Fishing Licenses & Permits

2023 FISHING LICENSES

Annual licenses are valid from December 1, 2022, through December 31, 2023. WHILE FISHING, your license must be, either in digitalor print form, upon your person and provided upon the request of an officer.

Code	Type of Fishing License or Permit	Age	Cost*
101	Resident (Annual)	16-64	$25.47
104	Senior Resident (Annual)	65 & up	$13.22
105	Senior Resident (Lifetime)	65 & up	$76.97
108	1-Day Resident (not valid March 15–April 30)	16 & up	$13.22
119	Disabled Veterans Reduced Resident License **	16 & up	$2.97
122	Disabled Veterans Resident Annual License **	16-64	$0.00
125	POW Resident Annual License **	16-64	$2.97
102	Non-Resident (Annual)	16 & up	$56.97
113	Non-Resident PA Student (Annual)	16 & up	$25.47
106	1-Day Tourist ***(not valid March 15–April 30)	16 & up	$29.47
103	3-Day Tourist	16 & up	$29.47
107	7-Day Tourist	16 & up	$36.97
110	Voluntary Youth Fishing License (Annual)	Less than 16	$2.97
109	Mentored Youth Permit	Less than 16	$0.00
150	Trout Permit	16 & up	$12.47
033	3-Year Senior Lifetime Trout Permit	65 & up	$33.47
053	5-Year Senior Lifetime Trout Permit	65 & up	$54.47
063	10-Year Senior Lifetime Trout Permit	65 & up	$106.97
151	Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$9.97
151SLE	Senior Lifetime Lake Erie Permit	65 & up	$9.97
152	Combination Trout Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$18.47

* Includes issuing agent fee of $1.00 and $0.97 transaction fee. Excludes licenses or permits issued at $0.00. ** Can only be issued if initial license was purchased at a County Treasurer or PFBC offices. *** Includes Trout and Lake Erie permits, not valid March 15–April 30.

2023 MULTI-YEAR FISHINGLICENSES

WHILE FISHING, your license must be, either in digital or print form, upon your person and provided upon the request of an officer.

Code	Type of Fishing License or Permit	Age	Cost*
150	1-Year Trout Permit	16 & up	$12.47
151	1-Year Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$9.97
152	1-Year Combo Trout Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$18.47
030	3-Year Resident	16-64	$72.47
031	3-Year Non-Resident	16 & up	$166.97
032	3-Year Senior Resident	65 & up	$35.72
033	3-Year Trout Permit	16 & up	$33.47
034	3-Year Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$25.97
035	3-Year Combo Trout Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$51.47
050	5-Year Resident	16-64	$119.47
051	5-Year Non-Resident	16 & up	$276.97
052	5-Year Senior Resident	65 & up	$58.22
053	5-Year Trout Permit	16 & up	$54.47
054	5-Year Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$41.97
055	5-Year Combo Trout Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$84.47
060	10-Year Resident	16 & up	$236.97
061	10-Year Non-Resident	16 & up	$551.97
063	10-Year Trout Permit	16 & up	$106.97
064	10-Year Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$81.97
065	10-Year Combo Trout Lake Erie Permit	16 & up	$166.97

* Includes issuing agent fee of $1.00 and $0.97 transaction fee.

FISHING LICENSES

Fishing licenses are sold by license issuing agents through an electronic point-of-sale (P.O.S.) system. This system brings increased efficiency, more options, and easier upgrades for anglers. Fishing licenses are sold online.

A current license, on their person, is required of persons age 16 and over to fish or angle for any species of fish and to take fishbait, baitfish, andspecies of amphibians and reptiles from Commonwealth waters by those legal methods described in this booklet.

FISHING is defined as the act of angling, or to catch, take, kill, or remove, or the attempt to catch, take, kill, or remove, from any waters or other areaswithin or bordering this Commonwealth any fish by any means or method for any purpose whatsoever. CASTING and/or RETRIEVING, whether byrod, reel, and line, or by handline, for oneself or for others, requires a current license, unless specifically exempted by law. See “As- sistance to Children” for specifics on when a license is required when assisting a child (15 years of age and under).

OBTAIN YOUR LICENSE:

• at more than 700 license-issuing agents
• at county treasurers
• at Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission offices
• at FishandBoat.com

Lost fishing licenses or replacements – A lost fishing license can be replaced at any issuing agent at cost or reprinted online for free. All replacement licenses include permits or privileges previously purchased by the customer. The total cost for a replacement license and previously purchased permits or privileges that were printed on the base license is $6.97.

