North Carolina splits its water at a line most visitors have never heard of. Inland waters need one licence, coastal and joint waters need another, and the two do not substitute for each other. A trip that starts on the Roanoke and ends at Oregon Inlet crosses that line. Residents can buy the unified licence that covers both; visitors cannot, and have to hold two.
What it costs you
Set your situation and the figure below is the one you will actually pay at checkout.
Every North Carolina fishing fee
Annual licences run 12 months from the date of purchase.
| Licence | Who | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal recreational, 10 days | Resident | 10 days | $9.00 |
| Inland fishing, 10 days | Resident | 10 days | $12.00 |
| Coastal recreational, 10 days | Visitor | 10 days | $15.00 |
| Inland fishing, 10 days | Visitor | 10 days | $29.00 |
| Subsistence waiver, unified For residents receiving Medicaid, Food Stamps or Work First. Obtained through the county Department of Social Services. | Resident | Annual | Free |
| Legally blind, unified | Resident | Annual | Free |
| Disabled veteran, inland | Resident | Annual | $15.00 |
| Disabled veteran, coastal | Resident | Annual | $15.00 |
| Coastal recreational, annual | Resident | Annual | $20.00 |
| Senior resident | Resident | Annual | $20.00 |
| Inland fishing, annual | Resident | Annual | $32.00 |
| Coastal recreational, annual | Visitor | Annual | $40.00 |
| Unified inland + coastal, annual The only licence that covers both. Residents only. | Resident | Annual | $51.00 |
| Inland fishing, annual | Visitor | Annual | $56.00 |
| Lifetime, age 12 and over | Resident | Lifetime | $326.00 |
| Lifetime unified inland + coastal | Resident | Lifetime | $587.00 |
| Lifetime, age 12 and over | Visitor | Lifetime | $652.00 |
Inland and coastal are two separate licences in North Carolina. If you fish both sides of the state you need the unified licence, not one of the two.
Passing through? North Carolina sells no one-day licence. The shortest option for a visitor is 10 days at $15. Compare every state's day licence.
Fishing the coast? The North Carolina saltwater licence is a separate purchase with its own fees. Visiting from out of state? What visitors pay in North Carolina, with the annual-versus-short-term arithmetic.
Do you need a fishing licence in North Carolina?
Yes, from age 16. Residents and visitors both need one from that birthday. What changes is the price, not the requirement.
$32.00 a year if you live in North Carolina, $56.00 if you are visiting, for fresh water. North Carolina licenses fresh and salt water separately, so check which one your trip needs.
Who does not need one
- Anglers under 16, resident or not.
- Residents receiving Medicaid, Food Stamps or Work First, through the subsistence waiver.
- Residents certified as legally blind.
- Everyone on the state free fishing day.
Nobody needs a licence on North Carolinaβs free fishing days: the dates for this year, and what the day does not waive.
How to buy it
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sells online, by phone and through licence agents: tackle shops, sporting goods stores and county offices.
Official NCWRC 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 21 North Carolina waters daily, with live flow, tides and conditions. A sample of what your licence covers:
- Cape Hatteras β Dare County
- Lake Norman β Iredell County
- Jordan Lake β Chatham County
- Falls Lake β Wake County
- High Rock Lake β Transylvania County
- Outer Banks β Dare County
- Carolina Beach β New Hanover County
- Lake Gaston β Warren County
- Lake Wylie β Mecklenburg County
- Morehead City β Carteret County
- Wilmington β New Hanover County
- Davidson River β Transylvania County
All 21 North Carolina waters β
Questions
How much is a fishing licence in North Carolina?
$32.00 for a resident annual freshwater licence and $56.00 for a non-resident. Short-term licences cost less and are listed in full above.
Do you need a fishing license in North Carolina?
Yes, from age 16, and it makes no difference whether you live there: residents and visitors both need one, they just pay different prices. $32.00 for a resident annual freshwater licence, $56.00 for a visitor. 4 exemptions apply, listed on this page.
What age do you need a fishing licence in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina fishing licence online?
Yes. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sells online and through licence agents.
Do I need separate freshwater and saltwater licences in North Carolina?
Yes. North Carolina sells them separately, so fishing both sides means either two licences or the combined option listed in the fee table.
What is the difference between inland and coastal in North Carolina?
They are two separate licences over two separately managed sets of water, with joint waters counted as coastal. The inland licence covers Public Mountain Trout Waters and game land trout waters; the coastal licence covers the sounds and the ocean. Only the unified licence, which is residents only, covers both.
Why does the state link to a commercial site for fees?
The Wildlife Resources Commission publishes its licence fee schedule through eRegulations, its contracted publisher, rather than on its own pages. That is the official schedule, which is why we cite it alongside the Commission.