Iowa Fishing License
Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Contact
- Address
- 6200 Park Avenue, Suite 200
Des Moines, IA 50321 - Main office / Customer Service Center
- 515-725-8200
- Website
- iowadnr.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 20
- Of which specialty
- 8
- Cheapest listed licence
- $7.00
- Free fishing days
- June 5, 6 and 7, 2026 - Iowa residents may fish without a licence or trout fee
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Residents under 16 may fish without a licence but must buy the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. Pupils of the State School for the Blind and the State School for the Deaf, and certain residents of state institutions and county care facilities, may fish without a licence.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Trout FeeSold as a separate privilege on top of the fishing licence; residents under 16 may fish without a licence but still need the trout fee to keep trout. | Stamp | Anyone who fishes for or possesses trout, including residents under 16 who are otherwise licence-exempt | Resident · annual · all | $14.50 |
| Nonresident Trout FeeSeparate privilege on top of the nonresident fishing licence. | Stamp | Nonresidents who fish for or possess trout | Non-resident · annual · all | $17.50 |
| Lifetime Trout Fee (age 65+) | Stamp | Resident lifetime licence holders age 65+ who fish for trout | Resident · lifetime · 65+ | $65.00 |
| Bonus Line (3rd Fishing Line) PermitSame price for residents and nonresidents. | Permit | Licensed anglers who want to fish a third line | Any · annual · all | $14.00 |
| Resident Boundary Water Sport Trotline Licence | Permit | Residents using a sport trotline on Iowa boundary waters | Resident · annual · 16+ | $26.00 |
| Nonresident Boundary Water Sport Trotline Licence | Permit | Nonresidents using a sport trotline on Iowa boundary waters | Non-resident · annual · 16+ | $49.50 |
| Resident Paddlefish Licence & TagSold with a tag; requires a valid fishing licence in addition. | Harvest / catch record card | Residents snagging paddlefish on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers; includes the carcass tag that must be attached and reported | Resident · season · 16+ | $25.50 |
| Nonresident Paddlefish Licence & TagSold with a tag; requires a valid fishing licence in addition. | Harvest / catch record card | Nonresidents snagging paddlefish on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers | Non-resident · season · 16+ | $49.00 |
Every licence and fee 20
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 10 | ||||
| Resident Veterans Fishing Qualifying resident veterans Listed on the Iowa fee schedule published in the eRegulations Iowa fishing guide. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $7.00 |
| Resident 1-Day Fishing Residents fishing for a single day | Resident | 1-day | 16+ | $10.50 |
| Nonresident 1-Day Fishing Nonresidents fishing for a single day | Non-resident | 1-day | 16+ | $12.00 |
| Resident 7-Day Fishing Residents fishing for seven consecutive days | Resident | 7-day | 16+ | $15.50 |
| Nonresident 3-Day Fishing Nonresidents fishing for three consecutive days | Non-resident | 3-day | 16+ | $20.50 |
| Resident Fishing (annual) Iowa residents age 16 and older who fish | Resident | annual | 16+ | $22.00 |
| Nonresident 7-Day Fishing Nonresidents fishing for seven consecutive days | Non-resident | 7-day | 16+ | $37.50 |
| Nonresident Fishing (annual) Nonresidents age 16 and older who fish in Iowa | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $48.00 |
| Lifetime Fishing (age 65+) Iowa residents age 65 and older | Resident | lifetime | 65+ | $61.50 |
| Angler's Special - 3 Year Fishing Residents buying three license years at once Three-year term. | Resident | multi-year | 16+ | $62.00 |
| Combination licence 2 | ||||
| Resident Veterans Hunting & Fishing Combo Qualifying resident veterans who hunt and fish | Resident | annual | 16+ | $7.00 |
| Outdoor Combo (Hunting / Fishing / Habitat) Residents who want fishing plus hunting plus the habitat fee in one package Bundles the resident habitat fee with the fishing and hunting licenses. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $55.00 |
| Stamp 3 | ||||
| Resident Trout Fee Anyone who fishes for or possesses trout, including residents under 16 who are otherwise licence-exempt Sold as a separate privilege on top of the fishing licence; residents under 16 may fish without a licence but still need the trout fee to keep trout. | Resident | annual | all | $14.50 |
| Nonresident Trout Fee Nonresidents who fish for or possess trout Separate privilege on top of the nonresident fishing licence. | Non-resident | annual | all | $17.50 |
| Lifetime Trout Fee (age 65+) Resident lifetime licence holders age 65+ who fish for trout | Resident | lifetime | 65+ | $65.00 |
| Permit 3 | ||||
| Bonus Line (3rd Fishing Line) Permit Licensed anglers who want to fish a third line Same price for residents and nonresidents. | Any | annual | all | $14.00 |
| Resident Boundary Water Sport Trotline Licence Residents using a sport trotline on Iowa boundary waters | Resident | annual | 16+ | $26.00 |
| Nonresident Boundary Water Sport Trotline Licence Nonresidents using a sport trotline on Iowa boundary waters | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $49.50 |
| Harvest / catch record card 2 | ||||
| Resident Paddlefish Licence & Tag Residents snagging paddlefish on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers; includes the carcass tag that must be attached and reported Sold with a tag; requires a valid fishing licence in addition. | Resident | season | 16+ | $25.50 |
| Nonresident Paddlefish Licence & Tag Nonresidents snagging paddlefish on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers Sold with a tag; requires a valid fishing licence in addition. | Non-resident | season | 16+ | $49.00 |
Fees as published by Iowa 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
Prices from iowadnr.gov/things-do/fishing/fishing-licenses (loaded 2026-09-04). Veterans licences and the paddlefish licence/tag come from the Iowa DNR fee schedule as published in the official eRegulations Iowa fishing guide, which the DNR publishes; those two rows were not visible on the iowadnr.gov page itself. Iowa DNR does not publish a general email address or office hours on the fishing-licence page; both left null. Social URLs were read from the iowadnr.gov site footer. Iowa has no separate aquatic-invasive-species surcharge on fishing licences; the habitat fee is bundled into the Outdoor Combo and is otherwise a hunting requirement, so it is not listed as a standalone angling fee. Prices are base fees; online vendor/transaction charges may be added at checkout.
About Iowa DNR
Iowa Department of Natural Resources is the agency that issues fishing licences in Iowa and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $7.00 to $62.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 8 specialty items to watch for, including the Resident Trout Fee, Nonresident Trout Fee, Lifetime Trout Fee (age 65+) and the Bonus Line (3rd Fishing Line) Permit. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
Free fishing days: June 5, 6 and 7, 2026 – Iowa residents may fish without a licence or trout fee.
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.