All fishing licenses expire at the end of the calendar year
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Buy your freshwater fishing license
If you're 15 or older, you need a fishing license before casting your line. Fees vary depending on your age, whether you're a state resident, and whether you have a disability.
Contact for Buy your freshwater fishing license
MassWildlife
The Details of Buy your freshwater fishing license
How to buy Buy your freshwater fishing license
Use the MassFishHunt system to buy your license online. If you use a smartphone to renew your fishing license, you can download and display it on your phone rather than printing a copy.
You can buy your freshwater license in person at license agent locations, which include:
- Select retail stores—Most accept cash, checks, and credit cards.
- MassWildlife offices—Only accept cash or checks.
More info for Buy your freshwater fishing license
If you buy your license from a vendor, you will receive a paper copy at the time of purchase. If you buy your license online, you can print your own copy. 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.
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've applied the first time, you’ll be able to renew and print your license online without submitting another form.
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.