Fishing License Cost by State
What every state charges, and the part the price tag leaves out: when the licence stops working. 417 prices, 50 expiry rules, 62 free fishing days and 120 stamps, each one quoted from the agency page it was read off.
The same licence bought on the same day is worth 365 more days in one state than another
Buy an annual fishing licence on 1 December in Pennsylvania and it runs for 395 days. Buy one on the same morning in West Virginia and it runs for 30. The two states share a border, both charge under thirty dollars, and both describe their rule in a single clear sentence on their own website. Neither sentence mentions the other, and there is no reason it should: an agency has one clock to explain and explains it perfectly well.
The difference is that Pennsylvania sells next year’s licence from the first of December and lets it start working immediately, while West Virginia sells this year’s until the last day of it. Both are calendar year states. Both statements are true. The gap between them is the single largest piece of value in this entire subject and it is invisible from inside either state.
The chart below is every state on one scale: how many days an annual licence bought on 1 December 2026 still has in it. The bars are drawn against 395 days, the longest in the country, because a thirty day bar only looks like thirty days beside the bar it is thirty days of.
No bar for Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, Vermont. Each of those four agencies prices every licence it sells and prints no sentence saying when one stops working, and a bar drawn for them would be this site guessing.
There are five clocks, and most people have only ever seen one
An angler who has fished one state their whole life usually assumes their state’s rule is the rule. It is the commonest assumption in this subject and it is wrong four times out of five, because the country runs five different systems and the largest of them covers only 19 states.
365 day
38% of the 50
Runs a year from the day you buy it
Licence year
32% of the 50
Runs to a fixed date that is not 31 December
Calendar year
20% of the 50
Dies on 31 December whatever day you bought it
Two clocks
2% of the 50
A fixed date, or a year from purchase for more money
Not published
8% of the 50
The agency prints no validity sentence
The 19 states on a rolling year are the ones where the month of purchase does not matter at all: the licence runs 365 days from the day it is bought, and buying on 20 December costs nothing in time. The 16 on a licence year run to a fixed date that is not 31 December, most often the last day of February, March or June, which is a hangover from the season the agency built its books around long before anybody bought a licence on a telephone.
The 10 calendar year states are where the December question actually bites. 9 of them stop a licence on 31 December whatever day it was bought, so the last month of the year is worth a twelfth of what the first month is worth for the same money. Pennsylvania is the tenth and the exception, and it is the exception on purpose.
Four expiry rules as the agencies write them
These are quoted rather than summarised because an expiry rule is exactly the kind of sentence a paraphrase changes. Every state page on this site carries its own agency’s sentence in the same way, with the page and the date it was read beside it.
2026 licenses, permits, and vouchers purchased now are valid immediately for up to 13 months, from December 1, 2025, through December 31, 2026.
Fishing and Hunting Licenses are good for the calendar year. You must purchase new licenses at the beginning of each year.
License expiration Annual license/permit authorization numbers are valid from the date of purchase through the last day in February. New licenses are required annually March 1. A temporary fishing license is valid for the period shown on the license. KRS 150.175
All licenses are valid 365 days from the date of purchase.
What each state charges and how long it lasts
Alphabetical, because this is the table people arrive at knowing which state they want. The clock column is the rule that state’s agency publishes, and the days column is the same December arithmetic the chart above draws. The price column is the ordinary resident annual licence for the state’s own inland water: several agencies also sell a combination licence, a saltwater one and a short term one, and all 417 of them are on the state pages with the line each was printed in.
