Colorado Fishing License
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW)
Contact
- Address
- 6060 Broadway
Denver, CO 80216 - Main / customer service
- 303-297-1192
- Hours
- Mon-Fri 8am-5pm MT, except state holidays
- Website
- cpw.state.co.us
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 20
- Of which specialty
- 7
- Cheapest listed licence
- $0.00
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Youth age 15 and under fish free in Colorado year-round and do not need a licence, but a Second-Rod Stamp is still required if they fish an extra line. Anglers 16 and 17 need a licence but pay the youth rate. The Habitat Stamp is required of anglers 18-64.
Specialty licences 7
Extra items an angler must hold on top of the base licence. These are the ones most often missed — a base licence alone does not cover them.
| Licence | Type | Who needs it | Applies to | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Habitat StampRequired with the first licence purchase each year; not required again for subsequent licences that year. | Stamp | MANDATORY add-on for every angler age 18-64 buying a fishing licence, resident or nonresident; purchased once per licence year | Any · annual · 18-64 | $12.76 |
| Second-Rod StampRequired even for licence-exempt youth under 16 who fish a second line. | Stamp | Anglers fishing with an extra rod or line, including youth under 16 | Any · annual · all | $14.24 |
| Lifetime Habitat Stamp | Stamp | Optional one-time alternative to buying the annual Habitat Stamp each year | Any · lifetime · 18-64 | $384.16 |
| Search and Rescue FeeBundled surcharge, not sold separately; included in the licence prices listed above. | Access or habitat fee | Automatically included in every fishing licence sold | Any · annual · all | $1.25 |
| Wildlife Education Fund FeeBundled surcharge, not sold separately; included in the licence prices listed above. | Access or habitat fee | Automatically included in every fishing licence sold | Any · annual · all | $1.50 |
| Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Stamp - ResidentBoat-based, not angler-based; a precondition to launching a motorboat or sailboat to fish. | Access or habitat fee | Owners of motorboats and sailboats registered in Colorado launching on Colorado waters | Resident · annual · all | $25.00 |
| Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Stamp - Nonresident | Access or habitat fee | Owners of out-of-state motorboats and sailboats launching on Colorado waters | Non-resident · annual · all | $50.00 |
Every licence and fee 20
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 11 | ||||
| Active Armed Forces Free Fishing Active duty armed forces personnel on leave in Colorado Free fishing for up to 30 days per year with leave papers. | Any | short-term | all | Freestill required |
| Disabled Veteran Lifetime Fishing License Colorado resident veterans with a service-connected disability Free lifetime fishing or small game combination licence for qualifying veterans. | Resident | lifetime | all | Freestill required |
| Nonresident Additional-Day Fishing License Nonresidents extending a one-day licence by additional days Per additional day. | Non-resident | 1-day | 16+ | $9.13 |
| Resident Additional-Day Fishing License Residents extending a one-day licence by additional days Per additional day, added to a one-day licence. | Resident | 1-day | all | $9.13 |
| Resident Senior Annual Fishing License Colorado residents age 64 and older | Resident | annual | 64+ | $12.96 |
| Resident Youth Annual Fishing License Colorado residents ages 16-17 | Resident | annual | 16-17 | $12.96 |
| Resident One-Day Fishing License Residents fishing for a single day | Resident | 1-day | all | $18.07 |
| Nonresident One-Day Fishing License Nonresidents age 16 and older fishing for a single day | Non-resident | 1-day | 16+ | $21.90 |
| Nonresident Five-Day Fishing License Nonresidents age 16 and older on a short trip | Non-resident | short-term | 16+ | $41.04 |
| Resident Annual Fishing License Colorado residents ages 18-63 fishing in Colorado Annual licences are valid 13 months, March 1 through March 31 of the following year. Price includes a 1.25 search-and-rescue fee and a 1.50 Wildlife Education Fund fee. | Resident | annual | 18-63 | $44.87 |
| Nonresident Annual Fishing License Nonresidents age 16 and older | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $124.01 |
| Combination licence 2 | ||||
| Resident Senior Small Game and Fishing Combination License Colorado residents 64+ wanting small game hunting plus fishing | Resident | annual | 64+ | $38.03 |
| Resident Small Game and Fishing Combination License Residents wanting small game hunting plus fishing privileges | Resident | annual | all | $64.02 |
| Stamp 3 | ||||
| Annual Habitat Stamp MANDATORY add-on for every angler age 18-64 buying a fishing licence, resident or nonresident; purchased once per licence year Required with the first licence purchase each year; not required again for subsequent licences that year. | Any | annual | 18-64 | $12.76 |
| Second-Rod Stamp Anglers fishing with an extra rod or line, including youth under 16 Required even for licence-exempt youth under 16 who fish a second line. | Any | annual | all | $14.24 |
| Lifetime Habitat Stamp Optional one-time alternative to buying the annual Habitat Stamp each year | Any | lifetime | 18-64 | $384.16 |
| Access or habitat fee 4 | ||||
| Search and Rescue Fee Automatically included in every fishing licence sold Bundled surcharge, not sold separately; included in the licence prices listed above. | Any | annual | all | $1.25 |
| Wildlife Education Fund Fee Automatically included in every fishing licence sold Bundled surcharge, not sold separately; included in the licence prices listed above. | Any | annual | all | $1.50 |
| Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Stamp - Resident Owners of motorboats and sailboats registered in Colorado launching on Colorado waters Boat-based, not angler-based; a precondition to launching a motorboat or sailboat to fish. | Resident | annual | all | $25.00 |
| Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Stamp - Nonresident Owners of out-of-state motorboats and sailboats launching on Colorado waters | Non-resident | annual | all | $50.00 |
Fees as published by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and read on 4 September 2026. Agencies change fees without notice and vendors add issuing charges, so confirm the current price at the point of sale. We do not reproduce seasons, limits or gear rules — see the agency's regulations page for those.
Notes on this listing
All prices came from the official CPW Fishing Licenses and Dates page loaded 2026-09-04. The Habitat Stamp is captured as a mandatory add-on for anglers 18-64 and the Second-Rod Stamp as a separate stamp, per CPW. The Search and Rescue (1.25) and Wildlife Education Fund (1.50) fees are bundled into every licence price and are listed for completeness rather than as separately purchasable items. The ANS stamp is a boat registration requirement, not an angler licence, and is included because it is a precondition to launching a motorboat or sailboat to fish. CPW uses a web form rather than a published licensing email address, so email is null. CPW's fishing pages did not list dated free fishing days, so that field is null.
About Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is the agency that issues fishing licences in Colorado and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $0.00 to $124.01 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 7 specialty items to watch for, including the Annual Habitat Stamp, Second-Rod Stamp, Lifetime Habitat Stamp and the Search and Rescue Fee. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
The fee table below was read from official sources on 4 September 2026. We list what each item is called, who needs it and what it costs, and link out for the rules themselves — seasons, limits and gear regulations live on the agency’s own page and change too often to mirror.