Maryland · Fishing license
Do I need a fishing license in Maryland?
Yes — anyone 16 or older needs one.
A year costs $32 if you live here and $55 if you don't. Just passing through? Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing, seven days costs $12. For visitors that $55 is a floor, not a price: Maryland charges the greater of $55 or whatever your own state charges a Maryland resident.
What it costs
If you live in Maryland
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| Angler’s licence, non-tidal, annualCovers the fresh, non-tidal waters of the state. | $32 |
| Angler’s licence, non-tidal, seven daysHalf the annual price for a week — the annual wins from the second trip. | $16 |
| Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing, annualA separate licence for the Bay, its tributaries and the Atlantic coastal waters. Cheaper than the freshwater one. | $15 |
| Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing, seven daysThe cheapest legal fishing in Maryland. | $6 |
If you're visiting
| license | Price |
|---|---|
| Angler’s licence, non-tidal, annualA floor, not a fixed price: the statute sets the fee at the greater of $55 or whatever your home state charges a Maryland resident. Come from an expensive state and you pay that state’s rate. | $55 |
| Angler’s licence, non-tidal, seven daysAgain the greater of $45 or your home state’s reciprocal fee. | $45 |
| Angler’s licence, non-tidal, three daysThe greater of $35 or the reciprocal fee. | $35 |
| Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing, annualThe Bay licence carries no reciprocity clause — a flat rate for every visitor. | $22.50 |
| Chesapeake Bay and coastal sport fishing, seven daysThe cheapest way for a visitor to fish Maryland water. | $12 |
How long it lasts
Natural Resources Article § 4-604: "Every angler’s license shall be valid for 1 year following the date of issuance." Maryland counts from the day you buy, not to a fixed date.
Who doesn't need one
- Anyone under 16, in fresh water and in the Bay alike
- Landowners and their immediate family fishing on their own property
- Active military on leave, carrying the official leave order
- Blind people — the Bay licence is issued at no fee
- Anyone fishing non-tidal waters on the free fishing days the Secretary designates
- Purple Heart recipients, through a departmental programme of discounted angler’s licences and trout stamps
Maryland DNR words the age rule this way: Natural Resources Article § 4-604: "Any person 16 years old or older shall secure an angler’s license to fish in the nontidal waters of the State." The Chesapeake Bay and coastal licence under § 4-745 sets the same line, exempting anyone who "is under the age of 16". Maryland names no upper age at which the licence stops being needed in either section; the code refers to a separate senior consolidated licence elsewhere.
Where to buy it
- Online through Maryland DNR’s COMPASS portal
- At licence agents across the state
- At Maryland DNR service centres
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
Maryland DNR publishes this as a recurring rule rather than a fixed date. Check the exact days on their free fishing page before you plan around it.
