Licenses

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

License Type	CT Resident age 18–64 fee	CT Resident age 16 or 17 fee	Non-Resident 16 or older fee
Sport fishing licenses (fee is US Dollars) *
Inland waters only *	$28	$14	$55
Marine waters only *	$10	$5	$15
All waters *	$32	$16	$63
1 day — Marine waters only *	$5	$3	n/a
3 consecutive days — Inland waters only *	n/a	n/a	$22
3 consecutive days — Marine waters only *	n/a	n/a	$8
Combination Licenses (fee is US Dollars) *
Inland Waters and Firearms hunting *	$38	$19	$110
Marine Waters and Firearms hunting *	$25	$13	$94
All Waters and Firearms hunting *	$40	$20	$120
All Waters and bow and arrow permit to hunt deer and small game *	$65	$33	n/a
Free Licenses *
CT Resident age 65 and older *	n/a	n/a	n/a
Free Special Licenses (available only at participating town halls and selected DEEP offices).
Blind Inland or Marine fishing license (lifetime).¹	Free	Free	n/a
Intellectual disability Inland or Marine fishing license (lifetime).²	Free	Free	n/a
Physical disability (loss of one or more limbs, or permanent loss of the use of one or more limbs) Inland or Marine waters fishing, hunting, or combination licenses (lifetime).³	Free	Free	Free to qualified nonresidents who reside in states which allow CT residents the same privilege.
* Trout & Salmon Stamp May Be Needed. $5.00 Fee—See Trout & Salmon Stamp. 1 Issuance of a free license to a person who is blind requires proof of blindness from the Department of Rehabilitation Services, or in the case of a veteran, by the United States Veterans' Administration. 2 Issuance of a free license to a person with intellectual disabilities requires proof of intellectual disability (as defined in Public Act 11-16) in the form of a certificate provided by a licensed physician or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse. 3 Any resident with the loss of a limb or the permanent loss of the use of a limb and a certificate to that effect provided by a licensed physician or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse may be issued a free license. Qualified nonresidents who are residents of states which allow CT residents the same privileges are also eligible.

Recreational Fishing Licenses

Thank you for your support of fisheries programs and our fisheries. All (100%) of the money generated from your purchase of a license goes to support Connecticut’s fish and wildlife. Your support is critical to help sustain your fisheries resources. An Inland fishing license is required for anyone 16 years of age or older fishing in the Inland District (see Marine/Inland Demarcation for demarcation between Inland and Marine Districts). A Marine recreational fishing license is required for anyone age 16 of age or older fishing from shore or from a boat in the marine district. Most licenses are issued on a calendar year basis and expire on December 31st. Licenses are available online at www.ct.gov/deep/fishing. Licenses are also available at participating town halls, tackle retailers and DEEP field offices. For a complete list of vendors, visit the DEEP website or call DEEP Licensing and Revenue (860-424-3105).

Active Armed Forces Members

Any active, full-time member of the armed forces may be issued fishing and/or small game firearms licenses for the resident fee. Proof of membership during the calendar year must be carried while using the license. These licenses are available only at town clerk and select DEEP offices.

Other Recreational Marine Licenses

Special “Personal Use” licenses are required for: a) persons taking lobsters for their own use by up to 10 pots or SCUBA, and B) persons taking menhaden with a single gill net not more than 60 feet in length, for personal use from marine waters only.

Personal Use Lobster License: $60.00 (purchase of pot tags also required if using pots)
Personal Use Gillnet License for Menhaden: $100

Marine “Personal Use” licenses are issued on a calendar year basis, are non-transferable, and are only issued by DEEP Licensing and Revenue at 79 Elm St., Hartford, CT 06106-5127. See https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Fishing/General-Information/Fisheries-Licenses-and-Permits for additional information and a license application.

Commercial Licenses

A commercial license is required to take, possess or land (regardless where taken) fish, lobsters, blue crabs, whelk, squid, sea scallops, horseshoe crabs and bait species intended for sale from both the inland and marine districts. Contact the DEEP Marine Fisheries Program at 860-434-6043 or write to the Marine Fisheries Program at [email protected] or P.O. Box 719, Old Lyme, CT 06371 for further information on commercial fishing https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Fishing/Commercial/Commercial-Fishing.

Group Fishing Licenses

Available to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations wishing to conduct group fishing programs and events for qualified:

Veterans with a service-related or other disability.
Persons receiving mental health or addiction services from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and associated programs & facilities.
Individuals with autism or intellectual disabilities receiving services from the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) or a facility licensed by DDS; or
Persons receiving care from the Department of Children and Families (DCF), DCF receiving homes, or certain DCF-licensed child care facilities or programs.

Qualified organizations can apply for a Group Fishing License ($125.00) to hold up to 50 events per year (both inland and marine water). Each event is limited to 50 people and must be supervised by organization staff or volunteers (who must have their fishing licenses). No fee can be charged to participate and the events may not be used as a fundraiser. Contact DEEP Fisheries for more information and application forms.

Family Fishing Day 2021

May 8th—no license required.

Free Fishing License Days

June 20th & August 14th.

Get a free one-day license to fish on these days.