| State | Clock | A 1 December purchase | Resident annual | Nonresident annual | Who sells it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Licence year | 273 days | $17.00 | $66.25 | Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division |
| Alaska | Calendar year | 30 days | $20.00 | $100.00 | Alaska Department of Fish and Game |
| Arizona | 365 day | 365 days | $37 | $55 | Arizona Game and Fish Department |
| Arkansas | 365 day | 365 days | $10.50 | $60 | Arkansas Game and Fish Commission |
| California | 365 day | 365 days | $64.54 | $174.14 | California Department of Fish and Wildlife |
| Colorado | Licence year | 120 days | $44.87 | $124.01 | Colorado Parks and Wildlife |
| Connecticut | Calendar year | 30 days | $28.00 | $55.00 | Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection |
| Delaware | Calendar year | 30 days | $8.50 | $20.00 | Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, DNREC |
| Florida | 365 day | 365 days | $17.00 | $47.00 | Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |
| Georgia | 365 day | 365 days | $15 | $50 | Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division |
| Hawaii | Not published | Not published | $5 | $25 | Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources |
| Idaho | Calendar year | 30 days | $30.50 | $108.00 | Idaho Department of Fish and Game |
| Illinois | Licence year | 120 days | $15.00 | $31.50 | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
| Indiana | Licence year | 120 days | $23 | $60 | Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish & Wildlife |
| Iowa | Licence year | 40 days | $22.00 | $48.00 | Iowa Department of Natural Resources |
| Kansas | 365 day | 365 days | $25.00 | $75.00 | Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks |
| Kentucky | Licence year | 89 days | $24.31 | $58.14 | Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources |
| Louisiana | 365 day | 365 days | $17 | $68 | Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries |
| Maine | Not published | Not published | $30 | $83 | Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife |
| Maryland | 365 day | 365 days | $32.00 | $55 | Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fishing and Boating Services |
| Massachusetts | Calendar year | 30 days | $40.00 | $50.00 | Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife |
| Michigan | Licence year | 120 days | $26* | $76* | Michigan Department of Natural Resources |
| Minnesota | Licence year | 89 days | $25 | $51 | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
| Mississippi | 365 day | 365 days | $10.00 | $68.00 | Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks |
| Missouri | Licence year | 89 days | $14 | $57 | Missouri Department of Conservation |
| Montana | Licence year | 89 days | $21 | $100 | Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks |
| Nebraska | Not published | Not published | $41 | $95.50 | Nebraska Game and Parks Commission |
| Nevada | 365 day | 365 days | $40.00 | $80.00 | Nevada Department of Wildlife |
| New Hampshire | Calendar year | 30 days | $45.00 | $63.00 | New Hampshire Fish and Game Department |
| New Jersey | Calendar year | 30 days | $22.50 | $34 | NJDEP Fish & Wildlife |
| New Mexico | Licence year | 120 days | $35.00 | $90.00 | New Mexico Department of Game and Fish |
| New York | 365 day | 365 days | $25 | $50 | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation |
| North Carolina | 365 day | 365 days | $32 | $56 | North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission |
| North Dakota | Licence year | 120 days | $27 | $68 | North Dakota Game and Fish Department |
| Ohio | 365 day | 365 days | $25.00 | $76.96 | Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife |
| Oklahoma | 365 day | 365 days | $31 | $81 | Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation |
| Oregon | Calendar year | 30 days | $50.00 | $138.00 | Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife |
| Pennsylvania | Calendar year | 395 days | $27.97 | $60.97 | Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission |
| Rhode Island | Licence year | 89 days | $24.00 | $41.00 | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife |
| South Carolina | 365 day | 365 days | $10.00 | $35.00 | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources |
| South Dakota | Licence year | 61 days | $31 | $80 | South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks |
| Tennessee | 365 day | 365 days | $10.00 | $49.00 | Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency |
| Texas | Two clocks | 273 days | $30 | $58 | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
| Utah | 365 day | 365 days | $40.00 | $120.00 | Utah Division of Wildlife Resources |
| Vermont | Not published | Not published | $28.00 | $54.00 | Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department |
| Virginia | 365 day | 365 days | $23.00 | $47.00 | Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources |
| Washington | Licence year | 120 days | $39.95 | $115.85 | Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |
| West Virginia | Calendar year | 30 days | $19.00 | $37.00 | West Virginia Division of Natural Resources |
| Wisconsin | Licence year | 120 days | $20.00 | $55.00 | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
| Wyoming | 365 day | 365 days | $27.00 | $102.00 | Wyoming Game and Fish Department |
From $5 in Hawaii to $64.54 in California
The national middle is $25.00, which is where Ohio sits. The spread above and below it does not track how good the fishing is, how much water a state has or how cold it gets. It tracks how much of an agency’s budget comes from licence sales rather than from a general fund or a federal excise tax on tackle, which is an accounting question that happens to land on the angler.
