Last verified
How preference points work
A Colorado preference point is a credit toward drawing a limited hunt code: you earn one each year you apply for a species and don't draw your first choice, and CPW awards licenses to the highest-point applicants first. You can also buy a point on purpose, without hunting, using the point-only code P-999-99-P. Residents and non-residents compete against separate caps, so points build in two effectively separate pools. CPW Primary Draw
How you earn a point
Two ways, both inside the primary draw application window:
- Apply and miss. If you apply for a species and don't draw your first-choice hunt code, CPW credits you one preference point for that species. Points accumulate year over year until you draw a first choice, at which point they reset for that species.
- Apply for a point only. You don't have to apply for an actual hunt code to bank a point — the point-only code P-999-99-P buys a preference point directly, with no chance (and no intent) of drawing a license that year. Hunters saving up for a hard-to-draw unit use this every year they don't plan to hunt that species.
Higher point totals draw first. For units where demand far exceeds the license quota, the number of points needed to draw can run into double digits — which is why point strategy is a multi-year plan, not a one-season decision. CPW Primary Draw
Resident vs non-resident: separate pools
CPW Primary DrawPoint fees — most species are free
| Species | Point fee (resident) | Point fee (non-resident) |
|---|---|---|
| Elk, deer, pronghorn, bear | None | None |
| Moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat | $50.00 | $100.00 |
Elk, deer, pronghorn and bear cost nothing extra to hold a point — you pay only the per-species application fee (see the fee tables). The three once-in-a-lifetime species — moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat — use a weighted-point system and charge a preference-point fee of $50 resident / $100 non-resident whether or not you draw. Weighted points mean each additional point counts for more than the previous one, which accelerates how fast a long-term applicant moves up the list compared to a straight one-point-per-year count. CPW Primary Draw
Points don't guarantee anything by themselves
A point only matters at the moment of the draw — it doesn't reserve a tag or carry any value outside CPW's system. It also doesn't help in the secondary draw or leftover/OTC sales, which run outside the point system entirely (see the full deadline calendar). If you're deciding whether a unit is worth years of points, read CPW's own draw statistics before you commit a season to the wait.
Common questions
How do you get a preference point in Colorado without hunting?
Apply during the primary draw window using the point-only code P-999-99-P. It banks a preference point for that species without entering you in the draw for an actual hunt code.
Do preference points expire in Colorado?
No, they don't expire on a calendar — they carry forward year to year and reset only when you successfully draw a first-choice hunt code for that species.
Is there a fee to hold a preference point in Colorado?
Not for elk, deer, pronghorn, or bear — you pay only the application fee. Moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat charge a $50 (resident) or $100 (non-resident) preference-point fee.
Do residents and non-residents compete for the same licenses?
Not directly. Colorado draws residents and non-residents against separate caps for most limited licenses, with non-residents generally capped around 20–25% of a hunt code's licenses, so each group effectively climbs its own point ladder.
Primary sources
- CPW — Big Game Primary Draw (points, point-only code, fees, caps) verified Jul. 2026