Louisiana · Fishing license · Age
What age do you need a fishing license in Louisiana?
From 18 on, with no upper limit.
The ages that matter
Under 18
No license needed
Children can fish without one. Everything else still applies though — limits, sizes and seasons do not change with age.
18 and up
License required
Carry it with you while fishing.
65 and up
Free, still required
Louisiana stops charging older residents but still expects them to hold the license: Senior hunting and fishing (born before 1 June 1940) at Free, Senior hunting and fishing (born 1 June 1940 to 31 May 1962) at $5.
How LDWF words it
LDWF: "If you're age 18 or older, you must have a Basic Fishing License to fish recreationally in Louisiana waters." Louisiana sets the bar at 18, not at 16 as most states do — anyone 17 and under fishes free, resident or not.
Quoted rather than paraphrased. With rules that carry a fine, the exact wording is the point.
Other ways to be exempt
Age is one route. LDWF lists these as well.
- Louisiana residents born before 1 June 1940, who hold a free senior licence
