You are driving through, you have a rod in the boot and one free morning. Nearly every state will sell you a licence for that morning, and almost nobody publishes what it actually costs. The figure you find quoted is the price of the licence, and in 5 states the licence is not enough on its own: a stamp alongside it is compulsory, and in one state the total at the counter is more than five times the number you were shown: West Virginia advertises a day for $3 and charges $16, because the conservation stamp its 2026 regulations list the day licence as requiring costs $13. Every price on this page is the total, for a visiting adult, with the compulsory extras added in and named.
Read that range with a date on it. The cheapest day in the country today is Virginia at $8, and Virginia has an approved rise landing on Oct 1, 2026, which is the same state, so that floor moves within days. The table flags every state with a dated change, and every figure below it is today’s.
Every state, and what a day on the water actually costs
Cheapest first, for a visitor. “Licence” is the price the state advertises; “compulsory with it” is what it will not sell you the licence without. Break-even is the number of days after which the annual licence would have been cheaper.
| State | Licence | Compulsory with it | Visitor pays | Resident pays | Annual beats it after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia rises Oct 1, 2026 | $8 | none | $8 | no day licence | 6 days |
| Missouri | $9 | none | $9 | $9 | 7 days |
| Georgia | $10 | none | $10 | $5 | 5 days |
| Michigan | $10 | none | $10 | $10 | 8 days |
| New York | $10 | none | $10 | $5 | 5 days |
| South Carolina | $10 | none | $10 | no day licence | 4 days |
| Illinois | $10.50 | none | $10.50 | $5.50 | 3 days |
| Iowa rises Dec 15, 2026 | $12 | none | $12 | $10.50 | 4 days |
| Nebraska | $12 | none | $12 | $12 | 8 days |
| Kansas | $12.50 | none | $12.50 | $6 | 7 days |
| Minnesota | $14 | none | $14 | $12 | 4 days |
| Wyoming | $14 | none | $14 | $6 | 9 days |
| Indiana | $15 | none | $15 | $10 | 4 days |
| Kentucky | $15 | none | $15 | $7 | 4 days |
| New Hampshire | $15 | none | $15 | $10 | 5 days |
| Wisconsin | $15 | none | $15 | $8 | 4 days |
| Texas | $16 | none | $16 | $11 | 4 days |
| West Virginia | $3 | Conservation stamp $13 | $16 | no day licence | 4 days |
| Maine | $18 | none | $18 | $18 | 5 days |
| Nevada | $18 | none | $18 | $9 | 5 days |
| Arizona | $20 | none | $20 | $15 | 3 days |
| Vermont | $21 | none | $21 | no day licence | 3 days |
| California | $21.09 | none | $21.09 | $21.09 | 9 days |
| Idaho | $22.75 | none | $22.75 | $13.50 | 6 days |
| New Mexico | $12 | Habitat stamp $10 + Habitat management and access validation $4 | $26 | $26 | 4 days |
| Oklahoma | $26 | none | $26 | $11 | 4 days |
| Ohio | $27.04 | none | $27.04 | $14 | 3 days |
| Washington | $27.05 | none | $27.05 | $14.90 | 5 days |
| Oregon | $29 | none | $29 | $29 | 5 days |
| Montana | $14 | Conservation licence $10 + Aquatic invasive species prevention pass $7.50 | $31.50 | no day licence | 4 days |
| Pennsylvania | $31.97 | none | $31.97 | $14.47 | 2 days |
| Colorado | $21.90 | Habitat stamp $12.76 | $34.66 | $30.83 | 4 days |
| South Dakota | $26 | Habitat stamp $25 | $51 | $20 | 3 days |
Prices are what the agency prints at the counter. Where a state adds a writing or issuance fee, it is included, because that is what you hand over. 33 states sell a one-day licence to visitors.
The 13 states that will not sell you a single day
If you searched for a one-day licence in one of these, the answer is that there is not one. Here is the shortest thing they do sell a visitor, with the compulsory extras already added.
| State | Shortest licence | Visitor pays | Annual | Worth the annual instead? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Three days | $37 | $66.25 | No, the annual is $29.25 dearer |
| Arkansas | Three days | $30 | $60 | No, the annual is $30 dearer |
| Connecticut | Three days | $8 | $55 | No, the annual is $47 dearer |
| Delaware | Seven days | $12.50 | $20 | No, the annual is $7.50 dearer |
| Florida | Three days | $17 | $47 | No, the annual is $30 dearer |
| Hawaii | Seven days | $10 | $25 | No, the annual is $15 dearer |
| Louisiana | Five days | $30 | $68 | No, the annual is $38 dearer |
| Maryland | Three days | $35 | $55 | No, the annual is $20 dearer |
| North Carolina | Ten days | $15 | $56 | No, the annual is $41 dearer |
| North Dakota | Three days | $53 | $73 | No, the annual is $20 dearer |
| Rhode Island | Three days | $20 | $41 | No, the annual is $21 dearer |
| Tennessee | Three days | $20 | $49 | No, the annual is $29 dearer |
| Utah | Three days | $44 | $120 | No, the annual is $76 dearer |
Read the last column twice before you buy. In several of these the short-term licence costs more than the year, which happens because the short one carries a fixed administrative cost the annual spreads out.
