All fishing licenses are valid from the date purchased until the end of the calendar year
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- This page, Buy your freshwater fishing license, is offered by
- Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Buy your freshwater fishing license
If you're 15 or older, you need a fishing license. Licenses are free for residents ages 15–17 and age 70 and above. Your license purchases support conservation, stocking, and improved fishing access.
Contact for Buy your freshwater fishing license
MassWildlife
The Details of Buy your freshwater fishing license
How to buy Buy your freshwater fishing license
Buy your license using MassFishHunt. If you use a smartphone to renew your fishing license, you can also download and display it on your phone, instead of printing a copy.
You can also buy your freshwater fishing license in person at license agent locations, which include:
- Select retail stores — Most stores can accept cash, checks, and credit cards.
- MassWildlife offices — These offices can only accept cash or checks.
More info for Buy your freshwater fishing license
You must bring your license with you when fishing. You can either bring a paper copy or be prepared to display a true, complete, and legible image of your license on your smartphone if an official asks you to. If you buy your license in person, you will receive a paper copy at the time of your purchase. If you buy your license online, you can print your own copy.
Why are there license fees?
You're not just buying a license, you're supporting conservation! Fees from license sales support statewide conservation efforts, habitat restoration, research, fish stocking, and public access to fishing opportunities for generations to come.
Residents with disabilities
If you are blind, have an intellectual disability, or have paraplegia and are applying for a license for the first time, you must:
- Fill out an application for the free license
- Submit a copy of a Certificate of Blindness issued by the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, or have your doctor sign a form certifying that you have an intellectual disability or paraplegia
- Mail the documents to:
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, ATTN: Licensing
251 Causeway St., Suite 400
Boston, MA 02114
Your license will be mailed to you. After you have applied the first time, you can renew and print your license online without submitting another form.