Washington Fishing License
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
Contact
- Address
- PO Box 43200 (physical: Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. SE)
Olympia, WA 98504-3200 - Headquarters
- 360-902-2200
- Hours
- Mon-Fri 8am-5pm PT
- Website
- wdfw.wa.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 34
- Of which specialty
- 9
- Cheapest listed licence
- $9.59
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Youth age 15 and under do not need a fishing licence, but a catch record card is still required when fishing for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut or Puget Sound Dungeness crab.
Specialty licences 9
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Dungeness Crab Endorsement (temporary) | Endorsement | Crabbers on a temporary/short-term licence | Any · short-term · all | $5.05 |
| Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead EndorsementSenior and youth price 7.10. | Endorsement | Anglers fishing for salmon or steelhead in endorsement-area waters of the Columbia River and its tributaries; required in ADDITION to the base licence | Any · annual · 16+ | $8.75 |
| Puget Sound Dungeness Crab Endorsement (annual) | Endorsement | Crabbers harvesting Dungeness crab in Puget Sound | Any · annual · all | $11.89 |
| Two-Pole EndorsementSenior price 8.09. | Endorsement | Anglers wanting to fish with two poles where two-pole fishing is allowed | Any · annual · all | $20.23 |
| Catch Record CardFree. Fish cards due Apr 30; crab cards due Oct 1 or Feb 1. | Harvest / catch record card | Every angler fishing for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut or Puget Sound Dungeness crab must carry one and report the catch, even if nothing is kept | Any · annual · all | Freestill required |
| Catch Record Card with Halibut | Harvest / catch record card | Anglers who intend to fish for halibut | Any · annual · all | $7.59 |
| Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Permit | Access or habitat fee | Boaters launching in Washington waters | Any · annual · all | $24.00 |
| Discover PassOne-day Discover Pass 11.50. Issued by Washington State Parks/DNR/WDFW jointly, not a WDFW-only product. | Access or habitat fee | Parking at Washington state recreation lands, including many DNR and State Parks water accesses | Any · annual · all | $51.50 |
| Vehicle Access PassIncluded at no extra charge with annual combination, freshwater and saltwater licences. A stand-alone price was not published on the fee page loaded this session. | Access or habitat fee | Parking at WDFW water access areas; bundled free with annual combination, freshwater and saltwater fishing licences | Any · annual · all | Not published |
Every licence and fee 34
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 12 | ||||
| Senior Annual Freshwater Fishing License Washington residents age 70 and older | Resident | annual | 70+ | $9.59 |
| Senior Annual Saltwater Fishing License Washington residents age 70 and older | Resident | annual | 70+ | $10.35 |
| 3-Day Razor Clam License Any razor clam digger wanting a three-day licence Same price for all categories. | Any | 3-day | all | $11.79 |
| Senior Annual Shellfish/Seaweed License Washington residents age 70 and older | Resident | annual | 70+ | $13.99 |
| Resident Annual Razor Clam License Washington residents digging razor clams Senior price is the same, 17.44. | Resident | annual | 16-69 | $17.44 |
| Resident Annual Shellfish/Seaweed License Washington residents harvesting shellfish or seaweed | Resident | annual | 16-69 | $21.58 |
| Nonresident Annual Razor Clam License Nonresidents digging razor clams | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $28.07 |
| Resident Annual Freshwater Fishing License Washington residents 16-69 fishing fresh water Includes a Vehicle Access Pass. | Resident | annual | 16-69 | $39.95 |
| Resident Annual Saltwater Fishing License Washington residents 16-69 fishing salt water Includes a Vehicle Access Pass. | Resident | annual | 16-69 | $40.71 |
| Nonresident Annual Shellfish/Seaweed License Nonresidents harvesting shellfish or seaweed | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $47.39 |
| Nonresident Annual Saltwater Fishing License Nonresidents fishing salt water Includes a Vehicle Access Pass. | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $81.70 |
| Nonresident Annual Freshwater Fishing License Nonresidents fishing fresh water Includes a Vehicle Access Pass. | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $115.85 |
| Combination licence 13 | ||||
| Disabled Resident Annual Combination Fishing License Qualifying disabled Washington residents | Resident | annual | all | $12.89 |
| Resident 1-Day Combination Fishing License Washington residents fishing for one day | Resident | 1-day | 16+ | $14.90 |
| Resident 2-Day Combination Fishing License Washington residents fishing for two days | Resident | short-term | 16+ | $20.98 |
| Resident 3-Day Combination Fishing License Washington residents fishing for three days | Resident | 3-day | 16+ | $25.53 |