When you should just buy the year
Annual price divided by the price of one day, rounded up. It assumes the annual covers the same water, which in the 14 states that sell fresh and salt separately it may not.
The arithmetic turns on the ratio, not on either price by itself. In Pennsylvania (2 days), Illinois (3 days), Arizona (3 days), Vermont (3 days), Ohio (3 days), South Dakota (3 days) a visitor is better off with the year almost immediately, because the day licence is dear relative to the annual. At the other end, Michigan (8 days), Nebraska (8 days), Wyoming (9 days), California (9 days) keep the day licence worth buying for most of a week, because the annual is expensive for a visitor and the day is not.
Two of these prices are already going up
Approved, dated, and not yet in force. Both come from the state’s own instrument.
Iowa, from 2027 licences, on sale from December 15, 2026
| Licence | Now | From 2027 licences, on sale from December 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Resident 7-day | $13.50 | $14 |
| Resident 1-day | $8.50 | $8.75 |
| Nonresident 7-day | $35.50 | $37 |
| Nonresident 3-day | $18.50 | $19 |
| Nonresident 1-day | $10 | $10.50 |
Figures as written in the rule. Iowa adds administrative fees at the point of sale, so the counter price is about $2 higher: the DNR lists the resident annual at $22 today and says it rises by $1.
Virginia, from October 1, 2026
| Licence | Now | From October 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Resident five-day freshwater | $14 | $19 |
| Resident five-day freshwater and saltwater | $24 | $28 |
| Nonresident one-day freshwater | $8 | $20 |
| Nonresident five-day freshwater | $21 | $36 |
| Nonresident five-day freshwater and saltwater | $31 | $46 |
Issuance fee included, as DWR prints them.
The nearest one is Virginia on October 1, 2026, and it is a large move for a visitor. If you are planning a trip across that date, the day you buy the licence matters more than the day you fish.
How we checked
Every price comes from the agency that sets it or from the official regulations edition it publishes, read on the date shown below. Nothing here is taken from another site’s comparison list. Where the agency publishes a rule price and charges a different one at the counter, we show the counter price and say so, because that is the number you hand over; the rule figures live on the fee changes page, which is why the two can differ by a dollar or two in Iowa.
The three figures this page leads with were re-read against the agency on 2026-09-21, not against the regulations reseller, because they are the ones a reader is most likely to quote back at us: West Virginia’s Class LL day licence and the Class CS/LE stamp that the 2026 regulations summary lists it as requiring; South Dakota’s nonresident one-day and the habitat stamp that Game, Fish and Parks requires of everyone 18 and over with any licence; and Virginia’s one-day, which is where the October change was confirmed.
| State | Source | Read | Licence year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ADCNR | 2026-09-07 | Every recreational licence expires on 31 August, whatever date you buy. |
| Arizona | AZGFD AZGFD publishes its regulations through eRegulations and its own site blocks automated access, so the fee schedule we cite is the eRegulations edition of the official Arizona digest. | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences are valid one year from the date of purchase. |
| Arkansas | AGFC Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Arkansas fishing guidebook. | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences run by calendar year. |
| California | CDFW | 2026-09-07 | The annual sport fishing licence is valid 365 days from the date of purchase. |
| Colorado | CPW | 2026-09-11 | The licence year runs 1 April to 31 March. |
| Connecticut | CT DEEP | 2026-09-11 | Licences run by calendar year and expire on 31 December. |
| Delaware | DNREC Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Delaware fishing guide. | 2026-09-11 | Licences run by calendar year. |
| Florida | FWC | 2026-09-07 | Annual licences run 12 months from the date of purchase. |
| Georgia | GA DNR | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences run one year from the date of purchase. |
| Hawaii | DAR Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Hawaii fishing regulations. | 2026-09-11 | The freshwater licence year runs 1 July to 30 June. |
| Idaho | IDFG The IDFG site was unreachable from here, so the fees cited are from the eRegulations edition of the official Idaho fishing seasons and rules. | 2026-09-11 | Licences are valid through 31 December. |
| Illinois | IDNR | 2026-09-07 | The licence year begins 1 March and runs to 31 March of the following year. |
| Indiana | DNR | 2026-09-07 | Annual licences run to 31 March. |
| Iowa | Iowa DNR Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Iowa fishing regulations. | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences run by calendar year. |
| Kansas | KDWP Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Kansas fishing regulations. | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences run by calendar year. |
| Kentucky | KDFWR Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Kentucky fishing guide. KDFWR applied a small CPI adjustment in January 2026 that carries into 2026–27; the agency site blocks every reader we have, so these are the last figures we could read and are likely a few percent low. | 2026-09-11 | Licences run by licence year, 1 March to the end of February. |
