How to Get an Out-of-State Fishing License in Florida

If you live outside Florida and want to fish there, you need a non-resident license from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) once you turn 16. A Florida out-of-state fishing license costs $17 for three days, $30 for seven days, or $47 for a year, with freshwater and saltwater sold as separate licenses. You can buy an annual license online or by phone; the three-day and seven-day versions are only sold in person at tax collector offices and licensed retailers.

Who Counts as a Non-Resident

Florida treats you as a resident only if you hold a Florida driver’s license or state ID showing a Florida address, or if you’re active-duty military stationed in the state (spouses and dependents in the household included). Everyone else buys a non-resident license.1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. What Qualifies as Florida Residency

If you’ve just moved to Florida but haven’t switched your driver’s license yet, you’re still a non-resident for fishing purposes. A lease or utility bill won’t get you the resident rate.

Children under 16 don’t need a license at all, regardless of where they live.2Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Visitors’ Licenses

Non-Resident License Types and Fees

Freshwater and saltwater are two different licenses. Pick based on where you’ll actually be fishing, and if you’ll do both, buy both.

Annual licenses run 12 months from the start date you choose, not January to December. Both licenses together cost $34 for three days, $60 for a week, or $94 for the year. In brackish water where fresh and salt species mix, the safe move is to carry both. An FWC officer isn’t going to test the salinity for you.

How and Where to Buy

Three purchase channels exist, and the one that works depends on which license you want.

Online and Mobile App

The FWC sells licenses through GoOutdoorsFlorida.com and the Fish|Hunt FL app for iOS and Android.5Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. How to Order You get an authorization number instantly and can store a digital copy on your phone. The catch: non-resident 3-day and 7-day licenses are not sold online. Only the annual is.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Recreational Freshwater Licenses and Permits

By Phone

Call 888-FISH-FLORIDA (888-347-4356). Phone orders carry a higher handling fee than the website.5Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. How to Order

In Person

Tax collector offices, sporting goods retailers, and local bait and tackle shops sell the full range, including the 3-day and 7-day non-resident licenses that don’t appear online.5Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. How to Order Walmart locations and kiosks do not carry the short-term licenses.4Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Saltwater Recreational Licenses and Permits

Add-On Permits for Certain Species

A base license doesn’t cover everything. If you’re targeting one of these species, you need the matching permit on top of your license:

Before buying a Snook permit, check whether the season is open where you’ll be fishing. FWC does not refund permits when a species is closed to harvest. The Tarpon tag must be physically attached through the lower jaw of any tarpon you keep.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 68B-32.009 – Tarpon Tag Specifications

When You Can Skip the License

A few situations let a non-resident fish without buying anything. All of them are on the saltwater side.

  • Passengers on a charter or party boat whose captain holds a valid FWC charter or boat license are covered by the vessel’s license.7Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Charter and Headboat Operators’ and Guides’ Licenses
  • Anyone fishing from a private boat whose owner holds the voluntary recreational saltwater vessel license is covered.8Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Saltwater Licenses and Permits
  • Anglers on a pier that carries its own saltwater pier license don’t need an individual license.8Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Saltwater Licenses and Permits

Freshwater guides and their clients each need their own freshwater license. There’s no vessel-level workaround.7Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Charter and Headboat Operators’ and Guides’ Licenses

License-Free Fishing Days

Florida waives the license requirement for everyone on a handful of days each year. The 2026 dates:9Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. License-Free Fishing Days

  • Freshwater: April 4–5 and June 13–14
  • Saltwater: June 6–7, September 5, and November 28

Bag limits, size limits, closed seasons, and species-specific permits like the Tarpon tag still apply. Only the base license is waived.

Fishing Beyond State Waters

Florida’s state waters run nine nautical miles into the Gulf of Mexico and three nautical miles into the Atlantic. Past those lines you’re in federal waters, and a state saltwater license already covers your registration under the National Saltwater Angler Registry, so no separate NSAR fee applies.10NOAA Fisheries. National Saltwater Angler Registry

Targeting tunas, swordfish, sharks, or billfish (including blue marlin and sailfish) in federal waters is a different matter. That requires a separate $24 HMS Angling Permit from NOAA Fisheries, and no Florida license includes it.11NOAA Fisheries. Atlantic Highly Migratory Species – Recreational Fishermen Many offshore charter captains carry a vessel-level HMS permit, so ask before you buy your own.

Penalties for Fishing Without a License

Fishing without a required license is a Level One violation under Florida law.12Florida Legislature. Florida Code 379.354 – Recreational Licenses, Permits, and Authorization Numbers The fines:

Florida also belongs to the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. Over 40 states participate, and a fishing or hunting suspension in one member state can trigger suspension in all of them.14CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts. Wildlife Violator Compact For a $17 three-day license, the math isn’t close.