Idaho Fishing License
Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG)
Contact
- Address
- 600 S. Walnut Street
Boise, ID 83712 - Headquarters
- 208-334-3700
- Website
- idfg.idaho.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 30
- Of which specialty
- 8
- Cheapest listed licence
- $1.75
- Free fishing days
- June 13, 2026. Waives the fishing licence requirement only; permits, tags and all other rules still apply.
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Anyone age 14 or older must buy a fishing licence. Children under 14 fish without a licence; nonresidents under 14 must be accompanied by an adult Idaho licence holder and their catch counts toward that adult's limit. Idaho licences are valid through December 31 of the year purchased. Enrolled Idaho residents in the Price Lock program (continuous annual purchases since 2017) pay the reduced rates noted on each line; the Access/Depredation fee is excluded from Price Lock.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Pole Permit - ResidentPrice Lock rate: $13.75. | Permit | Idaho residents fishing with two poles where allowed; required in addition to a fishing licence | Resident · annual · 14+ | $15.00 |
| Salmon or Steelhead Permit - ResidentPrice Lock rate: $12.75. Separate permits are required for salmon and for steelhead. | Permit | Any resident angler fishing for salmon or steelhead; required in addition to a fishing licence | Resident · season · 14+ | $15.25 |
| Two-Pole Permit - Nonresident | Permit | Nonresidents fishing with two poles where allowed; required in addition to a fishing licence | Non-resident · annual · 14+ | $17.00 |
| Salmon or Steelhead Permit - NonresidentSeparate permits are required for salmon and for steelhead. | Permit | Any nonresident angler fishing for salmon or steelhead; required in addition to a fishing licence | Non-resident · season · 14+ | $28.25 |
| Access / Depredation Fee - Junior / Disabled American Veteran | Access or habitat fee | Applied to junior and DAV annual licences | Any · annual · 14-17 | $2.00 |
| Access / Depredation Fee - Junior / Disabled American Veteran, 3-Year | Access or habitat fee | Applied to junior and DAV 3-year licences | Any · multi-year · 14-17 | $4.00 |
| Access / Depredation Fee - AdultLegislatively enacted fee that funds landowner depredation reimbursement and public access; charged on top of the licence fee. | Access or habitat fee | Automatically applied to every annual hunting, fishing or trapping licence sold to an adult | Any · annual · 18+ | $5.00 |
| Access / Depredation Fee - Adult, 3-Year | Access or habitat fee | Applied to 3-year adult licences | Any · multi-year · 18+ | $10.00 |
Every licence and fee 30
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 18 | ||||
| Fishing License - Resident Long-Term Care Facility Idaho residents in long-term care facilities | Resident | annual | all | $1.75 |
| Fishing License - Resident Disabled American Veteran Qualifying Idaho resident disabled American veterans Price Lock rate: $5.00. | Resident | annual | all | $5.75 |
| Fishing License - Resident Disabled Persons Qualifying Idaho residents with disabilities Price Lock rate: $5.00. | Resident | annual | all | $5.75 |
| Fishing License - Resident Daily, each consecutive day Add-on consecutive day purchased with a resident daily fishing licence Price Lock rate: $5.00. | Resident | short-term | 14+ | $6.00 |
| Fishing License - Nonresident Daily, each consecutive day Add-on consecutive day purchased with a nonresident daily fishing licence | Non-resident | short-term | 14+ | $7.00 |
| Fishing License - Resident Daily (first day) Idaho residents fishing short-term Price Lock rate: $11.50. Each consecutive day added at purchase costs $6.00 ($5.00 Price Lock). | Resident | 1-day | 14+ | $13.50 |
| Fishing License - Resident Disabled Persons, 3-Year Qualifying Idaho residents with disabilities Price Lock rate: $11.50. | Resident | multi-year | all | $13.75 |
| Fishing License - Resident Junior (14-17) Idaho residents age 14-17 Price Lock rate: $13.75. | Resident | annual | 14-17 | $16.00 |
| Fishing License - Resident Military Furlough Idaho resident military personnel on furlough Price Lock rate: $17.50. | Resident | annual | all | $20.50 |
| Fishing License - Nonresident Daily (first day) Nonresidents fishing short-term Each consecutive day added at time of purchase costs $7.00. | Non-resident | 1-day | 14+ | $22.75 |
| Fishing License - Nonresident Junior (14-17) Nonresidents age 14-17 | Non-resident | annual | 14-17 | $23.75 |
| Fishing License - Resident Adult Idaho residents age 18+ fishing in Idaho waters Price Lock rate for enrolled residents: $25.75. | Resident | annual | 18+ | $30.50 |