| Louisiana | LDWF | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences are valid 365 days from the date of purchase. |
| Maine | MDIFW Fees read on the MDIFW licence page. They rose for 2026 under Public Law 2025, c. 388, Part NNN; our page carried the 2025 figures until 2026-09-15. | 2026-09-15 | Licences run by calendar year. |
| Maryland | MD DNR Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Maryland fishing guide, the designated publisher for MD DNR. | 2026-09-11 | Non-tidal licences run by licence year; Bay licences run 365 days from purchase. |
| Michigan | DNR | 2026-09-07 | The licence year runs 1 April to 31 March, whatever date you buy. |
| Minnesota | DNR | 2026-09-07 | The licence year runs 1 March to the end of February. |
| Missouri | MDC | 2026-09-11 | Annual permits run by calendar year. |
| Montana | FWP | 2026-09-11 | The licence year runs 1 March to the end of February. |
| Nebraska | NGPC Prices as the Commission lists them for 2026, with the $3 issue fee and the Aquatic Habitat Stamp included. Fees rose for 2026 by Commission decision of August 22, 2025; our page carried the 2025 figures until 2026-09-15. | 2026-09-15 | Annual permits run by calendar year. |
| Nevada | NDOW | 2026-09-11 | Licences are valid one year from the date of purchase. |
| New Hampshire | NHFG | 2026-09-11 | Licences run by calendar year. |
| New Mexico | NMDOW | 2026-09-11 | The licence year runs 1 April to 31 March. |
| New York | DEC | 2026-09-07 | The annual licence is valid 365 days from the date of purchase or renewal. |
| North Carolina | NCWRC | 2026-09-07 | Annual licences run 12 months from the date of purchase. |
| North Dakota | NDGF Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official North Dakota fishing guide. | 2026-09-11 | The licence year runs 1 April to 31 March. |
| Ohio | ODNR | 2026-09-07 | Annual licences run 12 months from the date of purchase. |
| Oklahoma | ODWC | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences are valid 365 days from the date of purchase. |
| Oregon | ODFW | 2026-09-07 | The licence year runs 1 January to 31 December. |
| Pennsylvania | PFBC | 2026-09-11 | The licence year runs to 31 December. |
| Rhode Island | RI DEM The DEM site blocks automated access, so the fees cited are from the eRegulations edition of the official Rhode Island fishing abstract. | 2026-09-11 | The freshwater licence expires on the last day of February, not at the end of the calendar year. |
| South Carolina | SCDNR | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences run one year from the date of purchase. |
| South Dakota | SD GFP Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official South Dakota fishing handbook. | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences run by licence year. |
| Tennessee | TWRA | 2026-09-11 | Annual licences run one year from the date of purchase. |
| Texas | TPWD Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Texas Outdoor Annual. | 2026-09-11 | Most packages run to 31 August whatever date you buy. |
| Utah | UDWR | 2026-09-11 | Licences are valid 365 days from the date of purchase. |
| Vermont | VTFW Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Vermont fishing guide. | 2026-09-11 | Licences run by calendar year. |
| Virginia | DWR | 2026-09-11 | Licences are valid one year from the date of purchase. |
| Washington | WDFW | 2026-09-07 | The licence year runs 1 April to 31 March. |
| West Virginia | WVDNR Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official West Virginia fishing regulations. | 2026-09-11 | Licences run by calendar year. |
| Wisconsin | WI DNR Fees from the eRegulations edition of the official Wisconsin fishing regulations. | 2026-09-11 | The licence year runs 1 April to 31 March. |
| Wyoming | WGFD | 2026-09-11 | The 12-month licence runs a year from purchase. |
Questions
How much is a one-day fishing license?
It depends entirely on the state, and the spread is wider than most people expect: from $8 in Virginia to $51 in South Dakota for a visitor, once the stamps the state makes compulsory are counted. 33 states sell a one-day licence to visitors. 13 do not, and their shortest option runs from three to ten days.
Why is the price I see quoted lower than what I pay?
Because 5 states sell the day licence as a base and then require a stamp on top of it. South Dakota is the clearest case: the licence itself is $26, and the habitat stamp at $25 is compulsory with it, so a visitor pays $51. Every figure in the table on this page is the total.
Which states do not sell a one-day fishing license?
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah. Their shortest licence is listed on this page with what it covers, so you can see whether a three-day or seven-day option makes the trip work.
When is it cheaper to buy the annual licence instead?
Sooner than people think in the states with an expensive day and a cheap year. In Pennsylvania the annual pays for itself in 2 days; In Illinois the annual pays for itself in 3 days; In Arizona the annual pays for itself in 3 days. The table gives the figure for every state, and it is simple arithmetic: the annual price divided by the price of one day, rounded up.
Do these prices change?
Yes, and two changes are already approved. Iowa on 2027 licences, on sale from December 15, 2026, and Virginia on October 1, 2026. Both are on the fee changes page with the old price, the new one and the instrument that set it. Everything else here was read off the agency or its official regulations edition on the date shown beside each state.