Iowa · Fishing license
Do I need a fishing license in Iowa?
Yes — anyone 16 or older needs one.
A year costs $22 if you live here and $48 if you don't. Just passing through? Fishing, one day costs $12.
What it costs
If you live in Iowa
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| Fishing, annual | $22 |
| Angler’s Special, three yearsWorks out cheaper than three annual licenses. | $62 |
| Fishing, seven days | $15.50 |
| Fishing, one dayThe cheapest legal day of fishing in Iowa for a resident. | $10.50 |
| Fishing, lifetime, age 65 and overIowa does not stop charging seniors — it sells them a lifetime license instead. | $61.50 |
| Outdoor Combo: hunting, fishing and habitat feeOnly worth it if you hunt as well. | $55 |
| Boundary water trotline, annualFor the Mississippi and Missouri boundary waters. | $26 |
If you're visiting
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| Fishing, annual | $48 |
| Fishing, seven days | $37.50 |
| Fishing, three days | $20.50 |
| Fishing, one dayThe cheapest legal day of fishing in Iowa for a visitor. | $12 |
| Boundary water trotline, annual | $49.50 |
How long it lasts
Iowa sells licenses by recreation year. The 2026 licenses went on sale on December 15, 2025, and the DNR states that "licenses purchased for 2025 expire on Jan. 10" — so a year’s license runs until January 10 of the year after it.
Who doesn't need one
- Anyone under 16, resident or not — though the trout fee still applies if they want to keep trout
- Minor pupils of the State School for the Blind and the State School for the Deaf
- Minor residents of state institutions under an administrator or a division of the department of human services, residents of county care facilities, and people receiving supplementary assistance
- Iowa residents on active duty with the US armed forces, stationed outside Iowa and on authorised leave — carry your leave papers and a current earnings statement showing an Iowa income tax deduction
- Resident veterans and disabled residents qualify for free or reduced licenses on application — the DNR publishes the forms and takes questions on 515-725-8200
Iowa DNR words the age rule this way: Iowa DNR: "Residents under sixteen (16) years of age can fish without a license, but may need to purchase a trout fee." The same sentence appears for nonresidents: "Nonresidents under sixteen (16) years of age can fish without a license, but may need to purchase a trout fee." Iowa sets no age at which the license stops being needed — from 65 it sells a lifetime license at $61.50 instead.
Where to buy it
- Online through Go Outdoors Iowa
- At local retailers and bait shops across the state
- DNR Customer Service Center, 515-725-8200, for the veteran, disabled and senior licenses that go by paper application
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
