Kentucky · Fishing license
Do I need a fishing license in Kentucky?
Yes — anyone 16 or older needs one.
A year costs $24.31 if you live here and $58.14 if you don't. Just passing through? 1-Day Fishing costs $15.86. The cheapest legal way for a Kentucky resident 65 or older to fish is not the $24.31 annual fishing licence — it is the $12.68 Senior Sportsman's licence, which happens to bundle in hunting, deer, turkey, waterfowl and trout permits as well. Buying fishing alone costs almost twice as much as buying everything.
What it costs
If you live in Kentucky
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| Annual Fishing | $24.31 |
| Joint married-couple Annual FishingCovers both spouses on one licence — cheaper than two separate annual licences at $24.31 each. No nonresident equivalent exists. | $44.38 |
| 1-Day Fishing | $7.40 |
| 3-Year FishingThe one Kentucky licence exempted from the annual March-to-February renewal — it simply runs three years from purchase. No nonresident equivalent exists. | $58.14 |
| Combination Hunting/FishingNo nonresident equivalent exists. | $44.39 |
| Sportsman's Licence (fishing, hunting, deer, turkey, waterfowl and trout permit bundled)Excludes Peabody, LBL and Otter Creek permits, the Elk Hunt Drawing application, elk and bear permits, the federal duck stamp and the trapping licence. | $100.42 |
| First-time Buyer Sportsman's LicenceA one-time discount on the full Sportsman's bundle for a resident buying it for the very first time. | $37 |
| Senior Sportsman's Licence, residents 65 and olderOnly proof of age is required. Includes the same licences and permits as the regular resident Sportsman's Licence. | $12.68 |
| Senior Lifetime Sportsman's Licence, residents 65 and olderMust maintain Kentucky residency. Includes all senior sportsman's licences and permits for life. | $190.26 |
| Disabled Sportsman's LicenceSame price and bundle as the Senior Sportsman's Licence, for residents who qualify as disabled rather than by age. | $12.68 |
| Youth Sportsman's Licence, ages 12 to 15Same bundle as the standard resident Sportsman's Licence, except it does not include the trout permit. | $31.71 |
If you're visiting
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| Annual Fishing | $58.14 |
| 1-Day Fishing | $15.86 |
| 7-Day FishingNo resident equivalent — residents have the cheaper 1-day and annual options instead. | $37 |
How long it lasts
fw.ky.gov: "Unless otherwise noted below, all licenses are valid from the beginning of March through the end of February." New licences are required every year except the 3-year fishing licence.
Who doesn't need one
- Resident and nonresident children under 16
- Resident farmland owners, their spouse and dependent children, fishing on land they own
- Tenants who both live and work on the farm, plus their spouse and dependents, fishing on that farm
- Resident military personnel on furlough for more than 3 days, carrying identification and papers showing furlough status
- Anyone fishing within the boundaries of Mammoth Cave National Park
- Residents or nonresidents participating in a department-authorized field trial, as long as no game is taken
- Everyone, resident or visitor, on the two Free Fishing Weekend days each June
KDFWR words the age rule this way: fw.ky.gov: "Resident and nonresident children under the age of 16 may fish without a license." A separate, lower threshold applies only to hunting and trapping licences, not fishing: residents and nonresidents under 12 are exempt from those.
Where to buy it
- Online through the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Online License Sales site
- At licence vendors across the state
- By phone through the KDFWR Info Center, 1-800-858-1549
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