| Nonresident 1-Day Combination Fishing License Nonresidents fishing for one day | Non-resident | 1-day | 16+ | $27.05 |
| Senior Annual Combination Fishing License Washington residents age 70 and older | Resident | annual | 70+ | $28.83 |
| Nonresident 2-Day Combination Fishing License Nonresidents fishing for two days | Non-resident | short-term | 16+ | $39.19 |
| Nonresident 3-Day Combination Fishing License Nonresidents fishing for three days | Non-resident | 3-day | 16+ | $48.30 |
| Disabled Veteran Nonresident Annual Combination License Qualifying disabled veteran nonresidents | Non-resident | annual | all | $74.37 |
| Resident Annual Combination Fishing License Washington residents 16-69 fishing fresh and salt water and harvesting shellfish Includes a Vehicle Access Pass. Price includes all applicable fees. | Resident | annual | 16-69 | $74.37 |
| Fish Washington License Washington residents wanting all fishing and shellfish privileges plus endorsements in one package Senior 49.85; disabled resident 47.98. | Resident | annual | 16-69 | $101.88 |
| Nonresident Annual Combination Fishing License Nonresidents fishing fresh and salt water and harvesting shellfish Includes a Vehicle Access Pass. | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $170.00 |
| Get Outdoors License Washington residents wanting all fishing, shellfish and hunting privileges in one package Senior 142.36; disabled resident 193.44. | Resident | annual | 16-69 | $330.54 |
| Endorsement 4 | ||||
| Puget Sound Dungeness Crab Endorsement (temporary) Crabbers on a temporary/short-term licence | Any | short-term | all | $5.05 |
| Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement Anglers fishing for salmon or steelhead in endorsement-area waters of the Columbia River and its tributaries; required in ADDITION to the base licence Senior and youth price 7.10. | Any | annual | 16+ | $8.75 |
| Puget Sound Dungeness Crab Endorsement (annual) Crabbers harvesting Dungeness crab in Puget Sound | Any | annual | all | $11.89 |
| Two-Pole Endorsement Anglers wanting to fish with two poles where two-pole fishing is allowed Senior price 8.09. | Any | annual | all | $20.23 |
| Harvest / catch record card 2 | ||||
| Catch Record Card Every angler fishing for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut or Puget Sound Dungeness crab must carry one and report the catch, even if nothing is kept Free. Fish cards due Apr 30; crab cards due Oct 1 or Feb 1. | Any | annual | all | Freestill required |
| Catch Record Card with Halibut Anglers who intend to fish for halibut | Any | annual | all | $7.59 |
| Access or habitat fee 3 | ||||
| Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Permit Boaters launching in Washington waters | Any | annual | all | $24.00 |
| Discover Pass Parking at Washington state recreation lands, including many DNR and State Parks water accesses One-day Discover Pass 11.50. Issued by Washington State Parks/DNR/WDFW jointly, not a WDFW-only product. | Any | annual | all | $51.50 |
| Vehicle Access Pass Parking at WDFW water access areas; bundled free with annual combination, freshwater and saltwater fishing licences Included at no extra charge with annual combination, freshwater and saltwater licences. A stand-alone price was not published on the fee page loaded this session. | Any | annual | all | Not published |
Fees as published by Washington Fish 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
CONFIRMED: catch record cards are mandatory for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut AND Puget Sound Dungeness crab, must be carried while fishing and must be reported even when nothing is retained; the base card is free and the halibut version is 7.59. CONFIRMED: the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement exists at 8.75 (7.10 senior/youth). CONFIRMED: the Vehicle Access Pass comes bundled with annual combination, freshwater and saltwater licences - the fee page did not publish a stand-alone Vehicle Access Pass price, so that row's price is null rather than guessed. The Discover Pass (51.50 annual / 11.50 one-day) is a joint State Parks/DNR/WDFW pass, listed on the WDFW fee page but not a WDFW-exclusive product. All prices are 'effective January 1, 2026' and the page states they include all applicable transaction fees. No WDFW general email address was published on the contact page. Free fishing weekend dates were not on the pages loaded.
About Washington Fish and Wildlife
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is the agency that issues fishing licences in Washington and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $9.59 to $330.54 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 9 specialty items to watch for, including the Puget Sound Dungeness Crab Endorsement (temporary), Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement, Puget Sound Dungeness Crab Endorsement (annual) and the Two-Pole Endorsement. 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.