New Mexico Fishing License
New Mexico Department of Wildlife (NMDOW)
Contact
- Address
- 1 Wildlife Way
Santa Fe, NM 87507 - Main office
- 505-476-8000
- Customer service / license sales (toll-free)
- 888-248-6866
- ispa@dgf.nm.gov
- Website
- wildlife.dgf.nm.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 13
- Of which specialty
- 4
- Cheapest listed licence
- $0.00
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Children under 12 do not need a fishing license. Free licenses are issued to New Mexico residents age 70 and older and to qualifying 100%-disabled veterans; foster family licenses are issued free in person at department offices.
Specialty licences 4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat StampRequired only on USFS/BLM land, but a separate purchase from the HMAV - both can apply to the same trip. | Stamp | Anglers age 12 and older fishing on U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management lands in New Mexico | Any · annual · 12+ | $10.00 |
| Second Rod Validation | Endorsement | Anglers age 12 and older who want to fish with a second rod | Any · annual · 12+ | $4.00 |
| Gila Trout Fishing PermitFree permit, required in addition to a fishing license on the specific waters where it applies. | Permit | Anglers fishing designated Gila trout waters | Any · annual · all | Freestill required |
| Habitat Management and Access Validation (HMAV)Commonly missed. Separate from and in addition to the Habitat Stamp. | Access or habitat fee | Every license holder age 18 and older - mandatory add-on to any fishing license, except holders of free licenses | Any · annual · 18+ | $4.00 |
Every licence and fee 13
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 9 | ||||
| 70 Years and Older Annual Fishing License Residents age 70 and older Free license. Holders of free licenses are exempt from the Habitat Management and Access Validation. | Resident | annual | 70+ | Freestill required |
| Resident Junior Annual Fishing License Resident anglers ages 12-17 | Resident | annual | 12-17 | $5.00 |
| Handicapped Annual Fishing License Residents with a qualifying permanent disability | Resident | annual | all | $8.00 |
| Resident Senior Annual Fishing License Resident anglers ages 65-69 | Resident | annual | 65-69 | $8.00 |
| One-Day Fishing License Any angler fishing for a single day Same price for residents and nonresidents. | Any | 1-day | 12+ | $12.00 |
| Nonresident Junior Annual Fishing License Nonresident anglers ages 12-17 | Non-resident | annual | 12-17 | $15.00 |
| Five-Day Fishing License Any angler fishing for five days Same price for residents and nonresidents. | Any | short-term | 12+ | $24.00 |
| Resident Annual Fishing License New Mexico residents age 12 and older | Resident | annual | 12+ | $25.00 |
| Nonresident Annual Fishing License Nonresidents age 12 and older | Non-resident | annual | 12+ | $56.00 |
| Stamp 1 | ||||
| Habitat Stamp Anglers age 12 and older fishing on U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management lands in New Mexico Required only on USFS/BLM land, but a separate purchase from the HMAV - both can apply to the same trip. | Any | annual | 12+ | $10.00 |
| Endorsement 1 | ||||
| Second Rod Validation Anglers age 12 and older who want to fish with a second rod | Any | annual | 12+ | $4.00 |
| Permit 1 | ||||
| Gila Trout Fishing Permit Anglers fishing designated Gila trout waters Free permit, required in addition to a fishing license on the specific waters where it applies. | Any | annual | all | Freestill required |
| Access or habitat fee 1 | ||||
| Habitat Management and Access Validation (HMAV) Every license holder age 18 and older - mandatory add-on to any fishing license, except holders of free licenses Commonly missed. Separate from and in addition to the Habitat Stamp. | Any | annual | 18+ | $4.00 |
Fees as published by NM 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
VERIFIED: the Habitat Management and Access Validation ($4.00, age 18+, mandatory with any paid fishing license) and the Habitat Stamp ($10.00, age 12+, required on USFS/BLM lands) are two separate charges - both are captured as separate rows. The Second Rod Validation ($4.00) is also confirmed. The agency's own licenses page (wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/fishing/licenses-permits/) loaded and confirmed which products exist but publishes no dollar amounts except the $10 Habitat Stamp; all other prices come from eRegulations, the department's official digital regulations publisher. NOTE ON AGENCY NAME: the department's own contact page now identifies it as the New Mexico Department of Wildlife (NMDOW); it was formerly the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the dgf.nm.gov domain is still in use. Office hours, social handles and free fishing days were not published on the pages loaded.
About NM Wildlife
New Mexico Department of Wildlife is the agency that issues fishing licences in New Mexico and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $0.00 to $56.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 4 specialty items to watch for, including the Habitat Stamp, Second Rod Validation, Gila Trout Fishing Permit and the Habitat Management and Access Validation (HMAV). 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.