A current license, signed in ink, is required of persons age 16 and over to fish or angle for any species of fish and to take fishbait, baitfish and species of amphibians and reptiles from Commonwealth waters by those legal methods described in the Pennsylvania Summary of Fishing Regualtions and Laws (Summary Book).

FISHING is defined as the act of angling, or to catch, take, kill or remove, or the attempt to catch, take, kill or remove, from any waters or other areas within or bordering this Commonwealth any fish by any means or method for any purpose whatsoever.

CASTING and/or RETRIEVING, whether by rod, reel and line, or by handline, for oneself or for others, requires a current license, unless specifically exempted by law. See “Assistance to Children” for specifics on when a license is required when assisting a child (12 years of age and under).

1. at more than 900 license-issuing agents
2. at county treasurers offices (listed with agents)
3. at Fish & Boat Commission offices
4. on the Internet at www.pa.wildlifelicense.com.

Lost Fishing License or Replacements - All replacement licenses include permits or privileges previously purchased by the customer. The total cost for a replacement license and previously purchased permits or privileges that printed on the base license is $6.90. Replacement cost of a 1-year permits or multi-year Senior trout/salmon permits is $6.90.

You qualify for a RESIDENT Fishing License if you are a bona fide resident of Pennsylvania. When purchasing a resident fishing license, you must show proof of permanent residency by presenting one of the following documents:

1. valid PA driver’s license
2. a valid non-driver photo identification card
3. a previous year’s PA state income tax return showing proof of payment of personal income tax as a resident of PA
4. a previous year’s local earned income tax return showing tax paid to a PA municipality
5. a current PA voter registration card.

All issued resident fishing licenses will remain valid for the year or years for which they are issued, regardless of whether the license holder is no longer a bona fide Pennsylvania resident.

National Guard & Armed Forces Reserve Licenses and Prisoner of War (POW) Licenses are available only at Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and county treasurer offices.

National Guard & Armed Forces Reserve Licenses are available to those persons who provide documentation that within the previous 24 months the person was deployed overseas as a member of the reserve component of the armed forces for a period of 60 consecutive days or more or was released early from service because of an injury or disease incurred in the line of duty.

Prisoner of War (POW) Licenses are available to persons who provide military documentation stating the person is a former prisoner of war.

Senior Resident and Senior Lifetime Licenses are available to those persons at anytime during the year in which they will become age 65.

• Persons who possess a Resident Senior Lifetime license dated before January 1, 1991, are not required to purchase a trout/salmon permit.
• A Senior Resident Lifetime license holder who purchased a trout/salmon permit or a Combination trout/Lake Erie permit before Jan. 1, 2015, remains exempt from the requirement to purchase a trout/salmon permit annually

Senior Resident Lifetime License holders who purchase their license as of Jan. 1, 2015, are required to purchase a trout/salmon permit each year that the license holder desires to fish for trout. License holders can purchase the trout/salmon permit annually or purchase the permit for a 3-,5-,10-year period. License holders are required to purchase only one Lake Erie permit for a lifetime. In the event the license holder is no longer a Pennsylvania resident, the license continues to be valid.

Senior Resident Lifetime License Upgrade - A durable plastic card version of the Senior Resident Lifetime license is available. This upgrade is available for $11.90 (form PFBC-L-166S). Upgrades can also be purchased through issuing agents.

Disabled Veterans Licenses – Any disabled veteran who has a disability incurred in any war or armed conflict that consists of the loss of one or more limbs or the loss of use of one or more limbs, or total blindness, or who is 100 percent disabled as certified by the United States Veterans Administration and is a resident of this Commonwealth may obtain a free resident fishing license upon application to the Commission or county treasurer.

Reduced Disabled Veterans Licenses – Any disabled veteran who has a disability incurred in any war or armed conflict that consists of the loss of one or more limbs or the loss of use of one or more limbs, or total blindness, or who is between 60 and 99 percent disabled as certified by the United States Veterans Administration and is a resident of this Commonwealth may obtain a reduced fee resident fishing license upon application to the Fish & Boat Commission or county treasurer.

Military personnel are required to purchase a fishing license. Those who are stationed in Pennsylvania under permanent change of station orders (PCS) for a duration of 6 months or more, who produce documentation proving same, qualify for a resident fishing license. All others must obtain a tourist or non-resident license.

Certain active duty military personnel are exempt from Pennsylvania’s fishing license requirement. To be eligible for the military waiver, an angler must:

• be a bona fide Pennsylvania resident,
• be on active duty,
• be stationed outside Pennsylvania, and
• be here on authorized leave.

While in the act of fishing, the military personnel must carry proof of each of these requirements, such as a PA driver’s license, a military ID and valid military orders showing the place of assignment and leave status.

Under the law, a qualifying soldier, sailor, airman or Marine does not receive a free Pennsylvania fishing license. Instead, eligible active duty military personnel can legally fish without a license under the limited circumstances outlined in the law. The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission recommends that anyone taking advantage of this provision display a military ID while in the act of fishing in much the same way as one would display a conventional fishing license.

The law does not exempt military personnel on leave from any other requirements of fishing or boating laws and regulations.

Students from out of state who are attending school in Pennsylvania but who have not become residents of Pennsylvania are NOT eligible to purchase a resident fishing license and must obtain a tourist or non-resident license.

Social Security Number Requirements - Since 1998, federal and state laws require purchasers of a Pennsylvania fishing license to provide their social security number when applying to purchase a fishing license.

Vouchers– A voucher may be purchased as a gift for another individual that can be redeemed for a license and/or stamp or privilege. A voucher may be redeemed at any issuing agent. The voucher is non-refundable and expires as noted. A voucher is not a fishing license and individuals using a voucher to fish are in violation of the Fish and Boat Code and may be subject to legal action. Individuals wishing to purchase vouchers for Christmas presents need to wait until December 1 of that year before purchasing a voucher.

One-Day Tourist and One-Day Resident License – One-Day Tourist and One-Day Resident Licenses are not valid for fishing during the period from March 15th to April 30th of any year. One-Day Tourist or One-Day Resident Licenses issued to be used on March 14 will expire at 11:59 p.m. on March 14 regardless of what time the license begins.

The Mentored Youth Fishing Permit is free, and the Voluntary Youth Fishing License is $2.90 ($1.00 cost plus $1.90 in agent/transaction fee).

While both the permit and the Voluntary Youth Fishing License provide the opportunity for youth to fish on Mentored Youth Fishing Days, the Voluntary Youth Fishing License provides an extended return for both Pennsylvania’s youth and the Commission. For each license purchased for $2.90, the Commission receives $5 back in funding as a federal reimbursement. The same applies for each Voluntary Youth Fishing License Voucher, once it is redeemed. The Commission receives no federal reimbursement for Mentored Youth Fishing Permits.

The funds received from the sales of the license reimbursement are then dedicated toward investment in youth outreach and education programs.

While both the permit and the license provide the opportunity to participate in Mentored Youth Fishing Days, the Commission encourages anglers to purchase either a Voluntary Youth Fishing License or a Voluntary Youth Fishing License Voucher—for the future of fishing!

Use of a valid Alternate Display Annual Fishing License Button meets the fishing license display requirement as long as the angler has a license certificate in their possession.