Arkansas · Fishing license

Arkansas fishing license

Do I need one?

Yes — anyone 16 or older needs one.

A year costs $10.50 if you live here and $60 if you don't. Just passing through? One-day trip (NT1) costs $15. Keeping trout needs the separate trout permit on top of the licence.

What it costs

If you live in Arkansas

licensePrice
Resident fisheries conservation (FSH)Expires 30 June. $10.50
65-plus lifetime fishing $10.50
Resident 3-year disability (RDF) $10.50
Trout permit (TPR)Needed on top of the licence to keep trout. $10
65-plus lifetime trout permit (PLT) $10

If you're visiting

licensePrice
Annual fishing (NRF) $60
Three-day trip (NT3)Runs 72 hours from the start, not three calendar days. $30
One-day trip (NT1) $15
Trout permit (TPN)Needed on top of the licence to keep trout. $20

Arkansas keeps the base licence cheap and charges separately for trout: 10 dollars for residents, 20 for visitors, on top of the licence.

The full price breakdown →

How long it lasts

The resident fisheries conservation licence expires on 30 June, whenever you bought it. The non-resident trip licences run for the hours they name — the three-day one is 72 hours, not three calendar days.

Who doesn't need one

AGFC words the age rule this way: AGFC: "If you are 16 or older, you must carry a valid fishing license to take or attempt to take aquatic wildlife in Arkansas."

Where to buy it

Wondering about the big retailers? A shop like Walmart sells the state's license at the state's price — it sets none of its own.

Days you can fish without one

all
Arkansas holds a free fishing weekend each year in June, on which no licence is needed. All other rules stay in force. The pages read for this entry name no 2026 dates, so none are claimed here.

AGFC publishes this as a recurring rule rather than a fixed date. Check the exact days on their free fishing page before you plan around it.

More on free fishing days →

Where to use it today

Waters we read every morning in Arkansas.