A word on what these figures are. Several agencies print a base fee and charge a larger one at the counter once an issuing or transaction fee is added, and a few print only the all in figure. Every price here is the one the agency prints, and the state page quotes the line it was read from, so a figure that looks wrong against a receipt can be checked against the source in one click rather than argued about.
| State | Resident annual | What the agency calls it | Nonresident annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $5 | Freshwater Game Fishing License, resident | $25 |
| Delaware | $8.50 | Resident Fishing License (Ages 16 to 64) | $20.00 |
| Mississippi | $10.00 | Small Game Hunting/Freshwater Fishing | $68.00 |
| South Carolina | $10.00 | Freshwater Fishing License | $35.00 |
| Tennessee | $10.00 | County of Residence Fishing - No Trout ages 13 and over | $49.00 |
| Arkansas | $10.50 | Resident Fisheries Conservation License (FSH) | $60 |
| Missouri | $14 | Resident Fishing Permit | $57 |
| Georgia | $15 | Fishing License | $50 |
| Illinois | $15.00 | Resident Fishing License | $31.50 |
| Alabama | $17.00 | FRESHWATER FISHING | $66.25 |
| Florida | $17.00 | Freshwater Fishing License, Resident Annual | $47.00 |
| Louisiana | $17 | Basic Fishing (includes all legal recreational freshwater gear) | $68 |
| West Virginia | $19.00 | Fishing (Class B) | $37.00 |
| Alaska | $20.00 | Resident Annual Sport Fishing License | $100.00 |
| Wisconsin | $20.00 | Resident Individual (Annual) Fishing License | $55.00 |
| Montana | $21 | Base Fishing License, Full Season | $100 |
| Iowa | $22.00 | Resident Fishing | $48.00 |
| New Jersey | $22.50 | Resident Fishing | $34 |
| Indiana | $23 | Annual Fishing | $60 |
| Virginia | $23.00 | One-year Resident License to Freshwater Fish | $47.00 |
| Rhode Island | $24.00 | Resident (or current member of the armed forces) | $41.00 |
| Kentucky | $24.31 | Annual Fishing | $58.14 |
| Kansas | $25.00 | 1 Year Fishing License | $75.00 |
| Minnesota | $25 | Resident Individual Angling License (code 111, Adult Annual) | $51 |
| New York | $25 | Annual | $50 |
| Ohio | $25.00 | Resident 1-Year License | $76.96 |
| Michigan | $26* | Resident Annual | $76* |
| North Dakota | $27 | Fishing License (ages 16 and older) | $68 |
| Wyoming | $27.00 | Resident 12 Month Fishing License | $102.00 |
| Pennsylvania | $27.97 | Resident (Annual) | $60.97 |
| Connecticut | $28.00 | Inland Waters Only | $55.00 |
| Vermont | $28.00 | Fishing | $54.00 |
| Maine | $30 | Season Fishing (16 and older) | $83 |
| Texas | $30 | Resident Freshwater Package | $58 |
| Idaho | $30.50 | Fishing - Adult | $108.00 |
| Oklahoma | $31 | Annual Fishing | $81 |
| South Dakota | $31 | Annual Fishing | $80 |
| Maryland | $32.00 | Resident Nontidal Sport Fishing License | $55 |
| North Carolina | $32 | State Inland Fishing | $56 |
| New Mexico | $35.00 | Annual Fishing | $90.00 |
| Arizona | $37 | General fishing license | $55 |
| Washington | $39.95 | Freshwater (includes a Vehicle Access Pass) | $115.85 |
| Massachusetts | $40.00 | Resident Fishing | $50.00 |
| Nevada | $40.00 | Annual Adult Fishing License (ages 18 & older) | $80.00 |
| Utah | $40.00 | Resident 1-year fishing (age 18-64) | $120.00 |
| Nebraska | $41 | Fish, annual | $95.50 |
| Colorado | $44.87 | Adult Annual Fishing License | $124.01 |
| New Hampshire | $45.00 | Freshwater Fishing | $63.00 |
| Oregon | $50.00 | Angling | $138.00 |
| California | $64.54 | Resident Sport Fishing | $174.14 |
From Massachusetts at 1.25 times to Arkansas at 5.71
Every state charges a visitor more than a neighbour for the same water, and the multiple is one of the sharper pieces of character a wildlife agency has. Arkansas charges 5.71 times its resident price and Massachusetts charges 1.25, and the difference between those two postures is the difference between a state that treats out of state anglers as a revenue line and one that treats them as a Saturday.
