Illinois Fishing License
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Contact
- Address
- One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702 - IDNR main office
- 217-782-6302
- DNR Direct licence sales (24/7)
- 866-716-6550
- Website
- dnr.illinois.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 19
- Of which specialty
- 2
- Cheapest listed licence
- $1.50
- Free fishing days
- June 19-22, 2026. No fishing licence, salmon stamp or inland trout stamp required.
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Illinois residents under 16 and nonresidents under 16 may fish without a licence. Illinois residents who are legally blind or declared disabled may fish without a licence with proper documentation. Illinois resident active-duty military may fish without a licence while on leave. Half-price licences are available to qualifying resident veterans. Licences expire March 31 each year.
Specialty licences 2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inland Trout StampResidents age 75+ pay $0.50. | Stamp | Any licensed angler fishing for trout in Illinois inland waters; required in addition to a fishing licence | Any · annual · 16+ | $6.50 |
| Lake Michigan Salmon StampResidents age 75+ pay $0.50. | Stamp | Any licensed angler fishing for salmon or trout in Lake Michigan and its tributaries; required in addition to a fishing licence | Any · annual · 16+ | $6.50 |
Every licence and fee 19
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 12 | ||||
| Resident Senior Sport Fishing License (75+) Illinois residents age 75 and older | Resident | annual | 75+ | $1.50 |
| Resident Senior Sport Fishing License (75+) - 3-Year Illinois residents age 75 and older | Resident | multi-year | 75+ | $4.50 |
| Resident 24-Hour Sport Fishing License Illinois residents fishing short-term | Resident | 1-day | 16+ | $5.50 |
| Resident First-Time Sport Fishing License Illinois residents buying a fishing licence for the first time Discounted first-time buyer rate. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $5.50 |
| Resident Senior Sport Fishing License (65-74) Illinois residents age 65-74 | Resident | annual | 65-74 | $7.75 |
| Nonresident 24-Hour Sport Fishing License Nonresidents age 16+ | Non-resident | 1-day | 16+ | $10.50 |
| Resident Sport Fishing License - Annual Illinois residents age 16+ fishing public waters Licence year runs April 1 - March 31; new licences go on sale March 1. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $15.00 |
| Nonresident 3-Day Sport Fishing License Nonresidents age 16+ | Non-resident | 3-day | 16+ | $15.50 |
| Resident Senior Sport Fishing License (65-74) - 3-Year Illinois residents age 65-74 | Resident | multi-year | 65-74 | $22.25 |
| Nonresident Sport Fishing License - Annual Nonresidents age 16+ fishing Illinois public waters | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $31.50 |
| Resident Sport Fishing License - 3-Year Illinois residents age 16+ | Resident | multi-year | 16+ | $44.00 |
| Resident Lifetime Sport Fishing License Illinois residents | Resident | lifetime | all | $435.00 |
| Combination licence 5 | ||||
| Resident Senior Sportsmen's Combination License (65+) Illinois residents age 65+ hunting and fishing | Resident | annual | 65+ | $13.50 |
| Resident Sportsmen's Combination License - Annual Illinois residents hunting and fishing | Resident | annual | 16+ | $26.50 |
| Resident Senior Sportsmen's Combination License (65+) - 3-Year Illinois residents age 65+ hunting and fishing | Resident | multi-year | 65+ | $39.00 |
| Resident Sportsmen's Combination License - 3-Year Illinois residents hunting and fishing | Resident | multi-year | 16+ | $77.25 |
| Resident Lifetime Sportsmen's Combination License Illinois residents hunting and fishing | Resident | lifetime | all | $765.00 |
| Stamp 2 | ||||
| Inland Trout Stamp Any licensed angler fishing for trout in Illinois inland waters; required in addition to a fishing licence Residents age 75+ pay $0.50. | Any | annual | 16+ | $6.50 |
| Lake Michigan Salmon Stamp Any licensed angler fishing for salmon or trout in Lake Michigan and its tributaries; required in addition to a fishing licence Residents age 75+ pay $0.50. | Any | annual | 16+ | $6.50 |
Fees as published by Illinois DNR 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
IDNR does not host a working fishing licence fee page - dnr.illinois.gov/lpr/licensesandpermits/fishing.html, dnr.illinois.gov/licenses/fishing.html and dnr.illinois.gov/lpr/licensesafety.html all returned 404 this session. The full fee schedule was taken from the eRegulations Illinois fishing digest (IDNR's official digest publisher) and independently corroborated on IDNR's own ifishillinois.org FAQ for the resident annual, resident 24-hour, resident 65+, resident lifetime, nonresident annual, nonresident 3-day, nonresident 24-hour, inland trout stamp and Lake Michigan salmon stamp figures. The IDNR 2026 licence press release confirms the $15.00 resident annual price. Neither official source lists a nonresident 7-day or 10-day licence, so none is recorded. IDNR does not publish a general email address or office hours on its contact page.
About Illinois DNR
Illinois Department of Natural Resources is the agency that issues fishing licences in Illinois and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $1.50 to $765.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 2 specialty items to watch for, including the Inland Trout Stamp and the Lake Michigan Salmon Stamp. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
Free fishing days: June 19-22, 2026. No fishing licence, salmon stamp or inland trout stamp required.
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.