Mississippi Fishing License
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (freshwater); Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (saltwater) (MDWFP)
Contact
- Address
- Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, 1505 Eastover Drive
Jackson, MS 39211 - MDWFP main office
- 601-432-2400
- MDWFP Licensing and Boat Registration
- 601-432-2055
- MDMR main office (saltwater), 1141 Bayview Ave, Biloxi MS 39530
- 228-374-5000
- MDMR Licensing office
- 228-523-4093
- info@dmr.ms.gov
- Hours
- MDMR general office Mon-Fri 8am-5pm CT; MDMR licensing office Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm CT. MDWFP office hours were not published on a page loaded this session.
- Website
- mdwfp.com
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 16
- Of which specialty
- 6
- Cheapest listed licence
- $3.00
- Free fishing days
- June 6-7, 2026 (permits waived at state fishing lakes and state park lakes) and July 4, 2026 (fishing licence waived statewide on public waters, but state fishing lake and state park lake permits are still required).
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Mississippi residents age 16 through 64 must hold a licence to fish fresh or marine waters other than privately owned ponds and streams. Anglers under 16 are exempt. Residents 65 and older are exempt from the freshwater licence but must carry documentation, and must buy the senior lifetime recreational saltwater licence to fish marine waters. Residents who are visually impaired, paraplegic, multiple amputees, or adjudged totally disabled by the Social Security Administration or totally service-connected disabled by the Veterans Administration are also exempt.
Specialty licences 6
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP)Free. Expires December 31 of the year issued regardless of registration date. Exemptions include anglers under 16, qualifying disabled anglers, and charter-boat clients. Issued by MDMR. | Permit | Anglers who possess snapper, amberjack, grouper, hind, triggerfish or cobia in Mississippi waters. Issued by MDMR, in addition to a saltwater fishing licence. | Any · annual · 16+ | Freestill required |
| Resident Freshwater Guide LicenceA separate Freshwater Guide Boat Licence is $25.00. Nonresident freshwater guide licence is $2,000.00 with the same $25.00 guide boat licence. Issued by MDWFP. | Permit | Residents guiding anglers for hire on Mississippi fresh waters | Resident · annual · all | $500.00 |
| State Fishing Lake Daily Fishing PermitAges 62+ and disabled anglers pay $3.00. Anglers under 16 are free. Issued by MDWFP. | Access or habitat fee | Anglers fishing an MDWFP state fishing lake, in addition to a state fishing licence | Any · 1-day · 16-61 | $5.00 |
| State Fishing Lake Daily Boat Launching and Fishing PermitAges 62+ and disabled anglers pay $6.00. Issued by MDWFP. | Access or habitat fee | Anglers launching a boat and fishing at an MDWFP state fishing lake | Any · 1-day · 16-61 | $7.00 |
| State Fishing Lake Annual Fishing Only PermitAges 62+ and disabled anglers pay $32.00. Issued by MDWFP. | Access or habitat fee | Anglers fishing MDWFP state fishing lakes year-round without launching a boat | Any · annual · 16-61 | $52.00 |
| State Fishing Lake Annual Boat Launching and Fishing PermitAges 62+ and disabled anglers pay $72.00. A guest version covering all boat occupants is $150.00 (or $120.00 for 62+/disabled). Duplicate permit $7.29. Issued by MDWFP. | Access or habitat fee | Anglers launching a boat and fishing at MDWFP state fishing lakes year-round | Any · annual · 16-61 | $102.00 |
Every licence and fee 16
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 10 | ||||
| Resident 3-Day Freshwater Fishing Licence Residents wanting a short-term freshwater licence. Issued by MDWFP. Issued by MDWFP. | Resident | 3-day | 16-64 | $3.00 |
| Resident Senior Lifetime Saltwater Fishing Licence (age 65+) Mississippi residents age 65 and older who fish marine waters. Residents 65+ are exempt from the freshwater licence but must still hold this saltwater licence. MDWFP price list shows the $5 fee; MDWFP's licence requirements page and eRegulations show the all-in cost as $7.29 / $8.49 once processing and agent fees are added. Required since July 1, 2010. Marine regulation is MDMR's; the licence is sold through the MDWFP system. | Resident | lifetime | 65+ | $5.00 |
| Nonresident 1-Day Freshwater Fishing Licence Nonresidents wanting a one-day freshwater licence. Issued by MDWFP. Issued by MDWFP. | Non-resident | 1-day | 16+ | $10.00 |
| Resident Recreational Saltwater Fishing Licence Mississippi residents age 16 through 64 fishing marine waters south of U.S. Highway 90. Marine fishing is regulated by MDMR; the licence is sold through the MDWFP licence system and at MDMR's Biloxi licensing office. MDWFP's price list shows the $10 licence fee. eRegulations, publishing on behalf of MDMR, shows the all-in cost as $13.49 once the $3.49 processing and agent fees are added. A freshwater OR saltwater licence is valid in the zone between I-10 and U.S. Highway 90; a saltwater licence is not valid north of I-10. | Resident | annual | 16-64 | $10.00 |
| Resident Small Game Hunting / Freshwater Fishing Licence Mississippi residents age 16 through 64 fishing public fresh waters. Issued by MDWFP. Mississippi sells the resident freshwater fishing privilege as a combined small game hunting / freshwater fishing licence. Issued by MDWFP. | Resident | annual | 16-64 | $10.00 |
| Nonresident 3-Day Saltwater Fishing Licence Nonresidents wanting a three-day marine licence Issued through MDWFP; marine rules set by MDMR. | Non-resident | 3-day | 16+ | $15.00 |
| Nonresident 3-Day Freshwater Fishing Licence Nonresidents wanting a three-day freshwater licence. Issued by MDWFP. Issued by MDWFP. | Non-resident | 3-day | 16+ | $30.00 |
