Maryland Fishing License
Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Contact
- Address
- 580 Taylor Avenue (mail: PO Box 1869)
Annapolis, MD 21401 - Fishing and Boating Services
- 410-260-8300
- Fisheries information (toll free)
- 800-688-3467
- Licensing and Registration
- 866-344-8889
- Natural Resources Police (24 hour)
- 800-628-9944
- Hours
- Licensing and Registration Service Centers are by appointment only; Natural Resources Police offices Mon-Fri 8am-4pm ET
- Website
- dnr.maryland.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 18
- Of which specialty
- 8
- Cheapest listed licence
- $6.00
- Free fishing days
- The first two Saturdays in June and 4 July - no licence required
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Maryland separates tidal from nontidal angling: the Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence covers the Bay, its tidal tributaries and the Atlantic coastal bays, while the Nontidal Sport Fishing Licence covers fresh water above the tidal line - an angler fishing both needs both, or the Senior Consolidated Licence if 65 or older. Anglers covered by a Bay & Coastal sport boat licence, a licensed charter boat or a licensed commercial fishing pier do not need an individual Bay licence. Nonresident nontidal rates are the greater of the posted Maryland rate or the reciprocal rate charged to Maryland anglers by the angler's home state.
Specialty licences 8
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Trout Stamp - ResidentRequired in addition to the nontidal sport fishing licence. | Stamp | Residents fishing for or possessing trout in Maryland nontidal waters | Resident · annual · all | $20.00 |
| Maryland Trout Stamp - Nonresident | Stamp | Nonresidents fishing for or possessing trout in Maryland nontidal waters | Non-resident · annual · all | $30.00 |
| Maryland Saltwater Angler RegistryFree registration; satisfies the federal saltwater angler registry requirement. | Permit | Anglers fishing Maryland tidal waters who are not covered by a Chesapeake Bay & Coastal licence, boat licence, charter or pier licence | Any · annual · 16+ | Freestill required |
| Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Licence - ResidentReplacement copy costs 5.00. | Access or habitat fee | A vessel licence that covers everyone fishing from that boat in Bay and coastal waters, in place of individual angler licences | Resident · annual · all | $50.00 |
| Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Licence - Nonresident | Access or habitat fee | Nonresident-owned vessels covering all anglers aboard in Bay and coastal waters | Non-resident · annual · all | $100.00 |
| Charter Boat Licence (6 passengers or fewer) | Access or habitat fee | Licensed charter operations carrying up to six paying anglers; covers passengers | Any · annual · all | $240.00 |
| Commercial Fishing Pier Licence | Access or habitat fee | Licensed piers, which covers anglers fishing from that pier | Any · annual · all | $240.00 |
| Charter Boat Licence (more than 6 passengers) | Access or habitat fee | Licensed charter operations carrying more than six paying anglers | Any · annual · all | $290.00 |
Every licence and fee 18
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 10 | ||||
| Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence - Resident 7-Day Residents fishing tidal Bay and coastal waters for seven days | Resident | 7-day | 16+ | $6.00 |
| Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence - Nonresident 7-Day Nonresidents fishing tidal Bay and coastal waters for seven days | Non-resident | 7-day | 16+ | $12.00 |
| Resident Senior Consolidated Sport Fishing Licence (65+) Maryland residents age 65 and older; consolidates nontidal, Chesapeake Bay and coastal privileges One licence covering both tidal and nontidal waters. | Resident | annual | 65+ | $12.00 |
| Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence - Resident Annual Residents fishing the Chesapeake Bay, its tidal tributaries and Maryland's Atlantic coastal bays - a DIFFERENT licence from the nontidal freshwater licence Tidal waters only; does not cover nontidal fresh water. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $15.00 |
| Resident Nontidal (Freshwater) Sport Fishing Licence - 7-Day Residents fishing nontidal fresh water for seven days | Resident | 7-day | 16+ | $16.00 |
| Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing Licence - Nonresident Annual Nonresidents fishing tidal Bay and coastal waters | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $22.50 |
| Resident Nontidal (Freshwater) Sport Fishing Licence - Annual Maryland residents fishing nontidal fresh water Valid 365 days from purchase. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $32.00 |
| Nonresident Nontidal (Freshwater) Sport Fishing Licence - 3-Day Nonresidents fishing nontidal fresh water for three days 35.00 or the reciprocal rate, whichever is higher. | Non-resident | 3-day | 16+ | $35.00 |
| Nonresident Nontidal (Freshwater) Sport Fishing Licence - 7-Day Nonresidents fishing nontidal fresh water for seven days 45.00 or the reciprocal rate, whichever is higher. | Non-resident | 7-day | 16+ | $45.00 |
| Nonresident Nontidal (Freshwater) Sport Fishing Licence - Annual Nonresidents fishing Maryland nontidal fresh water 55.00 or the reciprocal rate the angler's home state charges Maryland residents, whichever is higher. | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $55.00 |
| Stamp 2 | ||||
| Maryland Trout Stamp - Resident Residents fishing for or possessing trout in Maryland nontidal waters Required in addition to the nontidal sport fishing licence. | Resident | annual | all | $20.00 |
| Maryland Trout Stamp - Nonresident Nonresidents fishing for or possessing trout in Maryland nontidal waters | Non-resident | annual | all | $30.00 |
| Permit 1 | ||||
| Maryland Saltwater Angler Registry Anglers fishing Maryland tidal waters who are not covered by a Chesapeake Bay & Coastal licence, boat licence, charter or pier licence Free registration; satisfies the federal saltwater angler registry requirement. | Any | annual | 16+ | Freestill required |
| Access or habitat fee 5 | ||||
| Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Licence - Resident A vessel licence that covers everyone fishing from that boat in Bay and coastal waters, in place of individual angler licences Replacement copy costs 5.00. | Resident | annual | all | $50.00 |
| Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Licence - Nonresident Nonresident-owned vessels covering all anglers aboard in Bay and coastal waters | Non-resident | annual | all | $100.00 |
| Charter Boat Licence (6 passengers or fewer) Licensed charter operations carrying up to six paying anglers; covers passengers | Any | annual | all | $240.00 |
| Commercial Fishing Pier Licence Licensed piers, which covers anglers fishing from that pier | Any | annual | all | $240.00 |
| Charter Boat Licence (more than 6 passengers) Licensed charter operations carrying more than six paying anglers | Any | annual | all | $290.00 |
Fees as published by Maryland DNR 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
Prices from dnr.maryland.gov's Sport Fishing and Crabbing Licenses page (loaded 2026-09-04); the nonresident nontidal 7-day (45.00) and 3-day (35.00) figures came from the official Maryland Fishing Guide on eRegulations, which Maryland DNR publishes, because the dnr.maryland.gov page listed those two only as 'reciprocal rate'. Recreational crabbing and oyster licences exist on the same DNR page but are not angling licences and were deliberately omitted. Maryland DNR does not publish a general email address on these pages; left null. Social handles were not confirmed from an official page and are left blank. Maryland has no separate aquatic-invasive-species angling surcharge. regs_url is the DNR Fisheries landing page cited by the official guide's contacts page; it was not fetched directly this session.
About Maryland DNR
Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the agency that issues fishing licences in Maryland and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $6.00 to $55.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 8 specialty items to watch for, including the Maryland Trout Stamp – Resident, Maryland Trout Stamp – Nonresident, Maryland Saltwater Angler Registry and the Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Boat Licence – Resident. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
Free fishing days: The first two Saturdays in June and 4 July – no licence required.
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.