New Jersey Fishing License

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish & Wildlife (NJDEP F&W)

Contact

Address: NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, MC 501-03, PO Box 420
Trenton, NJ 08625-0420
Main office: 609-292-9410
Law Enforcement - Northern Region: 908-735-8240
Law Enforcement - Central Region: 609-259-2120
Law Enforcement - Southern Region: 856-629-0555
Law Enforcement - Marine Region: 609-748-2050
Website: dep.nj.gov/njfw

Buy a licence Read the regulations

At a glance

Licences and permits: 13
Of which specialty: 5
Cheapest listed licence: $0.00
Fees verified: 4 Sep 2026

Who does not need one

Residents age 70 and over, children under 16 (through Dec. 31 of the year they turn 16), farmers fishing their own property, active-duty military and National Guard, disabled veterans, and blind residents are exempt from the freshwater license requirement.

Specialty licences 5

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
Resident Trout StampMust be held in addition to a valid fishing license.	Stamp	All resident anglers 16 and older who fish for or possess trout or salmon; residents 70+ exempt	Resident · annual · 16-69	$10.50
Nonresident Trout StampMust be held in addition to a valid fishing license.	Stamp	All nonresident anglers 16 and older who fish for or possess trout or salmon	Non-resident · annual · 16+	$20.00
NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry ProgramRegistration is free but mandatory; officers check for compliance and citations are issued for fishing without it. Register at https://www.saltwaterregistry.nj.gov/	Permit	All anglers 16 and older fishing New Jersey marine waters - mandatory and free	Any · annual · 16+	Freestill required
Baitfish Collecting PermitFee table lists 'Water Lowering, Fish Stocking, Baitfish Collecting, Fish Tagging Permits' together at $2.	Permit	Anglers collecting their own baitfish (also covers water lowering, fish stocking and fish tagging permits at the same fee)	Any · annual · all	$2.00
WMA Boat Ramp Permit	Access or habitat fee	Anglers launching a boat at a Wildlife Management Area boat ramp	Any · annual · all	$15.00

Every licence and fee 13

Licence	Residency	Term	Ages	Fee
Base licence 7
Resident Senior Fishing License (70 and over) Residents age 70 and older Free. Residents 70+ do not need a license but must carry acceptable proof of age.	Resident	annual	70+	Freestill required
Nonresident 2-Day Vacation Fishing License Nonresidents fishing fresh water for two days	Non-resident	short-term	16+	$9.00
Resident Fishing License - Buddy Two resident anglers ages 16-64 buying together Discounted 'Buddy' rate per angler.	Resident	annual	16-64	$11.75
Resident Senior Fishing License Residents ages 65-69	Resident	annual	65-69	$12.50
Nonresident 7-Day Vacation Fishing License Nonresidents fishing fresh water for seven days	Non-resident	7-day	16+	$19.50
Resident Fishing License New Jersey residents ages 16 through 69 fishing fresh water Valid from date of purchase through Dec. 31. The fee table prices this tier as ages 16-64.	Resident	annual	16-64	$22.50
Nonresident Fishing License Nonresidents age 16 and older fishing fresh water Buddy rate $17.50.	Non-resident	annual	16+	$34.00
Combination licence 1
All-Around Sportsman License Residents wanting resident fishing plus firearm and bow hunting licenses in one package Buddy rate $62.50.	Resident	annual	16+	$72.25
Stamp 2
Resident Trout Stamp All resident anglers 16 and older who fish for or possess trout or salmon; residents 70+ exempt Must be held in addition to a valid fishing license.	Resident	annual	16-69	$10.50
Nonresident Trout Stamp All nonresident anglers 16 and older who fish for or possess trout or salmon Must be held in addition to a valid fishing license.	Non-resident	annual	16+	$20.00
Permit 2
NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program All anglers 16 and older fishing New Jersey marine waters - mandatory and free Registration is free but mandatory; officers check for compliance and citations are issued for fishing without it. Register at https://www.saltwaterregistry.nj.gov/	Any	annual	16+	Freestill required
Baitfish Collecting Permit Anglers collecting their own baitfish (also covers water lowering, fish stocking and fish tagging permits at the same fee) Fee table lists 'Water Lowering, Fish Stocking, Baitfish Collecting, Fish Tagging Permits' together at $2.	Any	annual	all	$2.00
Access or habitat fee 1
WMA Boat Ramp Permit Anglers launching a boat at a Wildlife Management Area boat ramp	Any	annual	all	$15.00

Fees as published by NJDEP Fish & 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

VERIFIED: New Jersey does have a mandatory trout stamp (resident $10.50, nonresident $20.00) and a separate, free but mandatory Saltwater Recreational Registry for anglers 16+ in marine waters. dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/freshwater/buy-a-license/ loaded but publishes no prices; dep.nj.gov/njfw/contact-us/ and dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/marine/saltwater-registry/ both returned HTTP 403, so prices, contact details and registry details come from eRegulations, NJDEP Fish & Wildlife's official digital regulations publisher. The saltwaterregistry.nj.gov host was confirmed live (302 to nj.gov/dep/saltwaterregistry) but its page body would not render for verification. Agency email, office hours, social handles and free fishing day dates were not obtainable from a loadable official page and are left null/empty.

About NJDEP Fish & Wildlife

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish & Wildlife is the agency that issues fishing licences in New Jersey and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.

Base and combination licences run from $0.00 to $72.25 depending on residency, term and age.

Beyond the base licence there are 5 specialty items to watch for, including the Resident Trout Stamp, Nonresident Trout Stamp, NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program and the Baitfish Collecting Permit. 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.