HIP certification stands for Harvest Information Program certification, which is a federally mandated program to improve information about the harvest of all migratory game birds. It is required by law to hunt migratory game birds in many states, including Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Illinois. To obtain HIP certification, hunters are asked a few simple questions about their migratory bird hunting activities when they purchase a hunting license or any migratory bird hunting endorsements. The letters "HIP" should appear on the hunters license to indicate that they have been HIP certified.