You qualify for a RESIDENT fishing license if you are a bona fide resident of Pennsylvania. When purchasing a resident fishing license, youmust show positive proof of permanent residency by presenting one of the following documents:

• valid Pennsylvania driver’s license
• valid non-driver photo identification card
• previous year’s Pennsylvania state income tax return showing proof of payment of per- sonal income tax as a resident of Pennsylvania
• previous year’s local earned income tax return showing tax paid to a Pennsylvania municipality
• a current Pennsylvania voter registration card

All issued resident fishing licenses will remain valid for the year or years for which issued,regardless of whether the license holder is no longer a bona fide Pennsylvania resident.

National Guard and Armed Forces Reserve licenses are available only at the PFBC and county treasurers to those persons who provide docu- mentation that within the previous 24 months the person was deployed overseas as a member of the reserve component of the armed forces for a period of 60 consecutive days or more or was released early from service because of an injury or diseaseincurred in the line of duty.

POW licenses are available to persons who provide military documentation stating the person is a former Prisoner Of War. Initial licenses are available only at the PFBC and county treasurers. After providing verification of eligibility, annual licenses may then be obtained at any issuing agent oronline.

Senior resident and senior lifetime licenses are available to those persons at anytime during the year in which they will become age 65.

• Persons who possess a SENIOR RESIDENT LIFETIME license dated before January 1, 1991 are not required to purchase a trout permit. How- ever, a Senior Resident Lifetime license holder who purchased a trout permit or a Combination trout/ Lake Erie permit before January 1, 2015, remains exempt from the requirement to purchase a trout permit annually.

Disabled Veterans Licenses – Any disabled veteran who has a disability incurred in any war or armed conflict that consists of the loss of one or morelimbs or the loss of use of one or more limbs, or total blindness, or who is 100 percent disabled as certified by the United States Veterans Administrationand is a resident of this Com- monwealth may obtain a free resident fishing license upon application to the Commission or county treasurers. Afterproviding verification of eligibility, annual licenses may then be obtained at any issuing agent or online.

Disabled Veterans Reduced Licenses – Any disabled veteran who has a disability incurred in any war or armed conflict who is between 60 and 99percent disabled as certified by the United States Veterans Administration and is a resident of this Commonwealth may initially obtain a reduced fee residentfishing license upon application to the PFBC or county treasurers. After providing verification of eligibility, annual licenses may then be obtained atany issuing agent or online.

Military personnel are required to purchase a fishing license. Those who are stationed in Pennsylvania under permanent change of station orders(PCS) for a duration of 6 months or more, who produce documentation proving the same, qualify for a resident fishing license. All others must obtain atourist or non-resident license.

Certain active duty military personnel are exempt from Pennsylvania’s fishing license requirement. To be eligible for the military waiver, an angler mustbe a bona fide Pennsylvania resident, be on active duty, be stationed outside Pennsylvania, and be here on authorized leave. While in the act of fishing, the military personnel must carry proof of each of these requirements, such as a Pennsylvania driver’s license, a military ID, and validmilitary orders showing the place of assign- ment and leave status.

Under the law, a qualifying soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine does not receive a free Pennsylvania fishing license. Instead, eligible active duty mili- tary personnel can legally fish without a license under the limited circumstances outlined in the law. They must have on their person while fishing evidence of Commonwealth residency, proof of their assignment to a facility outside this Com- monwealth, and a copy of their orders assigning them to temporary leave.

The law does not exempt military personnel on leave from any other requirements of fishing or boating laws and regulations.

Students from out of state who are attending school in Pennsylvania but who have not become residents of Pennsylvania are not eligible to pur- chase a resident license and must obtain a tourist or Non-Resident PA Student fishing license.

Social Security Number requirements – Since 1998, federal and state laws require purchasers of a Pennsylvania fishing license to provide their Social Security Number when applying to purchase a fishing license.

Vouchers - A voucher may be purchased as a gift for another individual that can be redeemed for a license and/or permit. A voucher may be redeemed at any issuing agent. The voucher is non-refundable and expires as noted. A voucher is not a fishing license and individuals using a voucher to fish are in violation of the Fish and Boat Code and may be subject to legal action. Individuals wishing to purchase vouchers for Christmas presents need to wait until December 1 of that year before purchasing a voucher.

