What Age Do You Need a Fishing License in Indiana?

In Indiana, you need a fishing license starting at age 18. Anyone under 18 can fish public waters without one, and residents born before April 1, 1943 are exempt for life. Everyone in between has to carry a valid license while fishing, whether they’re a resident or a visitor.

Anglers Under 18

Kids and teenagers who haven’t yet turned 18 don’t need a fishing license to fish anywhere in Indiana’s public waters, including boundary waters shared with neighboring states.¹ The exemption is automatic. There’s no youth permit to fill out, no fee, no paperwork to carry.

Age doesn’t excuse the rest of the rulebook, though. Bag limits, size limits, and seasonal restrictions apply to a 10-year-old the same way they apply to an adult. A parent who lets a child keep an undersized bass is still on the hook for the violation.

Anglers 18 and Older

Once you turn 18, you fall under Indiana Code 14-22-11-8, which requires every person 18 or older to carry a valid fishing license while fishing in waters of the state, waters containing state-owned fish, or boundary waters.¹ “Carry” means the license is physically on you or accessible on your phone if you bought it electronically. A conservation officer can ask to see it at any time.

An annual resident fishing license runs $23, and a nonresident annual costs $60. Shorter options exist: a one-day resident license is $10, a one-day nonresident is $15, and nonresidents can buy a seven-day for $35. Each includes trout and salmon privileges for the day in the case of the one-day licenses; otherwise, targeting trout or salmon requires an $11 stamp on top of the annual license.²

Seniors

Age brings the requirement back off at the top end, but the cutoff is a specific birthdate, not a rolling age. Indiana residents born before April 1, 1943 are fully exempt from the license requirement.¹ They can optionally buy a $3 voluntary senior license whose proceeds support fisheries conservation, but it isn’t required.

Residents who are 64 or older but born after that March 1943 cutoff still need a license. Indiana gives them two discounted options:

An annual senior fishing license for $3, which includes all species stamps.
A Senior Fish-for-Life license, a one-time $23 purchase that covers fishing and trout/salmon for the rest of your life.²

Other Adults Who Don’t Need a License

Age isn’t the only path to an exemption. Several other categories of adult anglers can fish Indiana waters without a license:¹

Legally blind individuals, regardless of age or residency.
Indiana residents with a developmental disability.
Resident patients of state mental institutions.
Residents of licensed health facilities fishing as part of a supervised facility activity.
Anyone whose only role is assisting a blind, developmentally disabled, or institutionalized angler.

Landowners get their own exemption. If you own farmland in Indiana, you and your spouse and children living with you can fish on that land without a license, and the same applies to Indiana residents who lease and farm the land.³ Fishing in a private pond also requires no license as long as the pond does not allow fish to enter or exit public waters. You still need the property owner’s permission to be there.

Indiana residents on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces can fish without a license while on leave in Indiana, provided they carry their leave papers along with a valid Indiana driver’s license or voter registration card. Nonresidents stationed in Indiana on active duty can buy licenses at the resident rate under IC 14-22-11-10.

Indiana residents with a documented service-connected disability qualify for a Disabled American Veteran hunting and fishing license at $2.75 per year, or $27.50 for a 10-year version. It covers fishing and small game but not deer or turkey tags.⁴

Free Fishing Days

Indiana designates several days each year when residents of any age can fish public waters without a license or trout/salmon stamp. For 2026, those dates are May 10, June 6–7, and September 26.⁵ All other regulations still apply, including bag limits, size limits, and seasons. Free fishing days are limited to Indiana residents; nonresident adults still need a license on those dates.

Where to Buy One

Adults who do need a license have three ways to get one. The DNR’s Activity Hub at in.gov/dnr sells and stores licenses online, with a $3 tech fee plus credit card processing. Authorized retailers such as sporting goods stores and bait shops sell them across the state. DNR offices and properties also issue licenses with a $1 tech fee.⁶ A license bought electronically is valid only with your original signature or electronic affirmation, so keep the confirmation on your phone.⁷

Penalties for Fishing Without One

An adult caught fishing without a valid license commits a Class C infraction, which carries a fine of up to $500.⁸ An infraction isn’t a criminal offense, so forgetting your license won’t create a criminal record. Knowingly or intentionally fishing without one is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. A court can also revoke your fishing license for at least one year for any wildlife-law violation.⁹

1
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 14-22-11-8 – Fishing License and Trout Salmon Stamp Requirements Exceptions
2
Indiana Department of Natural Resources. License Fees
3
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 14-22-11-1 – Farmland License Requirements and Exceptions
4
Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Licenses for Disabled Hunters and Anglers
5
Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Free Fishing Days
6
Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Licenses and Permits
7
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 14-22-11-3 – License Issuance Form Electronic Affirmation
8
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 14-22-38-1 – Violations Generally
9
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 14-22-11-15 – Compliance With Laws and Rules Express Condition of License or Permit Revocation Hearing