New York handles its two fisheries in completely different ways. Fresh water needs a paid licence from 16; the marine district needs the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, which is free but still compulsory. Anglers who fish both sides of the state need both, and the registry catches out visitors who assume the licence covers the salt. Like California, the annual runs 365 days from purchase rather than to a fixed date.
What it costs you
Set your situation and the figure below is the one you will actually pay at checkout.
Every New York fishing fee
The annual licence is valid 365 days from the date of purchase or renewal.
| Licence | Who | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater, one day | Resident | 1 day | $5.00 |
| Freshwater, one day | Visitor | 1 day | $10.00 |
| Freshwater, seven days | Resident | 7 days | $12.00 |
| Freshwater, seven days | Visitor | 7 days | $28.00 |
| Freshwater, annual, ages 16-69 | Resident | Annual | $25.00 |
| Freshwater, annual | Visitor | Annual | $50.00 |
These fees cover freshwater. Saltwater fishing in the marine district needs the free Recreational Marine Fishing Registry instead, which is separate from this licence.
Passing through? A visitor pays $10 for one day here, and the annual works out cheaper after 5 days. Compare every state's day licence.
Still to verify: Faltan la tarifa senior de 70 o mas, la vitalicia y el detalle del registro marino. We publish what we have checked and leave the rest blank rather than guess.
Salt water: the recreational marine fishing registry
The fees above are freshwater. New York sells no saltwater fishing licence at all, which is why searching for one turns up nothing useful. What it requires instead is the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, and the two things people get wrong about it are that it is a licence, which it is not, and that it costs money, which it does not.
- What it costs
- Nothing. A licence issuing agent may add a $1 printing fee, or $2 if you want it printed and mailed to you. The registration itself costs nothing.
- Who needs it
- Everyone 16 and over, resident or visitor, fishing the waters below.
- How long it lasts
- 365 days from the day you enrol, not the calendar year.
- Where it applies
- Ocean and bay waters within three miles of the coastline, which is the marine and coastal district.
- The tidal Hudson River south of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, when you are fishing for migratory fish of the sea such as striped bass, hickory shad or river herring.
- How to enrol
- Online through DECALS, the departmentβs licensing system.
- At any licence issuing agent.
- By phone on 1-866-933-2257.
- Who is exempt
- Anyone fishing aboard an appropriately licensed party or charter boat in the marine and coastal district.
- A New York State licensed party or charter boat owner.
- Connecticut and Rhode Island residents holding a valid marine fishing licence from their own state.
It does not cover lobsters, crabs, clams, mussels, scallops or oysters, which are licensed separately. And it does not replace the freshwater licence. The freshwater ponds, lakes and streams of Long Island and New York City, Suffolk and Nassau counties included, are freshwater: fishing them needs the licence in the table above, whatever the registry says. The line between the two is the water, not the county.
Read on DEC on 2026-09-21.
Do you need a fishing licence in New York?
Yes, from age 16. Residents and visitors both need one from that birthday. What changes is the price, not the requirement.
$25.00 a year if you live in New York, $50.00 if you are visiting, for fresh water. Salt water is different again: New York has no saltwater licence, only the free Recreational Marine Fishing Registry.
Who does not need one
- Anglers 15 and under.
- Everyone on the state free fishing days.
Nobody needs a licence on New Yorkβs free fishing days: the dates for this year, and what the day does not waive.
How to buy it
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sells online, by phone and through licence agents: tackle shops, sporting goods stores and county offices.
Official DEC licensing page β
We link the agency and never resell licences. If a site charges you a "processing fee" on top of the state fee, you are not on the state's own system.
Where to use it
We track 29 New York waters daily, with live flow, tides and conditions. A sample of what your licence covers:
- Oneida Lake β Oswego County
- Montauk β Suffolk County
- Cayuga Lake β Cayuga County
- Niagara River β Niagara County
- Fire Island β Suffolk County
- Lake Ontario β Monroe County
- Chautauqua Lake β Chautauqua County
- Cattaraugus Creek β Erie County
- Oak Orchard Creek β Orleans County
- Long Island Sound β Suffolk County
- Ausable River β Essex County
- Oswego River β Oswego County
Questions
How much is a fishing licence in New York?
$25.00 for a resident annual freshwater licence and $50.00 for a non-resident. Short-term licences cost less and are listed in full above.
Do you need a fishing license in New York?
Yes, from age 16, and it makes no difference whether you live there: residents and visitors both need one, they just pay different prices. $25.00 for a resident annual freshwater licence, $50.00 for a visitor. 2 exemptions apply, listed on this page.
What age do you need a fishing licence in New York?
From age 16. Anglers under 16 fish without one, though the other rules, bag limits and catch record cards included, still apply to them.
Can I buy a New York fishing licence online?
Yes. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sells online and through licence agents. These fees cover freshwater. Saltwater fishing in the marine district needs the free Recreational Marine Fishing Registry instead, which is separate from this licence.
Do I need separate freshwater and saltwater licences in New York?
Yes. New York sells them separately, so fishing both sides means either two licences or the combined option listed in the fee table.
Do I need a saltwater fishing licence in New York?
No. New York does not sell one. To fish salt water you enrol in the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry, which is a registration rather than a licence and costs nothing. A licence issuing agent may add a $1 printing fee, or $2 if you want it printed and mailed to you. The registration itself costs nothing. You need it from age 16, and it lasts 365 days from the day you enrol, not the calendar year.
What is the recreational marine fishing registry?
A free enrolment that New York State Department of Environmental Conservation requires before you fish the marine and coastal district, or the tidal Hudson River for migratory fish of the sea. It is not a fishing licence and it does not replace the freshwater licence: a day on a Long Island pond needs the freshwater licence in the table above, and a day on the bay needs the registry.
Who does not need the recreational marine fishing registry?
Anyone fishing aboard an appropriately licensed party or charter boat in the marine and coastal district. A New York State licensed party or charter boat owner. Connecticut and Rhode Island residents holding a valid marine fishing licence from their own state.
Do I need a licence to fish in salt water in New York?
Not a paid licence, but you must enrol in the free Recreational Marine Fishing Registry before fishing the marine and coastal district. It is separate from the freshwater licence and neither covers the other.
Does a New York licence cover border waters?
On several border waters a New York licence alone is enough, and on others there is a reciprocal arrangement. Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the St. Lawrence and the Niagara all need a New York licence; the Delaware and Greenwood Lake have reciprocity with the neighbouring state. Check the specific water.