| Fishing License - Resident Junior (14-17), 3-Year Idaho residents age 14-17 Price Lock rate: $37.75. | Resident | multi-year | 14-17 | $44.50 |
| Salmon/Steelhead 3-Day License - Nonresident Nonresidents fishing for salmon or steelhead on a short-term basis Short-term licence sold specifically for salmon and steelhead fishing. | Non-resident | 3-day | 14+ | $44.75 |
| Fishing License - Nonresident Junior (14-17), 3-Year Nonresidents age 14-17 | Non-resident | multi-year | 14-17 | $67.75 |
| Fishing License - Resident Adult, 3-Year Idaho residents age 18+ Price Lock rate: $73.75. | Resident | multi-year | 18+ | $88.00 |
| Fishing License - Nonresident Adult Nonresidents age 18+ fishing in Idaho waters | Non-resident | annual | 18+ | $108.00 |
| Fishing License - Nonresident Adult, 3-Year Nonresidents age 18+ | Non-resident | multi-year | 18+ | $320.50 |
| Combination licence 4 | ||||
| Combination Hunting & Fishing License - Resident Senior Idaho residents age 65+ (senior fishing privileges are sold only through the combination licence) Price Lock rate: $11.75. | Resident | annual | 65+ | $13.75 |
| Combination Hunting & Fishing License - Resident Junior Idaho residents age 14-17 Price Lock rate: $17.50. | Resident | annual | 14-17 | $19.00 |
| Combination Hunting & Fishing License - Resident Adult Idaho residents hunting and fishing Price Lock rate: $33.50. | Resident | annual | 18+ | $38.75 |
| Combination Hunting & Fishing License - Resident Adult, 3-Year Idaho residents hunting and fishing Price Lock rate: $97.00. | Resident | multi-year | 18+ | $112.75 |
| Permit 4 | ||||
| Two-Pole Permit - Resident Idaho residents fishing with two poles where allowed; required in addition to a fishing licence Price Lock rate: $13.75. | Resident | annual | 14+ | $15.00 |
| Salmon or Steelhead Permit - Resident Any resident angler fishing for salmon or steelhead; required in addition to a fishing licence Price Lock rate: $12.75. Separate permits are required for salmon and for steelhead. | Resident | season | 14+ | $15.25 |
| Two-Pole Permit - Nonresident Nonresidents fishing with two poles where allowed; required in addition to a fishing licence | Non-resident | annual | 14+ | $17.00 |
| Salmon or Steelhead Permit - Nonresident Any nonresident angler fishing for salmon or steelhead; required in addition to a fishing licence Separate permits are required for salmon and for steelhead. | Non-resident | season | 14+ | $28.25 |
| Access or habitat fee 4 | ||||
| Access / Depredation Fee - Junior / Disabled American Veteran Applied to junior and DAV annual licences | Any | annual | 14-17 | $2.00 |
| Access / Depredation Fee - Junior / Disabled American Veteran, 3-Year Applied to junior and DAV 3-year licences | Any | multi-year | 14-17 | $4.00 |
| Access / Depredation Fee - Adult Automatically applied to every annual hunting, fishing or trapping licence sold to an adult Legislatively enacted fee that funds landowner depredation reimbursement and public access; charged on top of the licence fee. | Any | annual | 18+ | $5.00 |
| Access / Depredation Fee - Adult, 3-Year Applied to 3-year adult licences | Any | multi-year | 18+ | $10.00 |
Fees as published by Idaho Fish and Game 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
All fees verified this session on IDFG's own resident and nonresident fee pages. Each resident line carries two prices: the standard fee and the lower Price Lock fee for residents enrolled in the continuous-purchase discount program; the standard fee is used in the price field and the Price Lock rate is recorded in notes. There is no resident equivalent of the nonresident Salmon/Steelhead 3-Day licence. IDFG does not publish a general email address or headquarters office hours on the pages loaded, and no social media links appeared on those pages, so those fields are null/empty. Age bands 18+ vs 14-17 reflect IDFG's adult/junior split; IDFG labels the junior band explicitly as 14-17.
About Idaho Fish and Game
Idaho Department of Fish and Game is the agency that issues fishing licences in Idaho and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $1.75 to $320.50 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 8 specialty items to watch for, including the Two-Pole Permit – Resident, Salmon or Steelhead Permit – Resident, Two-Pole Permit – Nonresident and the Salmon or Steelhead Permit – Nonresident. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
Free fishing days: June 13, 2026. Waives the fishing licence requirement only; permits, tags and all other rules still apply.
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.