North Dakota Fishing License
North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGFD)
Contact
- Address
- 100 N. Bismarck Expressway
Bismarck, ND 58501-5095 - Main office
- 701-328-6300
- Report All Poachers (RAP)
- 701-328-9921
- Website
- gf.nd.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 12
- Of which specialty
- 4
- Cheapest listed licence
- $10.00
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Residents age 15 and younger do not need a fishing license, but paddlefish tags are required for all paddlefish snaggers regardless of age.
Specialty licences 4
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 Paddlefish Tag | Harvest / catch record card | Residents snagging paddlefish; a valid fishing license is also required, and the tag is required for all paddlefish snaggers regardless of age | Resident · season · all | $15.00 |
| Nonresident Paddlefish Tag | Harvest / catch record card | Nonresidents snagging paddlefish; a valid fishing license is also required | Non-resident · season · all | $35.00 |
| Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate - ResidentThis is the certificate that is added to every North Dakota license price. | Access or habitat fee | Every resident license holder; purchased once per year per licensee, in addition to the fishing license | Resident · annual · 16+ | $2.00 |
| Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate - Nonresident | Access or habitat fee | Every nonresident license holder; purchased once per year per licensee | Non-resident · annual · 16+ | $5.00 |
Every licence and fee 12
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 8 | ||||
| Resident Disabled / Veteran Fishing License Qualifying disabled residents and veterans Plus the mandatory $2 certificate ($12 total). | Resident | annual | all | $10.00 |
| Resident Senior Citizen Fishing License Residents age 65 and older Plus the mandatory $2 certificate ($12 total). | Resident | annual | 65+ | $10.00 |
| Resident Fishing License North Dakota residents age 16 and older Plus the mandatory $2 Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate ($29 total). | Resident | annual | 16+ | $27.00 |
| Resident Married Couple Fishing License A married resident couple fishing on one license Plus the mandatory $2 certificate ($44 total). | Resident | annual | 16+ | $42.00 |
| Nonresident 3-Day Fishing License Nonresidents fishing for three days Plus the mandatory $5 nonresident certificate ($53 total). | Non-resident | 3-day | 16+ | $48.00 |
| Nonresident 10-Day Fishing License Nonresidents fishing for ten days Plus the mandatory $5 nonresident certificate ($63 total). | Non-resident | short-term | 16+ | $58.00 |
| Nonresident Individual Season Fishing License Nonresidents age 16 and older Plus the mandatory $5 nonresident certificate ($73 total). | Non-resident | season | 16+ | $68.00 |
| Nonresident Married Couple Season Fishing License A married nonresident couple fishing on one license Plus the mandatory $5 nonresident certificate ($113 total). | Non-resident | season | 16+ | $108.00 |
| Harvest / catch record card 2 | ||||
| Resident Paddlefish Tag Residents snagging paddlefish; a valid fishing license is also required, and the tag is required for all paddlefish snaggers regardless of age | Resident | season | all | $15.00 |
| Nonresident Paddlefish Tag Nonresidents snagging paddlefish; a valid fishing license is also required | Non-resident | season | all | $35.00 |
| Access or habitat fee 2 | ||||
| Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate - Resident Every resident license holder; purchased once per year per licensee, in addition to the fishing license This is the certificate that is added to every North Dakota license price. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $2.00 |
| Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate - Nonresident Every nonresident license holder; purchased once per year per licensee | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $5.00 |
Fees as published by ND Game and Fish 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: the paddlefish tag exists (resident $15, nonresident $35) and is captured as a harvest_card row. On the 'habitat/certificate stamp' question: the mandatory angler add-on is the Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate ($2 resident / $5 nonresident), which is what gets added to every posted license price - that is captured. North Dakota's habitat products found in the fee tables (the general game and habitat license and the $5 Waterfowl Habitat Restoration Stamp) are HUNTING requirements, not angling requirements, so no habitat stamp row was created for fishing. Prices came from the department's own gf.nd.gov licensing pages, cross-checked against eRegulations. Agency email, office hours, social handles and free fishing day dates were not published on the pages loaded.
About ND Game and Fish
North Dakota Game and Fish Department is the agency that issues fishing licences in North Dakota and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $10.00 to $108.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 4 specialty items to watch for, including the Resident Paddlefish Tag, Nonresident Paddlefish Tag, Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate – Resident and the Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate – Nonresident. 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.