For a visitor the ratio is usually the wrong number to look at anyway. Most states sell a one day, three day or seven day nonresident licence for a fraction of the annual one, and on a long weekend the short term licence is cheaper in almost every state in the country. Those are on the state pages, priced, with the duration beside each.
| State | A visitor pays | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 5.71x | $10.50 | $60 |
| Alaska | 5.00x | $20.00 | $100.00 |
| Hawaii | 5.00x | $5 | $25 |
| Tennessee | 4.90x | $10.00 | $49.00 |
| Montana | 4.76x | $21 | $100 |
| Missouri | 4.07x | $14 | $57 |
| Louisiana | 4.00x | $17 | $68 |
| Alabama | 3.90x | $17.00 | $66.25 |
| Wyoming | 3.78x | $27.00 | $102.00 |
| Idaho | 3.54x | $30.50 | $108.00 |
| South Carolina | 3.50x | $10.00 | $35.00 |
| Georgia | 3.33x | $15 | $50 |
| Ohio | 3.08x | $25.00 | $76.96 |
| Kansas | 3.00x | $25.00 | $75.00 |
| Utah | 3.00x | $40.00 | $120.00 |
| Michigan | 2.92x | $26* | $76* |
| Washington | 2.90x | $39.95 | $115.85 |
| Maine | 2.77x | $30 | $83 |
| Florida | 2.76x | $17.00 | $47.00 |
| Colorado | 2.76x | $44.87 | $124.01 |
| Oregon | 2.76x | $50.00 | $138.00 |
| Wisconsin | 2.75x | $20.00 | $55.00 |
| California | 2.70x | $64.54 | $174.14 |
| Oklahoma | 2.61x | $31 | $81 |
| Indiana | 2.61x | $23 | $60 |
| South Dakota | 2.58x | $31 | $80 |
| New Mexico | 2.57x | $35.00 | $90.00 |
| North Dakota | 2.52x | $27 | $68 |
| Kentucky | 2.39x | $24.31 | $58.14 |
| Delaware | 2.35x | $8.50 | $20.00 |
| Nebraska | 2.33x | $41 | $95.50 |
| Iowa | 2.18x | $22.00 | $48.00 |
| Pennsylvania | 2.18x | $27.97 | $60.97 |
| Illinois | 2.10x | $15.00 | $31.50 |
| Virginia | 2.04x | $23.00 | $47.00 |
| Minnesota | 2.04x | $25 | $51 |
| Nevada | 2.00x | $40.00 | $80.00 |
| New York | 2.00x | $25 | $50 |
| Connecticut | 1.96x | $28.00 | $55.00 |
| West Virginia | 1.95x | $19.00 | $37.00 |
| Texas | 1.93x | $30 | $58 |
| Vermont | 1.93x | $28.00 | $54.00 |
| North Carolina | 1.75x | $32 | $56 |
| Maryland | 1.72x | $32.00 | $55 |
| Rhode Island | 1.71x | $24.00 | $41.00 |
| New Jersey | 1.51x | $22.50 | $34 |
| Arizona | 1.49x | $37 | $55 |
| New Hampshire | 1.40x | $45.00 | $63.00 |
| Massachusetts | 1.25x | $40.00 | $50.00 |
42 states publish 62 free fishing days
Most states set aside at least one day a year when the licence requirement comes off, usually a Saturday in June tied to National Fishing and Boating Week, and several add a winter one. What comes off is the licence and nothing else: seasons, limits, size rules and closed water all run exactly as they always do, and a few states still want a free permit pulled before the day.
