Louisiana 3-Day Fishing License: Charter, Saltwater, and Penalties

Louisiana’s 3-day fishing license is sold only as a charter passenger license, meaning it’s valid while you’re fishing aboard a vessel operated by a licensed charter guide. The freshwater version costs $10 and the saltwater version costs $20, and both prices are the same for residents and non-residents.¹ If you plan to fish on your own from a bank, pier, or private boat, there is no 3-day option. The shortest standalone license for a non-resident is a 5-day Basic Fishing License at $30.²

What the 3-Day Charter Passenger License Covers

Both 3-day licenses are valid for three consecutive days starting from the date you choose at purchase. There are two versions:

Charter Passenger Freshwater (3-day): $10 for residents and non-residents. Covers fishing on a charter vessel in freshwater areas of the state with a licensed guide on board at all times.¹
Charter Passenger Saltwater (3-day): $20 for residents and non-residents. Covers fishing on a charter vessel in saltwater or brackish areas with a licensed guide on board at all times.¹

The word “charter” is doing real work here. These licenses do not authorize you to fish on your own. A licensed charter boat fishing guide has to be operating the vessel for the entire trip. If you’ve booked a guided fishing trip along the coast or in the bayous, the 3-day charter passenger license is the cheapest short-term option available. If you intend to fish from shore, a bridge, or your own boat at any point during that trip, this license won’t cover you for those hours.

If You’re Not Fishing With a Guide

Visitors who want to fish without a charter guide need a different license, and none of the independent options run for just three days. The non-resident choices are:²

Non-Resident 5-Day Basic Fishing: $30. Covers all legal recreational freshwater gear for five consecutive days.
Non-Resident Season Basic Fishing: $68. Covers the full season.
Non-Resident 5-Day Saltwater: $30, required in addition to the 5-Day Basic Fishing License if you plan to target saltwater species south of the saltwater line.
Non-Resident Season Saltwater: $60, required in addition to the Basic Fishing License.

A non-resident fishing saltwater independently for five days pays $60 total: $30 for the Basic Fishing License and $30 for the Saltwater add-on. That’s three times what a 3-day charter passenger saltwater license costs, which is part of why the charter option is popular with tourists who have already booked a guided trip anyway.

Residents have simpler math. The annual Basic Fishing License is $17, and the Saltwater add-on is $15.² A resident who fishes even a handful of times a year is better off buying the full-season license than looking for a short-term workaround.

How Saltwater Changes Things

Louisiana splits its waters at the saltwater line, and the Basic Fishing License alone only covers freshwater species. To fish south of that line for saltwater species, you need the Saltwater License on top of the Basic Fishing License.²

The charter passenger licenses work differently. The 3-day Charter Passenger Saltwater License already includes saltwater fishing privileges for the duration of your guided trip, so you don’t need to layer on anything else when you’re fishing saltwater with a licensed charter guide.¹

Where to Buy and When the 3 Days Start

You can buy any recreational fishing license online through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website, in person at LDWF headquarters in Baton Rouge, or at authorized retailers throughout the state, including sporting goods stores and bait shops.¹

Online purchases take major credit and debit cards. Short-term licenses, including the 3-day charter passenger licenses and the 5-day options, let you pick the start date during purchase, so you can buy a few days ahead of your trip and set the clock to begin on day one on the water. Print the license or keep it on your phone.

To qualify for resident pricing on any license, you need to meet Louisiana’s residency requirements and present a valid Louisiana driver’s license held for six months or more, or a Louisiana ID card issued by the Department of Public Safety.¹

Who Doesn’t Need a License

Anyone 18 or older fishing recreationally in Louisiana has to carry a valid fishing license. The LDWF exempts two groups from the basic and saltwater fishing license requirements:¹

Anyone under 18. Residents and non-residents age 17 and younger don’t need a fishing license but must carry proof of age while fishing.
Louisiana residents born before June 1, 1940, who have lived in the state for at least six months. They still need proof of age.

Louisiana residents age 60 or older must get a Senior Hunting/Fishing License, which replaces both the Basic and Saltwater Fishing licenses along with several hunting licenses. For residents born before June 1, 1940, the senior license is free. Discounted rates also exist for active military, students, and people with disabilities.¹

Penalties for Fishing Without the Right License

Wildlife agents check both licenses and catch, and Louisiana’s penalties escalate quickly with repeat offenses.

For sport fishing violations where no specific penalty is listed elsewhere, the default is a fine of $25 to $100 or imprisonment of 10 to 60 days, or both, for a first offense. A second or subsequent conviction of the same offense carries a fine of $100 to $300 or imprisonment of 30 to 90 days, and the court can order forfeiture of any tackle used in the violation.³

Many common infractions fall under class one violations, which carry a flat $50 fine for a first offense including court costs, $75 to $250 for a second offense, and $200 to $550 for a third or subsequent offense.⁴ Class two violations are more serious: second offenses carry fines of $300 to $550, and third offenses range from $500 to $750 with forfeiture of seized equipment.⁵

Beyond fines, courts can suspend or revoke your fishing license and all fishing privileges for a period up to the remaining license term plus one additional year. If you fail to pay assessed fines, all of your recreational hunting and fishing licenses are automatically revoked, and you can’t buy new ones until the debt is cleared. Buying a license or fishing during a revocation period is a class three violation, the most severe tier.⁶

1
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Recreational Fishing Licenses and Permits
2
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. License and Permit Fee List
3
Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56 RS 56-336 – Penalty for Violation of Sport Fishing Provisions
4
Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56 RS 56-31 – Class One Violations
5
Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 56 RS 56-32 – Class Two Violations
6
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes RS 56-31.1 – Revocation of License; Denial of License; Penalties