Massachusetts · Fishing license
Do I need a fishing license in Massachusetts?
Yes — anyone 15 or older needs one.
A year costs $40 if you live here and $50 if you don't.
There is a free option: Freshwater fishing, ages 15 to 17. Free, but you still have to get the license.
What it costs
If you live in Massachusetts
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| Freshwater fishing, annual | $40 |
| Freshwater fishing, ages 15 to 17Free, but you still have to get the license. | Free |
| Freshwater fishing, ages 65 to 69Half price. Discounted licenses go to US citizens only. | $20 |
| Freshwater fishing, age 70 and overFree. The same free license covers residents who are paraplegic, blind or intellectually disabled — first-timers apply on paper, see the exemptions. | Free |
| Freshwater fishing, three daysSame price as half a year of the 65-to-69 license — the annual is the better buy from the second trip on. | $20 |
| Saltwater fishing permit, under 60A separate permit from the Division of Marine Fisheries. The freshwater license does not cover salt water, and this one does not cover fresh water. | $10 |
| Saltwater fishing permit, 60 and overFree — "although there is no fee to anglers 60 years and older, you must still get a permit". | Free |
If you're visiting
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| Freshwater fishing, annualThe $5 Wildlands Conservation Stamp is added to every non-resident license on top. | $50 |
| Freshwater fishing, ages 15 to 17 | $8 |
| Freshwater fishing, three daysWorth it for one trip; from about two trips the annual at $50 wins. | $30.50 |
| Saltwater fishing permit, under 60DMF charges visitors the same as residents. A valid Connecticut, New Hampshire or Rhode Island saltwater permit is accepted instead — see the exemptions. | $10 |
| Saltwater fishing permit, 60 and overFree, and still required. | Free |
MassFishHunt is run by a third party and charges on top: online, $2.75 administrative handling per license plus a 4.95 percent convenience fee on the transaction. At a sporting goods or bait shop, $2.75 plus an agent fee of up to $1.50. At a city or town clerk, $2.75 plus $1.00. At a MassWildlife or Division of Marine Fisheries office there is nothing on top — but only cash or cheque is taken. A free saltwater permit bought online still costs $2.89 in fees.
How long it lasts
MassWildlife: "All licenses and permits are valid for the calendar year." Licenses expire each year on December 31, whenever you bought them — a license bought in December is worth a few weeks.
Who doesn't need one
- Anyone under 15 in fresh water
- Anyone under 16 in salt water
- Massachusetts residents aged 15 to 17 and 70 and over — the freshwater license is free, but you still have to get it
- Residents who are blind, have an intellectual disability or have paraplegia — a free license, with a certificate or a doctor’s form posted to MassWildlife the first time
- Saltwater anglers fishing from a permitted for-hire vessel, such as a head boat or charter boat
- Saltwater anglers who meet the definition of a disabled person in M.G.L. c. 19C
- Visitors holding a valid Connecticut, New Hampshire or Rhode Island recreational saltwater permit — Massachusetts accepts it, with conditions on your home state
MassWildlife words the age rule this way: Massachusetts uses two different ages. For fresh water, MassWildlife: "If you are 15 years of age or older, you need a license to fish." For salt water, the Division of Marine Fisheries: "If you’re 16 or older, you need a recreational saltwater fishing permit." So a 15-year-old needs a freshwater license — free for residents — but no saltwater permit. Residents aged 15 to 17 and 70 and over fish fresh water free; saltwater anglers 60 and over pay nothing but must still hold the permit.
Where to buy it
- Online through MassFishHunt, with the licence on your phone or printed
- At licence vendors such as sporting goods shops and bait and tackle shops
- At city and town clerk offices
- At MassWildlife and Division of Marine Fisheries offices — nothing added on top, but cash or cheque only
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
