Recreational Licenses
NH Recreational Saltwater License
Cost
$11 (N.H. resident and nonresident)
Recreational fishing licenses are available for purchase online or through any of 150+ N.H. license agents statewide. View the full list of New Hampshire licensing agents on the New Hampshire Fish and Game license agents page.
Visit the New Hampshire Fish and Game website for more information and online services.
Buy your N.H. fishing license online; download the Saltwater Fishing Digest; sign up for fishing reports; and much more!
Who Needs the License?
All persons ages 16 and older participating in recreational saltwater fishing who wish to take, possess, or transport finfish from coastal and estuarine waters of NH need a license. This includes anglers, spearfishers, and persons using other gear types to take marine finfish for personal use and which are not sold.
There is no exemption for persons over age 68 from the recreational saltwater license. This is because we need to collect the name, address, and phone number of all those fishing in saltwater each year in order to obtain an exemption for NH license holders from the National Saltwater Angler Registry and the associated fee.
Exemptions
You do not need the recreational fishing license to fish from a licensed charter or party boat.
Persons who purchased a Lifetime Fishing or Combination License prior to 2011 may obtain a Limited Annual Saltwater License for Lifetime Licensees to fish for saltwater smelt, American shad, trout, and salmon in coastal and estuarine waters. This permit must be applied for each year by mail or at Fish and Game in Concord and is good only for the fish listed above. If you wish to fish for other fish species such as striped bass, flounder, cod, etc. you must purchase a N.H. Recreational Saltwater License.
Angler Reciprocity
Resident anglers possessing a valid N.H. Recreational Saltwater License can legally fish in all tidal and estuarine areas of Massachusetts and in Maine. Reciprocity will be granted in N.H. for those nonresident anglers possessing a valid Maine or Mass. saltwater license.
Let’s Go Fishing! Classes with N.H. Fish and Game
Want to learn how to fish, enhance your fishing skills, help turn a friend into a fishing buddy? Check out Let’s Go Fishing classes from N.H. Fish and Game’s Aquatic Resources Education team! Courses are offered throughout the state by trained volunteer instructors who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to help anglers get started.
Courses for adults and children are free of charge and designed to teach basic ecological concepts, fishing skills, and new ways to enjoy the outdoors together. Courses cover basic techniques for year-round fishing in ponds, lakes, streams and the ocean. A typical course offers hands-on instruction, plus a field trip to put your new skills to the test on the water. Let’s Go Fishing also offers specialty clinics and weekend workshops on fly fishing, saltwater fishing, fly tying, ice fishing and more. View the current class schedule on the New Hampshire Fish and Game website.
Charter and Party Boat License
Cost
- Charter boat: $51
- Party boat: $101
Who Needs the License?
A charter or party boat license is required for party boats, charter boats, dive boats, head boats, and other boats hired by persons to engage in recreational saltwater fishing opportunities which includes the taking of any marine finfish, by any means for personal use only and which are not sold.
Charter boat is a vessel less than 100 gross tons that meets the requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard to carry 6 or fewer passengers for hire.
Party boat or head boat is a vessel that holds a valid Certificate of Inspection issued by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry passengers for hire.
Passengers hiring a licensed party or charter boat do not need to have a Recreational Saltwater Fishing license while fishing from the vessel.
Charter & Party Boat Operators: Please Note
Operators of vessels with a N.H. party or charter boat license operating in coastal and estuarine waters of the state are exempt from the need to obtain a N.H. Guide License if:
- They possess a U.S. Coast Guard-issued Master License or “6-pack” License, and
- They or a crew member on board the vessel has current certification (with practical exam) in basic first aid and CPR, and
- They obtain a federal party/charter permit if fishing in federal waters (>3 miles from shore). Call (978) 281-9370.
Charter and Party Boat Reciprocity
New Hampshire law provides reciprocity for Maine and Massachusetts licensed charter and party boats, but only if those states provide reciprocity for N.H. licensed vessels. At this time, only Massachusetts provides reciprocity for N.H. licensed charter and party boat vessels; licensed N.H. vessels may operate and fish in Mass. state waters, but may not pick up or drop off passengers or land fish in Mass.
Seacoast Fishing Guide
For fishing tips and places to cast your line on New Hampshire’s beautiful coast, check out the Seacoast Fishing Guide.
Also available: shoreline fishing guides to the Manchester/Nashua Region, the Lakes Region, the Great North Woods, Southeastern and Southwestern NH, Upper Valley, and the Concord/Capital Region.
Call (603) 271-3211 to request a copy, or download it from the New Hampshire Fish and Game website.
Share your love of fishing—Become a Volunteer “Let’s Go Fishing” Instructor!
For more information on the “Let’s Go Fishing” program, call (603) 271-3212.
Aquatic Resources Education
N.H. Fish and Game Department
