Connecticut · Fishing license
Do I need a fishing license in Connecticut?
Yes — anyone 16 or older needs one.
A year costs $32 if you live here and $63 if you don't. Just passing through? Marine Waters, three days costs $8.
There is a free option: Inland Waters only, age 65 and over. Free for Connecticut residents, but it has to be renewed every year.
What it costs
If you live in Connecticut
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| All Waters, ages 18 to 64Inland and marine in one licence — $4 more than inland alone, and it saves working out which side of the demarcation line you are on. | $32 |
| All Waters, ages 16 and 17Residents aged 16 or 17 get 50 percent off any fishing licence. | $16 |
| Inland Waters only, ages 18 to 64 | $28 |
| Inland Waters only, ages 16 and 17 | $14 |
| Inland Waters only, age 65 and overFree for Connecticut residents, but it has to be renewed every year. | Free |
| Marine Waters only, ages 18 to 64 | $10 |
| Marine Waters only, ages 16 and 17 | $5 |
| Marine Waters only, age 65 and overFree, renewed annually. | Free |
If you're visiting
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| All Waters, age 16 and overNo youth or senior discount applies to visitors. | $63 |
| Inland Waters only, age 16 and over | $55 |
| Marine Waters only, age 16 and over | $15 |
| Inland Waters, three daysVisitors only — Connecticut sells no short-term inland licence to its own residents. | $22 |
| Marine Waters, three daysVisitors only. The cheapest legal saltwater fishing in Connecticut. | $8 |
How long it lasts
DEEP: licences are "issued on a calendar year basis and expire on December 31st". Buy in November and you have two months, not twelve.
Who doesn't need one
- Anyone under 16
- Connecticut residents 65 and over — free for inland and for marine waters, renewed annually online, at participating town halls or at DEEP offices
- Connecticut residents who are blind or intellectually disabled — free, against a certificate from a physician licensed in the state
- People who have lost one or more limbs or the permanent use of them — free licence, stamps and permits excluded, and only if their own state grants Connecticut residents the same
- Active-duty service members stationed in Connecticut pay resident rates
DEEP words the age rule this way: DEEP states that fishing licences are "required for all persons age 16 and older", "discounted by 50% for Connecticut residents who are age 16 or 17" and "free for Connecticut residents age 65 or older". The free senior licence covers inland and marine waters but has to be renewed each year, and the Trout and Salmon Stamp is charged separately from age 16 regardless.
Where to buy it
- Online around the clock through the CT Outdoor Licensing System
- At most bait and tackle shops
- At town clerk offices
- At DEEP field offices — the route for the free disability licences
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
