest weight in the draw cycle, which for a compound happens before let-off and is the figure printed on the limbs. Weight at the archer's draw length is the weight actually being held, which is the meaningful measure for recurve and longbow because those bows have no let-off and gain roughly 2 to 3 lb per inch drawn. Weight reached at or before full draw is a hybrid that accommodates both.
For a compound shooter these distinctions rarely bite, because peak weight is the largest number in the cycle. For a traditional shooter they matter a great deal. A recurve marked 40 lb at 28 inches pulls closer to 36 lb for an archer with a 26 inch draw, which can put a legally marked bow under a legal minimum in practice. Measure your actual holding weight on a bow scale if you are anywhere near a threshold.
Draw weight is rarely the only equipment rule
States that regulate archery equipment usually regulate more than poundage, and those other rules catch out-of-state hunters more often. The most common additional requirements are minimum broadhead width, usually 7/8 inch, minimum arrow length, typically 20 to 26 inches, and minimum total arrow weight, often 300 grains including the broadhead.
Several states also cap let-off, commonly at 80 or 85 percent, which quietly rules out some high-let-off target bows for hunting. A handful, Oregon among them, prohibit mechanical broadheads for game mammals entirely. Others prohibit electronic devices attached to the bow or arrow, with lighted nocks the usual carve-out. None of that appears in a draw weight summary, which is exactly why the summary is not enough.
Legal minimum versus adequate setup
A statutory floor is written for the lightest acceptable equipment used well, not for the average hunter. If you shoot at or near a minimum, the rest of the system has to work harder. That usually means a heavier arrow for the weight class, which raises momentum where energy is scarce, a genuinely sharp cut-on-contact head rather than a wide mechanical that costs penetration, and a self-imposed distance limit well inside what you can hold on a target face.
The arithmetic is worth doing rather than assuming. Run your setup through the kinetic energy calculator, which returns momentum as well, and compare against the kinetic energy by game chart. A 40 lb setup that clears the deer band with a well-built arrow is a different proposition from one that barely reaches it with a light shaft and a wide mechanical.
The safety rule runs alongside all of this. Your finished arrow must weigh at least 5 grains per pound of draw weight, and your draw weight should be one you can pull smoothly while seated and cold, without raising the bow skyward. Overbowing produces more poor shots than underbowing does, and it is the single most common equipment mistake among new bowhunters. Our draw weight calculator gives sensible starting ranges.
How to verify your state properly
- Open your state wildlife agency's current regulation booklet, not a third-party summary.
- Search the archery or legal weapons section for both draw weight and broadhead.
- Check whether the requirement differs by species, and whether your unit or season has its own rules.
- If you are hunting out of state, read that state's rules in full rather than assuming they match your own.
- Re-check before each season. Requirements are revised more often than most hunters expect.
Related tools and charts
- Draw weight calculator: a sensible starting poundage by body weight and experience
- Kinetic energy calculator: check a low-poundage setup properly
- Total arrow weight calculator: meet the 300 grain and 5 grain per pound rules
- Kinetic energy by game chart: commonly cited ranges by animal
- Broadhead weight chart: cut diameters against the 7/8 inch rule
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common minimum draw weight for bowhunting?
Thirty-five to 40 pounds covers the majority of states that set a number at all. Roughly a third of state agencies do not specify a minimum draw weight and instead require equipment capable of a clean, humane harvest, sometimes backed by minimum arrow weight, arrow length or broadhead width rules. Where a minimum exists, 40 pounds is the single most common figure for big game.
Do states measure minimum draw weight at peak or at full draw?
It varies, and the wording matters for compound shooters. Some states specify peak draw weight, which is the highest point of the draw cycle before let-off. Others specify the weight held at the archer’s own draw length, which is the relevant wording for recurve and longbow shooters. A few phrase it as weight reached at or before full draw. Read the exact sentence in your regulations rather than the summary.
Which states have no minimum draw weight for bowhunting?
Published summaries commonly list Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia among the states without a stated draw weight minimum. Several of these still regulate broadhead width, arrow length or arrow weight, and all of them expect equipment adequate for the animal. Absence of a number is not permission to hunt undergunned.
Do minimum draw weight rules apply to crossbows?
No. Crossbows are regulated separately and by a completely different scale, usually a minimum draw weight in the 75 to 150 pound range plus rules on power stroke, stock length and safety mechanism. Several states also restrict who may use a crossbow or during which seasons. If you shoot a crossbow, read the crossbow section, not the vertical bow section.
Is the legal minimum enough draw weight to hunt with?
Legal and adequate are different questions. A legal minimum is a floor written for the lightest acceptable equipment paired with a well-built arrow, a sharp cut-on-contact head and disciplined distance limits. Many hunters at or near a minimum shoot heavier arrows for their weight class specifically to compensate. Build the whole system to the animal rather than to the statute, and cap your distance accordingly.
How often do these regulations change?
Often enough that any published summary should be treated as a starting point. California lowered its bow minimum from 40 to 30 pounds in 2019, and states routinely revise broadhead, arrow weight and crossbow provisions between seasons. Regulations can also differ by species, by unit and by season within one state. Verify against your state agency’s current regulation booklet before every season.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, verified owner reviews, and pro shop guidance. We do not test gear in person. Draw weight and arrow spine affect safety, so follow your bow manufacturer's specifications and have setup work checked by a qualified pro shop.