2026 regulation year
Non-Resident Fishing License Fees by State 2026
Cross-state comparison of 2026non-resident fishing license fees — what you'll pay when fishing outside your home state. Aggregated from each state's official fish & wildlife agency. Click any column header to sort.
Among the 11 states with deep coverage so far, a non-resident annual licence ranges from $45 in North Carolina to $174 in California. Coverage is expanding to all 51 jurisdictions over the 2026 season.
License fee comparison table
A “—” means deep coverage for that jurisdiction is still rolling out for 2026. Each state page links to its official agency where current fees can always be verified. Rows with missing values sort to the bottom regardless of sort direction.
How to read this table
- Non-resident annual is the headline yearly fee for anglers without state residency. Most states sell separate freshwater and saltwater (or all-water) flavors — the figure shown is the most common all-water annual where available, freshwater otherwise.
- Non-resident short-term is the shortest-duration non-resident option each state publishes (1-day, 3-day, 5-day, or 7-day) — pick the shortest stay that covers your trip.
- Saltwater endorsements, trout / two-pole / boat stamps, and youth / senior discounts are detailed per state.
- Processing surcharges at point of sale are added by each state's online vendor and are not reflected above.
Related views
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a fishing license to fish from shore in the US?
- Yes, in nearly every US state. Most state freshwater regulations require a valid license whether you fish from a boat, a bank, or a pier. A handful of coastal states grant narrow exceptions — for example, Florida residents fishing in saltwater from a public pier or shoreline are exempt from the saltwater shoreline license (non-residents are not), and California waives the license requirement on most public ocean piers. For freshwater anglers, assume a license is required and check your destination's state page for any pier or stocked-pond exception.
- Do kids need a fishing license?
- Usually not until they reach the state's resident-youth threshold. Texas, Florida, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, North Carolina, and Arkansas exempt anglers under 16 from buying a license. Alaska also uses age 16. Michigan exempts anglers under 17. Children fishing in tribal or federal waters, or holding species-specific stamps (trout, salmon), may have separate rules — verify on the relevant state page.
- Can I use my home-state fishing license in another state?
- No. Each US state requires its own non-resident license to fish its waters, with a few border-water reciprocity exceptions: Kentucky and Indiana share the Ohio River; Maryland and Virginia honor each other's licenses on the Potomac; and a handful of small boundary lakes between Maine/New Hampshire and the Dakotas have reciprocal agreements. For everywhere else, the comparator table above shows what you will pay as a non-resident.
- Are there free fishing days in the US?
- Yes — almost every state designates one to three license-free fishing days per year, typically on a June weekend (the National Fishing and Boating Week). On those days the license requirement is waived for residents and non-residents, but every other regulation — bag limits, size limits, slot limits, special-water rules, and required stamps such as trout or salmon endorsements — still applies. Check your destination state's regulation page for the exact dates.