Fishing Licenses & Fees

• Any combination (married couple) type license requires each spouse to have a complete customer record on file.
• Resident youth younger than 16 do not need a fishing license.
• Licenses, including free licenses, are subject to a $1 issuing fee for original licenses or a 50-cent fee for duplicates. Codes 128 and 129 are subject to a 50-cent duplicate fee. No issuing fees apply to codes 130, 134, 135, 407, 411, 413, or 415.
• Purchase online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense.
• License year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February unless otherwise noted.
• Fish house, dark house or shelter licenses are valid March 1 to April 30 the following year (or 3-year period).
• A fishing license continues to be valid for the balance of the license period if the licensee’s age, residency, or student qualification status changes.
• Super Sports licenses include: 50 cents for wolf management; 50 cents for emergency feeding and wild cervidae-deer health management; $1 deer/bear management account; and $2 for deer management.
• In the table below, the 3-digit code refers to the license identification code.

Resident Angling Licenses

Nonresident Angling Licenses

A $5 surcharge on nonresident licenses is included with the applicable fee. Nonresident youth under age 16, check page 27.

Electronic Licensing Information

The Electronic Licensing System (ELS) issues licenses and stamp validations through 1,400 license agent locations statewide.

Instant Licenses

Customers may purchase instant licenses and stamp validations online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense. An additional convenience fee is added for sales via the website. Purchasing an e-license on your smartphone or tablet means you won’t receive a paper copy of your license. Instead, you elect to receive an email and/or print your valid license.

Lifetime Licenses

First-time purchase of lifetime licenses is only available at the DNR License Center in St. Paul. Application forms are available online or through the DNR Information Center 888-646-6367. A lifetime license holder who is required by law to have a game and fish license, must authorize their participation by obtaining an annual license renewal each year the lifetime license is used. These annual licenses are issued at no fee. Visit mndnr.gov/licenses/lifetime for more information.

Conservation Licenses

• Conservation Licenses are available only to residents of Minnesota.
• Daily and possession limits are half of what can be taken with a standard angling license. Fractions are rounded down to next whole number (see page 28 for list).
• People bowfishing, spearing, or using other approved harvest methods under a Conservation License are limited to one half of the daily and possession limit for that method.
• Sturgeon harvest tag/endorsement may not be used with a Conservation License.

Trout/Salmon Stamp

Trout/salmon stamp validations are printed on the ELS license. This is the only verification needed to prove purchase of the trout/salmon stamp. Purchasers may request the actual pictorial stamp for an additional 75 cents.

Except as noted, anglers need a Minnesota trout/salmon stamp validation and a fishing or sports license when fishing in designated trout streams, designated trout lakes, Lake Superior, or when possessing trout on waters that are not designated trout water. All trout and salmon in possession require a trout/salmon validation, unless received as a gift, (see giving fish on page 41). Trout/salmon stamps are not required for children younger than 18 years old, adults who are 65 and older, people fishing with a 24-hour or 72-hour license or people who are exempt from fishing license requirements or who receive a fishing license at no charge.

Walleye Stamp

• Purchase of a walleye stamp is voluntary; it is not needed for fishing.
• Revenues from the sale of walleye stamps are used for stocking walleyes purchased from the private sector.
• Walleye stamp validations are printed on the ELS license. Purchasers may request the actual pictorial stamp for an additional 75 cents.