New York Fishing License
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Contact
- Address
- NYSDEC, Division of Fish and Wildlife, License Sales Unit, 625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233 - License Sales Unit
- 518-402-8843
- DECALS license sales / marine registry
- 1-866-933-2257
- Website
- dec.ny.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 14
- Of which specialty
- 1
- Cheapest listed licence
- $0.00
- Free fishing days
- 2026: February 14-15, June 27-28, September 26 (National Hunting and Fishing Day) and November 11 (Veterans Day)
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Anglers under 16 do not need a freshwater fishing license. Free or reduced-fee licenses are available to resident active-duty military, veterans with a 40%+ service-related disability, seniors 70+, legally blind residents and enrolled members of the Shinnecock, Unkechaug and Haudenosaunee Nations living on a New York reservation.
Specialty licences 1
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 Marine Fishing RegistryRegistration itself is free; license issuing agents may charge up to a $1.00 print fee, and online/phone registrations may add a $2.00 printing and mailing fee unless email delivery is chosen. Valid one year from enrollment. Not required aboard a licensed party or charter boat, or for CT/RI residents holding a valid marine license from their own state. | Permit | Anglers 16 and older fishing for saltwater species in the marine and coastal district, or for migratory sea fish in tidal Hudson, Delaware or Mohawk River waters - free, separate from the freshwater license | Any · annual · 16+ | Freestill required |
Every licence and fee 14
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 13 | ||||
| Indigenous Peoples Free Fishing License Enrolled members of the Shinnecock, Unkechaug or Haudenosaunee Nations residing on a New York reservation | Resident | annual | 16+ | Freestill required |
| Legally Blind Free Fishing License Legally blind New York residents | Resident | annual | 16+ | Freestill required |
| Military Active-Duty Free Fishing License Resident active-duty members of the NYS Organized Militia or U.S. Reserve | Resident | annual | 16+ | Freestill required |
| Disabled Veteran Reduced-Fee Fishing License Resident military veterans with a 40% or greater service-related disability First hunting, fishing or trapping license purchased in a calendar year costs $5. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $5.00 |
| Resident 1-Day Fishing License Residents fishing fresh water for one day | Resident | 1-day | 16+ | $5.00 |
| Resident Annual Fishing License (70 and over) Residents age 70 and older Reduced-fee senior rate. | Resident | annual | 70+ | $5.00 |
| Nonresident 1-Day Fishing License Nonresidents fishing fresh water for one day | Non-resident | 1-day | 16+ | $10.00 |
| Resident 7-Day Fishing License Residents fishing fresh water for seven days | Resident | 7-day | 16+ | $12.00 |
| Resident Annual Fishing License New York residents ages 16-69 fishing fresh water Valid 365 days from date of purchase. | Resident | annual | 16-69 | $25.00 |
| Nonresident 7-Day Fishing License Nonresidents fishing fresh water for seven days | Non-resident | 7-day | 16+ | $28.00 |
| Nonresident Annual Fishing License Nonresidents age 16 and older fishing fresh water Valid 365 days from date of purchase. Full-time nonresident students at New York colleges may buy at resident rates. | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $50.00 |
| Lifetime Fishing License (70 and over) Residents age 70 and older | Resident | lifetime | 70+ | $65.00 |
| Lifetime Fishing License New York residents of at least one year (proof required) | Resident | lifetime | 0-69 | $460.00 |
| Permit 1 | ||||
| Recreational Marine Fishing Registry Anglers 16 and older fishing for saltwater species in the marine and coastal district, or for migratory sea fish in tidal Hudson, Delaware or Mohawk River waters - free, separate from the freshwater license Registration itself is free; license issuing agents may charge up to a $1.00 print fee, and online/phone registrations may add a $2.00 printing and mailing fee unless email delivery is chosen. Valid one year from enrollment. Not required aboard a licensed party or charter boat, or for CT/RI residents holding a valid marine license from their own state. | Any | annual | 16+ | Freestill required |
Fees as published by NYSDEC 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: New York's Recreational Marine Fishing Registry is free and entirely separate from the freshwater fishing license - it is captured as its own row. All prices came directly from dec.ny.gov pages loaded this session. New York sells no trout, salmon or habitat stamp for angling, so no such rows exist. The state has no separate saltwater license fee beyond the free registry. Agency email, office hours and social handles were not published on the DEC pages loaded (dec.ny.gov/about/contact returned HTTP 404) and are left null/empty. regs_url points at the DEC fishing license page because a dedicated freshwater regulations page was not loaded this session.
About NYSDEC
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is the agency that issues fishing licences in New York and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $0.00 to $460.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there is 1 specialty item to watch for, including the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
Free fishing days: 2026: February 14-15, June 27-28, September 26 (National Hunting and Fishing Day) and November 11 (Veterans Day).
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
- dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/sporting-and-use/sporting/fishing-license
- dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/sporting-and-use/sporting/lifetime
- dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/sporting-and-use/sporting/free-reduced-fee
- dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/sporting-and-use/sporting/recreational-marine-fishing-registry
- dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/sporting-and-use/sporting/decals
- dec.ny.gov/news/press-releases/2026/2/governor-hochul-and-dec-announce-2026-free-freshwater-fishing-days-in-new-york