8 states publish none at all: Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada and South Carolina. That is worth knowing before planning a trip around one, because a free day in a neighbouring state does not travel.
| State | When | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Saturday, June 13, 2026 | anyone, fresh and salt water, statewide |
| Arkansas | the second weekend in June | proclaimed by the governor rather than fixed in the guidebook |
| California | Saturday, July 4, and Saturday, September 5 | anyone, no sport fishing licence needed, though report cards are still required for steelhead, sturgeon, abalone, spiny lobster and some salmon |
| Colorado | June 6-7, 2026 | residents and nonresidents of all ages, licence and habitat stamp both waived |
| Connecticut | Saturday May 9, 2026 | anyone, statewide |
| Connecticut | Sunday June 21, 2026 | anyone, on a free one day licence the licensing system issues from three weeks beforehand |
| Connecticut | Saturday August 8, 2026 | anyone, on a free one day licence the licensing system issues from three weeks beforehand |
| Florida | First consecutive Saturday and Sunday in April; Second consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June | freshwater, all recreational anglers, residents and non-residents |
| Florida | First consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June; First Saturday in September; Saturday following Thanksgiving | saltwater, all recreational anglers, residents and non-residents |
| Florida | April 3-4, 2027 and June 12-13, 2027 | freshwater, dates as printed in the 2026-2027 digest |
| Georgia | June 6, 2026, June 13 2026 | Georgia residents, fresh and salt water, trout included |
| Georgia | September 26, 2026 | Georgia residents, National Hunting and Fishing Day |
| Idaho | June 13, 2026 | all anglers, residents and nonresidents, no licence or salmon permit needed |
| Idaho | June 12, 2027 | all anglers, residents and nonresidents, no licence or salmon permit needed |
| Illinois | June 19, 20, 21, and 22, 2026 | anyone, residents and nonresidents, licence plus both stamps waived, includes the Illinois portion of Lake Michigan |
| Indiana | May 10, June 6-7, and Sept. 26, 2026 | Indiana residents only, licence and trout salmon stamp both waived, all other rules still apply |
| Iowa | June 5, 6 and 7 | Iowa residents only, licence and trout fee both waived, all other rules still apply |
| Kansas | The first full weekend in June, the agency prints no dated 2026 announcement | everyone fishing in Kansas those two days, with every other rule still in force |
| Kentucky | June 6-7, 2026 | residents and nonresidents, the first Saturday and Sunday in June |
| Maine | February 14-15, 2026 and May 30-31, 2026 | anyone fishing in Maine, residents and nonresidents alike, except anyone whose licence is suspended or revoked |
| Maryland | the first two Saturdays in June and July 4 | anyone, residents and non-residents, statewide, all other fishing rules still apply |
| Michigan | Winter: Feb. 14-15, 2026 | residents and nonresidents, inland and Great Lakes waters, all species |
| Michigan | Summer: June 13-14, 2026 | residents and nonresidents, inland and Great Lakes waters, all species |
| Minnesota | May 9-10, 2026 | Minnesota resident mothers only, not a general open weekend |
| Minnesota | June 5-7, 2026 | Minnesota residents 16 and older, only while fishing with a child under 16 |
| Minnesota | January 16-18, 2027 | Minnesota residents 16 and older, only while fishing with a child under 16 |
| Mississippi | June 6 and 7, 2026 | Mississippi residents, and no fishing permit needed at state fishing lakes or state park lakes |
| Mississippi | July 4, 2026 | Mississippi residents on public waters, but a permit is still needed at state fishing lakes and state park lakes |
| Missouri | June 6 and 7, 2026 | any person, resident or nonresident, on state waters, with the fishing permit, trout permit and area daily tag all waived |
| Montana | May 9-10 and June 20-21, 2026 | residents and nonresidents, any fish except paddlefish and bull trout |
| Nebraska | One day each year, the 2026 date is not printed in the guide | Fishing and state park entry both free for the day; the Commission publishes the date on its own site rather than in the guide |
| New Hampshire | Saturday, January 17, 2026 | residents and nonresidents, any inland water or saltwater, tournament anglers still need a licence |
| New Hampshire | Saturday, June 6 | residents and nonresidents, anywhere in New Hampshire, tournament anglers still need a licence |
| New Jersey | June 6 and Sept. 26, 2026 | New Jersey residents only, public fresh waters, no trout stamp needed, all other rules still apply |
| New Mexico | JUNE 6-7 | anyone, with every other fishing rule still in force |
| New Mexico | SEPTEMBER 26-27 | anyone, with every other fishing rule still in force |
| New York | Saturday, September 26, 2026 | anyone, residents and nonresidents, fresh water only |
| North Carolina | July 4th | anyone, all public waters including coastal and trout waters |
| North Dakota | June 6-7, 2026 and December 26-27, 2026 | North Dakota residents only, and not for paddlefish |
| North Dakota | June 5-6, 2027 and December 26-27, 2027 | North Dakota residents only, and not for paddlefish |
Forty of the 62 days are shown. The rest are on their own state pages beside the sentence each was read from.