| Nonresident Saltwater Fishing Licence Nonresidents age 16 and older fishing Mississippi marine waters. MDMR-regulated, sold through the MDWFP licence system. Issued through MDWFP; marine rules set by MDMR. | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $30.00 |
| Nonresident Louisiana-Resident Saltwater Fishing Licence Louisiana residents fishing Mississippi marine waters - a reciprocal-rate nonresident saltwater licence Listed on MDWFP's price list as 'LA Saltwater Fishing'. | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $60.00 |
| Nonresident Freshwater Fishing Licence Nonresidents age 16 and older fishing Mississippi public fresh waters. Issued by MDWFP. Issued by MDWFP. | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $68.00 |
| Permit 2 | ||||
| Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP) Anglers who possess snapper, amberjack, grouper, hind, triggerfish or cobia in Mississippi waters. Issued by MDMR, in addition to a saltwater fishing licence. Free. Expires December 31 of the year issued regardless of registration date. Exemptions include anglers under 16, qualifying disabled anglers, and charter-boat clients. Issued by MDMR. | Any | annual | 16+ | Freestill required |
| Resident Freshwater Guide Licence Residents guiding anglers for hire on Mississippi fresh waters A separate Freshwater Guide Boat Licence is $25.00. Nonresident freshwater guide licence is $2,000.00 with the same $25.00 guide boat licence. Issued by MDWFP. | Resident | annual | all | $500.00 |
| Access or habitat fee 4 | ||||
| State Fishing Lake Daily Fishing Permit Anglers fishing an MDWFP state fishing lake, in addition to a state fishing licence Ages 62+ and disabled anglers pay $3.00. Anglers under 16 are free. Issued by MDWFP. | Any | 1-day | 16-61 | $5.00 |
| State Fishing Lake Daily Boat Launching and Fishing Permit Anglers launching a boat and fishing at an MDWFP state fishing lake Ages 62+ and disabled anglers pay $6.00. Issued by MDWFP. | Any | 1-day | 16-61 | $7.00 |
| State Fishing Lake Annual Fishing Only Permit Anglers fishing MDWFP state fishing lakes year-round without launching a boat Ages 62+ and disabled anglers pay $32.00. Issued by MDWFP. | Any | annual | 16-61 | $52.00 |
| State Fishing Lake Annual Boat Launching and Fishing Permit Anglers launching a boat and fishing at MDWFP state fishing lakes year-round Ages 62+ and disabled anglers pay $72.00. A guest version covering all boat occupants is $150.00 (or $120.00 for 62+/disabled). Duplicate permit $7.29. Issued by MDWFP. | Any | annual | 16-61 | $102.00 |
Fees as published by MDWFP / MDMR 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
TWO AGENCIES, EXPLICITLY: freshwater fishing in Mississippi is regulated by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP, 1505 Eastover Drive, Jackson). Marine/saltwater fishing is regulated by a legally separate agency, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR, 1141 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, 228-374-5000). The two agencies share a sales channel: MDMR's own licensing page states recreational saltwater licences are sold online through the MDWFP system, at MDMR's Biloxi licensing office, and through coastal retailers - which is why saltwater prices appear on MDWFP's price list. The Recreational Offshore Landing Permit is purely an MDMR credential. Water boundary as published by MDWFP: a saltwater licence is required south of U.S. Highway 90; either licence is valid between I-10 and U.S. Highway 90; a saltwater licence is not valid north of I-10. PRICE CAVEAT: MDWFP's price list shows base licence fees while MDMR/eRegulations shows the same saltwater licences with processing and agent fees folded in ($10 base vs $13.49 all-in for the resident saltwater licence; $5 base vs $7.29-$8.49 all-in for the senior lifetime saltwater licence). Both figures are recorded; the base fee is used in the price field. MDMR's own page did not publish nonresident saltwater fees and directs nonresidents to call 228-374-5000, so the nonresident saltwater figures here come from MDWFP's price list. www.mdwfp.com began returning ROBOTS_DISALLOWED partway through this session; the MDWFP headquarters address was therefore confirmed from a Mississippi Secretary of State administrative-code filing (sos.ms.gov) that carries the department's letterhead address. MDWFP office hours and MDWFP social handles could not be loaded and are left blank. Mississippi has no trout stamp, no walleye/sturgeon tag, and no angler-paid aquatic invasive species surcharge.
About MDWFP / MDMR
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (freshwater); Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (saltwater) is the agency that issues fishing licences in Mississippi and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $3.00 to $68.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 6 specialty items to watch for, including the Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP), Resident Freshwater Guide Licence, State Fishing Lake Daily Fishing Permit and the State Fishing Lake Daily Boat Launching and Fishing Permit. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
Free fishing days: June 6-7, 2026 (permits waived at state fishing lakes and state park lakes) and July 4, 2026 (fishing licence waived statewide on public waters, but state fishing lake and state park lake permits are still 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.
Sources
- mdwfp.com/licenses-permits/hunting-and-fishing-license-prices
- mdwfp.com/licenses-permits/fishing-license-requirements
- mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/state-fishing-lake-permit-fees
- mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/free-fishing-days
- dmr.ms.gov/licensing/
- dmr.ms.gov/rolp/
- dmr.ms.gov/contact/
- eregulations.com/mississippi/fishing/saltwater/license-fees
- sos.ms.gov/ACProposed/00012535B.pdf