Do You Need a Fishing License in Virginia? Exemptions and Costs

Yes. If you are 16 or older, you need a fishing license in Virginia before you cast a line in any public water, whether that’s a mountain trout stream, a farm-pond overflow, or the Chesapeake Bay.¹ Children under 16 are exempt, and so are landowners fishing their own property, legally blind residents, and a handful of other groups. A basic resident freshwater license costs $23 a year.²

The Age Rule and What You Must Carry

Virginia law makes it illegal to fish inland or coastal waters without the right license.¹ The obligation starts at 16. Anyone younger can fish freely with no license and no registration.³

You have to keep the license on you while fishing and hand it over if a conservation officer asks. A temporary receipt from the clerk or an authorized agent counts until your permanent copy arrives, and officers accept the digital version stored in the state’s mobile app.

Who Doesn’t Need a License

Several groups can fish Virginia waters without buying anything:³

Children under 16, in any waters.
Landowners, their spouses, children, grandchildren, and parents fishing within the boundaries of their own land or in public waters that border it — no matter where they live.
Renters with written permission from the landowner in their pocket, fishing that rented property.
Guests at a private fish pond who were invited by the landowner. This one is narrow: it applies to private ponds only, not to guests fishing other kinds of private waters.
Legally blind residents.
Resident active-duty military on official leave, as long as they carry a copy of their leave papers. This exemption does not cover designated stocked trout waters.²

Seniors 65 and Older

The rule splits by water type. Resident freshwater anglers 65 or older can buy a discounted annual license for $9.² For saltwater, no license is required at all once you hit 65, but you still have to register (for free) with the Virginia Fisherman Identification Program.⁴ Seniors are also exempt from the National Forest Permit that other anglers need on national forest land.

Disabled Veterans

Resident veterans with service-connected disabilities can buy a lifetime license, with the fee tied to the disability rating. A veteran rated totally and permanently disabled pays nothing. Those rated 70 percent or higher pay $50, 50 percent or higher pay $75, and 30 percent or higher pay $100.⁵ Nonresident veterans rated at 70 percent or higher pay half the standard nonresident fee; totally disabled nonresident veterans pay one-quarter.

The Three Free Fishing Days

Once a year Virginia opens its waters to everyone without a license. In 2026, Free Fishing Days run June 5 through June 7.⁶ Residents and nonresidents can fish any public water during those three days with no license and no registration. Every other rule still applies: bag limits, size limits, gear restrictions, closed seasons.

What a License Costs

Virginia sells separate licenses for freshwater and saltwater, plus combined and short-term options. Prices as listed by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources:²

Resident

Statewide freshwater, annual: $23
County or city freshwater: $16 (requires six months in that locality)
Saltwater: $17.50
Combined freshwater and saltwater: $39.50
Sportsman’s license (bundles hunting and fishing): $100
Age 65+ freshwater: $9
Five-day freshwater: $14
Five-day freshwater/saltwater combo: $24

Nonresident

Statewide freshwater, annual: $47
Saltwater: $25
Combined freshwater and saltwater: $71
One-day freshwater: $8
Five-day freshwater: $21
Five-day freshwater/saltwater combo: $31

Ten-day saltwater licenses cost $10 for either residents or nonresidents. Five-day licenses must be used on consecutive days and are not valid in designated stocked trout waters.

To buy a resident license you must have been a domiciliary resident of Virginia for at least two months right before purchase, and you sign a certificate of residency at the counter. Active-duty service members stationed at a Virginia base qualify as residents, along with their spouse and dependents.² Lifetime licenses are available too: $250 for a basic resident lifetime, $500 nonresident, and $5 for a permanently disabled resident.⁵

Situations Where a Basic License Isn’t Enough

A regular freshwater license doesn’t cover every kind of fishing in the state. A few common trip-ups:

Stocked Trout Waters

Designated stocked trout waters require an additional trout license on top of your freshwater license from October 1 through June 15. Outside that window, your standard freshwater license alone is fine.⁷ The trout license costs $23 for both residents and nonresidents. Three fee-fishing areas — Clinch Mountain, Crooked Creek, and Douthat State Park — also require an $8 daily permit on top of your fishing and trout licenses.²

Saltwater and the FIP Registry

Even if you don’t need to buy a saltwater license — because you’re fishing from a licensed charter, a VMRC-licensed pier, or a private boat that already holds a Virginia saltwater boat license — you still have to register with the Virginia Fisherman Identification Program before fishing.⁴ FIP registration is free and done online. Anglers under 16 need neither the license nor FIP registration.

The Potomac River

The Potomac is managed jointly by Virginia and Maryland through the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, and where you stand on the river determines which license works:⁸

Below the Route 301 bridge: a PRFC sport fishing license, a Virginia saltwater license, or a Maryland tidal sport fishing license.
Above the Route 301 bridge: any of those three, plus a Virginia statewide freshwater license.
Above the Woodrow Wilson Bridge: a District of Columbia fishing license.

National Forests, Parks, and Refuges

Fishing on Virginia’s national forest land requires a $4 National Forest Permit in addition to your state license. Residents under 16 and over 65, and nonresidents under 16, are exempt from the forest permit.² National parks generally follow state fishing rules, but a park-specific rule beats state law where the two conflict, so check the park before you go.⁹ National wildlife refuges require you to follow both state and federal rules, and individual refuges can have their own seasons, size limits, and access restrictions.¹⁰

Where To Buy

The fastest option is Go Outdoors Virginia, the state’s official online portal.¹¹ You’ll need your legal name, date of birth, current address, and Social Security number. Returning users log in with a DWR Customer ID or the last four of their SSN.¹² Pay by card and you get an immediate PDF.

You can also buy in person from licensed agents (sporting goods stores, bait shops, some Walmarts, county clerks) or by phone at 1-866-721-6911. The Go Outdoors Virginia mobile app stores a digital copy that satisfies the carry rule.

What Happens If You Skip It

Fishing without a license is a Class 3 misdemeanor in Virginia and carries a fine of up to $500. You also have to pay the clerk the cost of the license you should have bought, and that money goes to the state’s game protection fund. Buying a license after you’ve been cited doesn’t undo the penalty — the statute is explicit that a post-arrest purchase won’t relieve you.¹³

More serious violations, such as exceeding bag limits or fishing a closed season, are Class 2 misdemeanors with up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A court can also suspend your Virginia fishing privileges for one to five years on top of the other penalties.¹⁴

1
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 29.1-300 – Unlawful to Hunt, Trap or Fish Without License
2
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Fishing License Information and Fees
3
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 29.1-301 – Exemptions From License Requirements
4
Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Licenses
5
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code – Article 1 Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Licenses
6
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Free Fishing Days – Try It, You Will Be Hooked
7
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Trout Fishing License Requirements
8
Potomac River Fisheries Commission. Recreational Fishing License Requirements
9
National Park Service. Fishing in Parks
10
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fishing
11
Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Buy Licenses and Access Permits
12
Go Outdoors Virginia. Go Outdoors Virginia Online Licensing System
13
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 29.1-335 – Hunting, Trapping or Fishing Without a License
14
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code – Article 5 Penalties in General