29 states set the age at 16, and one sets it at 9
Sixteen is the commonest threshold in the country by a distance, but the spread underneath it is real and it is the thing most often got wrong on a family trip. The agency’s own sentence is what settles it, because the wording usually carries a condition the number alone does not: who the child has to be with, whose limit the fish count against, and whether the age is measured on the day or in the licence year.
At the other end, 8 states give residents over a certain age a free licence outright rather than a discount: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Wyoming. Several of those still want the free licence issued rather than assumed.
| State | Licence needed from | Senior from |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 9 | 65 |
| Arizona | 10 | 70 |
| Montana | 12 | 62 |
| Nevada | 12 | 65 |
| New Mexico | 12 | 65 |
| Oregon | 12 | 70 |
| Utah | 12 | 65 |
| Tennessee | 13 | 65 |
| Idaho | 14 | 65 |
| Wyoming | 14 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 15 | 65 |
| Rhode Island | 15 | 65 |
| Vermont | 15 | 66 |
| West Virginia | 15 | 65 |
| Alabama | 16 | 65 |
| Arkansas | 16 | 65 |
| California | 16 | 65 |
| Colorado | 16 | 64 |
| Connecticut | 16 | 65 |
| Delaware | 16 | 65 |
| Florida | 16 | 65 |
| Georgia | 16 | 65 |
| Illinois | 16 | 65 |
| Iowa | 16 | 65 |
| Kansas | 16 | 65 |
| Kentucky | 16 | 65 |
| Maine | 16 | 65 |
| Maryland | 16 | 65 |
| Minnesota | 16 | 90 |
| Mississippi | 16 | 65 |
| Missouri | 16 | 65 |
| Nebraska | 16 | 69 |
| New Hampshire | 16 | 68 |
| New Jersey | 16 | 65 |
| New York | 16 | 70 |
| North Carolina | 16 | Not published |
| North Dakota | 16 | 65 |
| Ohio | 16 | 65 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 65 |
| South Carolina | 16 | 64 |
| Virginia | 16 | 65 |
| Washington | 16 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | 16 | 65 |
| Michigan | 17 | 65 |
| Texas | 17 | 65 |
| Alaska | 18 | 60 |
| Indiana | 18 | 64 |
| Louisiana | 18 | 60 |
| Oklahoma | 18 | 65 |
| South Dakota | 18 | 65 |
44 states sell 120 stamps on top of the licence
A licence is the base, and in most of the country there is something above it. A trout stamp, a salmon permit, a saltwater registration, a two pole endorsement, a reef fish endorsement: each is a separate purchase, and a licence alone does not carry any of them. This is the line a great many anglers cross without knowing it, usually on the first morning of a trip into water they do not normally fish.
The trout stamp is the one that catches most people. A state that stocks trout usually funds the hatchery out of the stamp rather than out of the licence, which means the fish in the truck are paid for by the people fishing for them, and the licence in a wallet buys none of it.
