Missouri · Fishing permit
Do I need a fishing permit in Missouri?
Yes — anyone 16 or older needs one, until you turn 65 as a resident.
A year costs $14 if you live here and $57 if you don't. Just passing through? Daily fishing permit costs $9.
What it costs
If you live in Missouri
| permit | Price |
|---|---|
| Resident fishing permitCovers fish, frogs, mussels, clams, turtles, crayfish and live bait. | $14 |
| Daily fishing permitCan be bought for several days at once. | $9 |
| Lifetime permit, bought for ages 0 to 15Residents only. Carries the same privileges as the resident fishing permit and the trout permit. Ordered on paper, not sold online. | $320 |
| Lifetime permit, ages 16 to 29Residents only, ordered on paper. | $465.50 |
| Lifetime permit, ages 30 to 39Residents only, ordered on paper. | $407 |
| Lifetime permit, ages 40 to 59Residents only, ordered on paper. | $349 |
| Lifetime permit, ages 60 to 64Residents only. Worth weighing against the fact that residents 65 and over need no base permit at all. | $40.50 |
If you're visiting
| permit | Price |
|---|---|
| Nonresident fishing permit | $57 |
| Daily fishing permitSame price as for residents. | $9 |
Ordering by phone on 800-392-4115 adds a $1 surcharge. MDC states no other transaction fee.
How long it lasts
Annual permits expire at the end of February. Missouri calls these permits rather than licenses.
Who doesn't need one
- Anyone 15 or younger, resident or not
- Missouri residents 65 or older — though the trout permit and trout park daily tags still apply
- Resident landowners with five acres or more, and their households, fishing land they own
- Honourably discharged veterans or active personnel with a service-related disability of 60 percent or more, former prisoners of war, and patients assigned to a Warrior Transition Brigade, Unit or military medical centre
- People with corrected vision of 20/200 or less, a visual field of 20 degrees or less, a permanent need for a wheelchair, or cerebral palsy or a mental disability preventing fishing alone — with a statement from a physician, ophthalmologist or optometrist
MDC words the age rule this way: MDC: "Anyone age 15 and younger (resident or nonresident) may fish and hunt (except deer and turkey) without permit." And: "Missouri residents ages 65 or older may fish (except trout permit or daily tags in areas where required) ... without permit." The senior exemption covers residents only, and it does not waive the trout permit or the trout park daily tag.
Where to buy it
- Online through MDC's sales portal
- By phone: 800-392-4115, with a $1 surcharge
- In MDC's free MO Fishing and MO Hunting apps
- At more than a thousand permit vendors across the state
- Lifetime permits only: on paper via MDC Permit Services, 573-522-0107
Wondering about the big retailers? A shop like Walmart sells the state's permit at the state's price — it sets none of its own.
Days you can fish without one
