Do You Need a Written Hunting Lease Agreement to Get Insurance?

You’ve found the ground, agreed on a price with the landowner, and shaken hands. Before you buy a policy, one question trips up a lot of first-time buyers: does a handshake deal count, or do you actually need something in writing?

The short answer is yes — a written hunting lease agreement is required for a hunting lease insurance policy to apply. This guide explains why insurers require it, what a solid lease agreement needs to include, and how the AHLA makes meeting that requirement simple. Because for the AHLA, hunting lease insurance is all we do.

Hunter and landowner reviewing and signing hunting lease agreement.

Why a Written Lease Is Required for Coverage

A hunting lease agreement is required for coverage to apply because it's what actually defines who is on the property, under what terms, and for how long. Insurance responds to a covered claim, but it can only do that if there's a clear record of who was authorized to be there in the first place. A verbal understanding between a hunter and a landowner might feel solid, but it leaves no paper trail if a dispute or a claim ever comes up.

Put simply: the lease agreement and the insurance policy work together. The lease defines the arrangement — the property, the people, the rules. The policy is what actually pays for defense costs and damages if someone is injured or property is damaged. Without the lease, there's nothing for the policy to attach to.

What Happens If You Skip the Paperwork

Hunting on a handshake deal doesn't just create a gap in your insurance — it creates real uncertainty for everyone involved:

• A claim can be delayed or denied if there's no written record showing who was authorized to be on the property
• A landowner has no documented proof of who has access, which becomes a problem if a dispute or trespassing question comes up
• Rules about ATV use, guests, or treestands exist only as memory, with no record if someone disagrees about what was agreed to
• Renewing, changing, or ending the arrangement has no clear process to fall back on

The AHLA hunting lease contract is a fully customizable template, so you can accommodate those special circumstances for your individual situation. The yellow highlighted sections on the sample below are all fields you control.

What a Hunting Lease Agreement Needs to Include

A good lease agreement doesn't need to be complicated, but it does need to be complete. At a minimum, it should spell out:

• Property details — a description of the property boundaries and, where possible, the parcel number, so there's no ambiguity about what ground the lease covers.
• Lease term and price — the dates the lease covers and what's being paid, so both sides are working from the same terms.
• Every hunter listed by name — everyone in the hunting party should be named on the lease and sign it, not just the person who negotiated the deal.
• Landowner contact information — accessible to every hunter listed, not just the lease's main point of contact.
• Rules set by the landowner — anything from ATV trails to treestand placement to guest policies belongs in writing, not left to memory.
• Renewal and cancellation terms — what happens at the end of the term, and what happens if a hunter doesn't follow the rules.

The landowner sets the terms here — it's their property, and the lease should reflect what they need to feel comfortable granting access. A well-written lease makes that easier for both sides, since it puts expectations in writing instead of leaving them open to interpretation.

Lease Essentials at a Glance

A quick reference for what belongs in a written hunting lease agreement.

AHLA's Free Lease Agreement, Included With Every Policy

Drafting a lease from scratch, or paying an attorney to do it, is one of the more intimidating parts of leasing ground for the first time. The AHLA removes that barrier entirely: every policy includes a free, customizable hunting lease agreement built around the same essentials outlined above.

The hunting lease agreement the AHLA provides has been used and adapted across the industry for years, which means you're not starting from a blank page. You fill in the property details, the hunters, and the landowner's specific rules, and you have a complete agreement ready to sign. You don't have to submit the lease to the AHLA to bind coverage, but you should keep a signed copy on file in case you ever need to file a claim.

See why a written lease agreement matters for a closer look at how a strong lease protects both the landowner and the hunting party beyond the insurance requirement itself.

Practical Tips for Putting a Lease in Writing

• Use a template built for hunting leases rather than a generic property rental form
• Get every hunter's signature, not just the person who negotiated the deal
• Keep a signed copy accessible to both the landowner and the hunting party
• Revisit and re-sign the lease each season rather than assuming last year's terms still apply
• Confirm which landowners should be listed as Named Insured before the policy is issued

Still searching for the right ground to lease? Base Camp Leasing and its hunting leases marketplace can help you find property, and the AHLA can get the lease and the policy in place before opening day.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a written lease to get hunting lease insurance?

Yes. A written hunting lease agreement must be in place for a hunting lease insurance policy to apply. It's what documents who is authorized to be on the property and under what terms.

Is a verbal agreement with a landowner enough?

No. A verbal agreement may reflect a real understanding between a hunter and a landowner, but it leaves no documented record for insurance purposes. A written lease is required to bind coverage.

Do I have to send my lease agreement to the AHLA?

No. You don't need to submit the lease to the AHLA, but you should keep a signed copy on file in case you ever need to file a claim.

Does the AHLA provide a lease agreement, or do I need to write my own?

Every AHLA policy includes a free, customizable hunting lease agreement, so you don't need to draft one from scratch or hire an attorney to meet the requirement.

What happens if I don't have a written lease and need to file a claim?

Without a written lease, a claim can be delayed or denied, since there's no documented record showing who was authorized to be on the property when the incident occurred.