All fishing licenses expire at the end of the calendar year
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
Fees for Buy your freshwater fishing license
Funds from fishing license sales support MassWildlife’s fisheries research, fish stocking programs, and angler education programs.
|
License type |
Fee |
|
Resident freshwater fishing |
$27.50 |
|
Resident minor freshwater fishing (age 15–17) |
Free |
|
Resident freshwater fishing (age 65–69) |
$16.25 |
|
Resident freshwater fishing (age 70 or over) |
Free |
|
Resident freshwater fishing (3 day) |
$12.50 |
|
Non-resident freshwater fishing |
$37.50 |
|
Non-resident freshwater fishing (3 day) |
$23.50 |
|
Non-resident freshwater fishing (age 15–17) |
$11.50 |
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 renew 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 about Buy your freshwater fishing license
You have to bring your license with you when fishing, and either show a paper copy or 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.