Fishing license USA
Pennsylvania fishing license for visitors
Pennsylvania sells visitors a fishing license for 1, 3 or 7 days or a year; anglers under 16 fish free, and trout or Lake Erie need an extra permit.
Checked on 22.10.2026 against the official agency website. Not legal advice.
What a non-resident license costs
- 1-day tourist (trout and Lake Erie permits included)
- $31.97
- 3-day tourist
- $31.97
- 7-day tourist
- $39.47
- Non-resident, 1 year
- $60.97
- Resident, 1 day (not valid March 15 to April 30)
- $14.47
- Trout permit (add-on)
- $14.97
- Lake Erie permit (add-on)
- $9.97
- Combination trout/Lake Erie permit (add-on)
- $20.97
Good to know
- Anglers 16 and older need a license. Under 16 you fish free; a voluntary youth license costs $2.97.
- The 1-day tourist license is not valid from March 15 to April 30.
- Fishing for trout needs a trout permit. Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay and their tributaries need a Lake Erie permit. The 1-day tourist license already covers both.
- 2026 licenses are valid from December 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026.
- Multi-year non-resident licenses: 3 years $178.97, 5 years $296.97, 10 years $591.97.
- Residents aged 16 to 64 pay $27.97 for a year, seniors 65 and older $14.47 for a year or $86.97 for life.
- Buy online at HuntFish.pa.gov or from one of nearly 700 license agents. Show your license in print or on your phone when an officer asks.
- Seasons, minimum sizes and creel limits: see Seasons, Sizes and Creel Limits on the PFBC website.
Sea fishing: state and federal waters
At sea the US has two layers: state waters usually reach 3 nautical miles from the coast, off Texas, Florida's Gulf coast and Puerto Rico 9 nautical miles. Beyond that, federal waters begin, with extra federal rules on seasons and bag limits. You buy your saltwater license from the state. For tuna and billfish in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico (called Gulf of America by U.S. federal agencies), the boat also needs a federal HMS permit.
Bag limits, sizes and seasons
Rules on how many fish you may keep, minimum sizes and closed seasons change often. Check the current regulations at Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) before you go.
Other states
All 50 states: official license pages
Source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), retrieved 22.10.2026.
Not legal advice. Rules and prices change; the linked authority and the local water permit are what count. Found a mistake? Write to [email protected].
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