| State | Stamp or endorsement | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Reef Fish Endorsement | $10.00 | saltwater anglers targeting Gulf reef fish |
| Alabama | SPEARFISHING | $6.00 | resident spearfishing, on top of a fishing licence |
| Alabama | WILDLIFE HERITAGE LICENSE | $13.95 | bank fishing and small game on managed land, free with a fishing licence |
| Alaska | Nonresident 1 Day King Salmon Stamp | $15.00 | one day of fishing for king salmon |
| Alaska | Nonresident Annual King Salmon Stamp | $100.00 | fishing for king salmon outside stocked lakes |
| Alaska | Resident Annual King Salmon Stamp | $10.00 | fishing for king salmon outside stocked lakes |
| Arkansas | Nonresident Trout Permit (TPN) | $20 | nonresidents keeping trout or fishing the named trout waters |
| Arkansas | Resident Trout Permit (TPR) | $10 | residents keeping trout or fishing the named trout waters |
| Arkansas | White River Border Lakes License (WRL) | $10 | Arkansas licence holders fishing the Missouri waters of Bull Shoals, Norfork and Table Rock |
| California | Ocean Enhancement Validation | $7.30 | ocean waters south of Point Arguello |
| California | Recreational Crab Trap Validation | $2.98 | taking crabs with crab traps |
| California | Second Rod Validation | $20.26 | a second rod in inland waters |
| California | Spiny Lobster Report Card | $12.70 | taking spiny lobster |
| Colorado | Annual Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Stamp | $25.00 resident, $50.00 non-resident | motorboats and sailboats, not anglers on foot |
| Colorado | Annual Habitat Stamp (nonrefundable) | $12.76 | buyers aged 18 to 64, once a year |
| Colorado | Second-rod Stamp | $14.24 | fishing a second rod, hand line or tip-up |
| Connecticut | Trout and Salmon Stamp | $5.00 | keeping trout or salmon, or fishing a Trout Management Area, Wild Trout Management Area, Trout Park or Atlantic Salmon Management Area |
| Delaware | Non-Resident Trout Stamp (Age 12 and Over) | $6.20 | non-residents aged 12 and over fishing for trout |
| Delaware | Resident Trout Stamp (Ages 16 to 64) | $4.20 | residents fishing for trout |
| Delaware | Resident Young Angler Trout Stamp (Age 12-15) | $2.10 | resident anglers aged 12 to 15 fishing for trout |
| Florida | Resident Annual Saltwater Shoreline License | No-Cost | residents fishing saltwater from shore |
| Florida | Snook Permit | $10.00 | saltwater anglers keeping snook |
| Florida | Spiny Lobster Permit | $5.00 | saltwater anglers taking lobster |
| Georgia | SIP Permit | Free | anyone 16 or older fishing Georgia saltwater |
| Georgia | Trout License | $10 | resident anglers 16 and older fishing for mountain trout |
| Georgia | Trout License | $25 | nonresident anglers 16 and older fishing for mountain trout |
| Idaho | Fishing - Two-pole | $15.00 | fishing with a second rod |
| Idaho | Salmon or Steelhead | $15.25 | fishing for salmon or steelhead, on top of a licence |
| Illinois | Electronic Inland Trout Stamp | $6.50 | taking trout in Illinois waters other than Lake Michigan |
| Illinois | Electronic Lake Michigan Salmon Stamp | $6.50 | taking salmon or trout in Lake Michigan |
| Indiana | Trout/Salmon Stamp Privilege | $11 | resident anglers taking trout or salmon from public waters |
| Indiana | Trout/Salmon Stamp Privilege | $11 | nonresident anglers taking trout or salmon from public waters |
| Iowa | Bonus Line - 3rd Fish Line | $14.00 | fishing a third line |
| Iowa | Nonresident Trout Fish Fee | $17.50 | fishing for or keeping trout, nonresidents |
| Iowa | Resident Trout Fish Fee | $14.50 | fishing for or keeping trout, residents |
| Kansas | Handfishing Permit | $25.00 | handfishing, on a calendar year clock unlike the licence itself |
| Kansas | Paddlefish Permit | $10.00 | snagging paddlefish, six carcass tags included |
| Kansas | Three-Pole Permit | $6.00 | fishing a third rod |
| Kansas | Trout Permit (age 16 and older) | $17.50 | fishing for trout, residents and nonresidents alike |
| Kansas | Trout Permit Youth (age 15 and younger) | $4.50 | fishing for trout, anglers 15 and younger |
| Kentucky | Peabody WMA User Permit | $15.86 | users of the Peabody Wildlife Management Area |
| Kentucky | Trout Permit | $10.57 | anyone keeping trout, resident or nonresident |
| Louisiana | Recreational Offshore Landing Permit | Free | anglers keeping tunas, snappers, groupers and other named offshore species |
| Louisiana | Recreational Saltwater Bowfishing Permit | Free | anyone 18 or older taking saltwater fish with bowfishing gear |
| Maryland | Maryland Saltwater Angler Registration | $0.00 | anglers in tidal water who are not individually licensed, including passengers on licensed boats and anglers in licence free areas |
Fishing license questions
Fishing licenses in every state
Fifty state wildlife agencies read September 23, 2026, every price, expiry rule, age rule, free day and stamp linked to the page it came from. Fees change by legislation and by rule, usually with effect from the start of a licence year, and the agency page linked beside each line is what governs on the day.