Licenses
Fishing License Requirements and Fees
License, permit, and issuance fees and exemptions are established by the Legislature. In addition to the cost of licenses and permits specified in this section, license agents charge issuance fees for selling licenses and permits. For the most current details on fishing and hunting licenses, visit the license information page on the FWC website. Anglers can purchase licenses and permits 24/7 using a credit card by visiting the Go Outdoors Florida website or by calling the toll-free number 888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356). This enables anglers to obtain and use licenses immediately. Handling fees will apply on all Internet and telephone sales. License sales are nonrefundable.
Licensing requirements follow the species of fish you are fishing for, regardless of where you are fishing. Please see “Frequently answered questions” for more information. For fishing license exemptions, please see Methods of Taking Fish, but remember anyone can buy a license to contribute to conservation.
Buy Your License Online!
When you buy your license online, it’s fast, convenient and saves time and travel.
Download the FWC Fish-Hunt-FL app for your iPhone or Android for instant access.
You can purchase a fishing license anytime by visiting the Go Outdoors Florida website and start fishing right away!
Licenses are also available toll-free at 1-888-FISHFLORIDA (1-888-347-4356). Handling fees apply to telephone and Internet sales.
Nonresident Freshwater Fishing Licenses |
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Freshwater Fishing (valid 12 months from specified start date) |
$47.00 |
3-Day Freshwater Fishing (valid 3 consecutive days from specified start date) |
$17.00 |
7-Day Freshwater Fishing (valid 7 consecutive days from specified start date) |
$30.00 |
Lifetime Licenses (For Florida Residents Only) |
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Lifetime licenses are available to Florida residents only. Funds generated from sales of these licenses are invested, creating an endowment to support long-term conservation of Florida’s fish and wildlife resources. Costs of lifetime licenses are less than what would be spent on annual licenses, permits and fees, and are valid in Florida even if you move out of state. |
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4 years or younger |
$401.50 |
5-12 years |
$701.50 |
13 years and older |
$1,001.50 |
4 years or younger |
$126.50 |
5-12 years |
$226.50 |
13 years or older |
$301.50 |
License Exemptions: You Do Not Need a Freshwater Fishing License if...
- You are a child under 16 years of age.
- You are a Florida resident 65 years of age or older and you possess proof of age and residency, such as a Florida driver’s license or ID, or an optional no-cost Resident 65+ Hunting and Fishing Certificate.
- You are a resident who is fishing with live or natural bait, using poles or lines that are not equipped with a fishing-line-retrieval mechanism, and you are fishing for noncommercial purposes in your home county. However, you must have a valid fishing license to fish by any method in a fish management area. This is often referred to as the cane-pole exemption.
- You are fishing in the St. Mary’s River or Lake Seminole (but not including tributary creeks in Florida) and have a valid Georgia fishing license.
- You freshwater fish in your county of residence on your homestead or the homestead of your spouse or minor child, or if you are a minor child hunting or freshwater fishing on the homestead of your parent.
You are a Florida resident certified as totally and permanently disabled and you possess a Florida Resident Disabled Person Hunting and Fishing Certificate.- You are a resident who is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, you are not stationed in this state, and you are home on leave for 30 days or less, upon submission of orders.
- You have been accepted as a client for developmental disabilities services by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The agency must furnish proof to such clients.
- You possess a Resident Freshwater Commercial Fishing License.
- You are freshwater fishing on License-Free Freshwater Fishing Days: first weekend in April (April 4–5, 2026) and the second weekend in June (June 13–14, 2026).
A fish pond is a man-made pond constructed for the primary purpose of fishing, entirely within the property lines of the owner and with no surface water connection to public waters.
- You are fishing in a fish pond of 20 acres or less that is located entirely within the private property of its owner.
- You are fishing in a fish pond of more than 20 acres, whose owner has purchased a fish pond license at a fee of $3 per surface acre.
It is Illegal to Possess Alligator Gar Without a Permit.
It is illegal to possess alligator gar without a Scientific Collectors Permit. Alligator gar are an endemic top predator found only in the panhandle rivers and grow to more than 120 pounds. Due to limited numbers, harvest is restricted. Their gator-like snout is distinctly different than spotted and longnose gar, the two other species of gar found in the panhandle.
