Massachusetts Fishing License
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) - freshwater; Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) - saltwater (MassWildlife)
Contact
- Address
- 1 Rabbit Hill Road (MassWildlife Field Headquarters)
Westborough, MA 01581 - MassWildlife Field Headquarters (freshwater licences)
- 508-389-6300
- Division of Marine Fisheries (saltwater permits)
- 617-626-1520
- mass.wildlife@mass.gov
- Website
- mass.gov/orgs/division-of-fisheries-and-wildlife
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 16
- Of which specialty
- 1
- Cheapest listed licence
- $0.00
- Free fishing days
- Saltwater (DMF): 'No Permit Needed' days on 10 May and 21 June. MassWildlife free freshwater fishing days were not stated on any official page loaded this session.
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Massachusetts splits angling between TWO agencies. MassWildlife (Division of Fisheries and Wildlife) issues all inland freshwater fishing licences, the Sporting licence, the Quabbin licence and the Wildlands Conservation Stamp. The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) issues the Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit for marine waters. Both are sold through the same MassFishHunt portal. Freshwater: anglers under 15 need no licence; residents 15-17 and 70+ get a free licence they must still obtain. Saltwater: required at age 16 and older, except people meeting the definition of a disabled person under M.G.L. c. 19C and anglers fishing aboard a permitted for-hire (charter or head boat) vessel.
Specialty licences 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildlands Conservation StampMandatory surcharge, not optional. Issued by MassWildlife. | Access or habitat fee | Added to the first resident licence purchased each year and to all nonresident licences; funds land conservation | Any · annual · all | $5.00 |
Every licence and fee 16
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 11 | ||||
| Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit (age 60 and over) Marine recreational anglers age 60 and older No fee, but the permit is still required. Issued by the Division of Marine Fisheries. | Any | annual | 60+ | Freestill required |
| Resident Freshwater Fishing Licence - Age 70+ Resident anglers age 70 and older Free but the licence must still be obtained. Issued by MassWildlife. | Resident | annual | 70+ | Freestill required |
| Resident Freshwater Fishing Licence - Minor (ages 15-17) Resident minors ages 15 through 17 Free but the licence must still be obtained. Issued by MassWildlife. | Resident | annual | 15-17 | Freestill required |
| Quabbin Reservoir 1-Day Fishing Licence Anglers fishing Quabbin Reservoir for a single day Issued by MassWildlife; special water-specific licence. | Any | 1-day | 15+ | $5.00 |
| Nonresident Freshwater Fishing Licence - Minor (ages 15-17) Nonresident minors ages 15 through 17 Issued by MassWildlife. | Non-resident | annual | 15-17 | $8.00 |
| Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit (under age 60) Anglers age 16 and older recreationally finfishing in Massachusetts marine waters - issued by the Division of Marine Fisheries, NOT MassWildlife Same price for residents and nonresidents. Expires 31 December. Sold through MassFishHunt, by mail, or in person at the DMF Gloucester or New Bedford offices. | Any | annual | 16-59 | $10.00 |
| Resident Freshwater Fishing Licence - 3-Day Residents fishing fresh water for three days Issued by MassWildlife. | Resident | 3-day | 15+ | $20.00 |
| Resident Freshwater Fishing Licence - Ages 65-69 Resident anglers ages 65 through 69 Issued by MassWildlife. | Resident | annual | 65-69 | $20.00 |
| Nonresident Freshwater Fishing Licence - 3-Day Nonresidents fishing fresh water for three days Issued by MassWildlife. | Non-resident | 3-day | 15+ | $30.50 |
| Resident Freshwater Fishing Licence (MassWildlife) Massachusetts residents age 15 and older fishing inland fresh water Issued by MassWildlife. Valid for the calendar year. Add the 5.00 Wildlands Conservation Stamp to the first resident licence bought each year. | Resident | annual | 18-64 | $40.00 |
| Nonresident Freshwater Fishing Licence (MassWildlife) Nonresidents age 15 and older fishing Massachusetts inland fresh water Issued by MassWildlife. The 5.00 Wildlands Conservation Stamp is added to all nonresident licences. | Non-resident | annual | 18+ | $50.00 |
| Combination licence 4 | ||||
| Paraplegic Sporting Licence Paraplegic residents and nonresidents Free. Issued by MassWildlife. | Any | annual | all | Freestill required |
| Resident Sporting Licence - Age 70+ Resident hunters/anglers age 70 and older Free; also includes trapping. Licence must still be obtained. Issued by MassWildlife. | Resident | annual | 70+ | Freestill required |
| Resident Sporting Licence - Ages 65-69 Resident hunters/anglers ages 65 through 69 Issued by MassWildlife. | Resident | annual | 65-69 | $37.50 |
| Resident Sporting Licence (hunting + freshwater fishing) Residents who hunt and fish; includes freshwater fishing plus hunting with two statewide antlered deer tags Issued by MassWildlife. | Resident | annual | 18-64 | $75.00 |
| Access or habitat fee 1 | ||||
| Wildlands Conservation Stamp Added to the first resident licence purchased each year and to all nonresident licences; funds land conservation Mandatory surcharge, not optional. Issued by MassWildlife. | Any | annual | all | $5.00 |
Fees as published by MassWildlife / MA DMF 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
Freshwater fees from mass.gov/info-details/license-types-and-fees (loaded 2026-09-04), which covers both MassWildlife and DMF products. Saltwater permit detail (who needs it, exemptions, no-permit days) from the official Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Guide on eRegulations, which DMF publishes. Massachusetts has no trout stamp, second-rod permit, harvest record card or aquatic-invasive-species angling surcharge; the only mandatory add-on is the 5.00 Wildlands Conservation Stamp. Mass.gov does not publish a discounted nonresident senior freshwater rate, so none is listed. The DMF mailing address was not on the contact page loaded (only its phone 617-626-1520 and email marine.fish@mass.gov); DMF offices in Gloucester and New Bedford are named in the saltwater guide but no street address was captured. Office hours not published; left null. Social handles were not confirmed from an official page and are left blank. regs_url is the mass.gov page for the official Guide to Hunting, Freshwater Fishing and Trapping; it was identified from a mass.gov search result but not fetched directly this session.
About MassWildlife / MA DMF
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) – freshwater; Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) – saltwater is the agency that issues fishing licences in Massachusetts and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $0.00 to $75.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there is 1 specialty item to watch for, including the Wildlands Conservation Stamp. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
Free fishing days: Saltwater (DMF): ‘No Permit Needed’ days on 10 May and 21 June. MassWildlife free freshwater fishing days were not stated on any official page loaded this session.
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.