1-Day Tourist and 1-Day Resident licenses – 1-Day Tourist and 1-Day Resident licenses are not valid for fishing during the period from March 15 to April 30 of any year. 1-Day Tourist or 1-Day Resident licenses issued to be used on March 14 will expire at 11:59 p.m. on March 14, regardless of what time the license begins.

POSSESSION AND DISPLAY OF LICENSES

The license shall be kept about the person while fishing and shown upon the request of any waterways or other officer designated by the Commission. In addition to showing the license to the officer, the holder thereof shall, upon demand, establish further identification to the satisfactionof the officer by producing some other positive means of identification.

TROUT PERMIT

A current Pennsylvania trout permit is required to fish for trout in Pennsylvania waters. Permits are printed on the license. An angler “fishes for trout” when he or she:

PERMIT EXEMPTIONS: The following persons are NOT required to possess a trout permit or Lake Erie permit:

• Persons under 16 years of age.

• Disabled persons and other individuals who are exempt from fishing license requirements, or who are authorized to fish using an institutionallicense.

• Persons who possess a 1-Day Tourist license.

LAKE ERIE PERMIT

All anglers fishing in the waters of Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay, and their tributaries including waters that flow into those tributaries are required to possess a valid Lake Erie permit or Combination trout/Lake Erie permit.

COMBINATION TROUT LAKE ERIE PERMIT

In many cases, an angler may need both a trout permit and a Lake Erie permit to fish in waters in the Erie area. Rather than purchasing theseindividually, a combination Trout Lake Erie permit may be purchased.

CHARTER BOAT/ FISHING GUIDE PERMITS

Charter boat operators and fishing guides are required to obtain a permit when conducting business on the waters of the Commonwealth includingthe boundary waters. The annual fee for the permit is $101.97 for residents and $401.97 for non-residents. Pricing includes issuing agent fee of $1.00and $0.97 transaction fee.

For additional information about Charter Boat/ Fishing Guide permits, contact the Bureau of Law Enforcement at 717-705-7861.

ANGLERS:

To find a charter boat operator or fishing guide for a fish species or location you wish to fish, go to the Commission’s website.

MULTI-YEAR FISHING LICENSES

A 3-year fishing license is valid through 2025, a 5-year fishing license is valid through 2027, and a 10-year fishing license is valid through 2032. Customers who buy multi-year licenses save money by not having to pay agent/transaction fees each year. Anglers can also purchase multi-year trout, Lake Erie, and combo permits and experience similar savings or purchase single year trout, Lake Erie, and combo permits.

VOLUNTARY PERMITS

Voluntary Permits are designed to help maintain funding levels for several key fishing-related programs. Revenues generated from the sale of these permits will be reinvested into the Habitat/Waterways Conservation, Musky, Wild Trout & Enhanced Waters, or Bass programs. The Wild Trout & Enhanced Waters Permit does not meet the requirement to fish for trout in Pennsylvania waters.

VOLUNTARY YOUTH FISHING LICENSE

To participate in a Mentored Youth Fishing Day, anglers 16 years of age or older (adult anglers) must possess a valid Pennsylvania fishing license and be accompanied by a youth (less than 16 years of age) who has obtained a Mentored Youth Permit OR a Voluntary Youth Fishing License. In addition to a valid fishing license, the adult angler (mentor) must posses a valid trout permit when the Mentored Youth Fishing Day relates to trout. While mentors will be permitted to fish for trout, they are not permitted to harvest trout and must release them unharmed. Youth may harvest up to two trout (combined species) with a minimum size of 7 inches. All other Commonwealth Inland Water Regulations apply. •

• The Mentored Youth Permit is free, and the Voluntary Youth Fishing License is $2.97 ($1.00 cost plus $1.97 in agent/transaction fee).
• While both the permit and the Voluntary Youth Fishing License provide the opportunity for youth to fish on Mentored Youth Fishing Days, the Voluntary Youth Fishing License provides an extended return for both Pennsylvania’s youth and the Commission. For each license purchased for $2.97, the Commission receives $5 back in funding as a federal reimbursement. The same applies for each Voluntary Youth Fishing License Voucher, once it is redeemed. The Commission receives no federal reimbursement for Mentored Youth Permits.
• The funds received from the sales of the license reimbursement are then dedicated toward investment in youth outreach and education programs.
• While both the permit and the license provide the opportunity to participate in Mentored Youth Fishing Days, the Commission encourages anglers to purchase either a Voluntary Youth Fishing License or a Voluntary Youth Fishing License Voucher—for the future of fishing!