Recreational Licenses & Permits

Introduction

This information relates to recreational hunting and fishing only.  The Rules and Regulations section of MyFWC.com has information   on commercial activities related to Hunting (taking furbearers) and Freshwater Fishing - including information about license requirements and exemptions.  Also online is an area devoted to license requirements for Saltwater Commercial Fishing.

Recreational licenses and permits for residents and nonresidents are available at county tax collectors' offices.  In addition, you can buy them from subagents, such as sporting goods stores or other retailers that sell hunting or fishing equipment; on the Internet and by phone.  All license, permit and issuance fees are subject to change by the legislature.

Lifetime licenses

The FWC issues lifetime licenses to Florida residents for hunting, freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing.  Funds generated from the sale of these licenses are invested, creating an endowment to support the long-term conservation of Florida's wildlife and fisheries resources.

For avid sportsmen who want the convenience of securing licensing, once and for all, for all your hunting or fishing activities, the lifetime license is for you.  Your lifetime license will remain valid for use in Florida even if you move out of state.  For hunters and anglers who like a bargain, the cost of a lifetime license is less than what you would spend on annual licenses, permits and fees.  The earlier you make your purchase, the bigger the savings.  The lifetime license is for parents, grandparents and family friends who want to pass on the joys of outdoor recreation to young people and help ensure that today's youth have the natural resources to share hunting, freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing with their children.

The lifetime license is for conservationists who want to contribute to the long-term management of Florida's natural resources.  Only the interest from the trust fund is appropriated. The principal is held in perpetuity to ensure future funding for fish and wildlife programs.  This endowment will ensure that Florida's natural resources are conserved today for the future and that your children can pass on your family's hunting and fishing tradition to their children.

Follow this link for categories and prices of lifetime licenses.

Florida residency

For the purposes of hunting or fishing in Florida, a Resident is defined as:

• Any person who has resided in Florida for 6 continuous months prior to the issuance of a license and who claims Florida as his/her primary residence; or
• Any member of the United States Armed Forces who is stationed in Florida (includes spouse and dependent children residing in the household).

For license and permit information (including application forms) regarding captive wildlife, freshwater commercial fishing and alligator trapping, follow this link.

Top of page

Exemptions

You do not need a hunting, freshwater fishing or saltwater fishing license if...

• You are a child under 16 years of age.  (Also exempt from federal duck stamp requirements.)
• You are a Florida resident age 65 or older possessing proof of age and residency or possessing a Resident Senior Citizen Hunting and Fishing Certificate.  Residents age 65 or older may obtain, at no cost, complimentary hunting and fishing certificates from county tax collectors' offices.
• You hunt or freshwater fish in your county of residence on your homestead or the homestead of your spouse or minor child, or if you are a minor child hunting or freshwater fishing on the homestead of your parent.
• You are a Florida resident certified as totally and permanently disabled and you possess a Florida Resident Disabled Person Hunting and Fishing Certificate.
• You are a resident who is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, you are not stationed in this state, and you are home on leave for 30 days or less, upon submission of orders.
• Effective Aug. 1, 2009 - You are a resident who is fishing with live or natural bait, using poles or lines that are not equipped with a fishing-line-retrieval mechanism, and you are fishing for noncommercial purposes in your home county.  However, you must have a valid fishing license to fish by any method in a fish management area. 

You do not need a freshwater fishing license if...

• You have been accepted as a client for developmental services by the Department of Children and Family Services.  The department must furnish proof to such clients.
• You are a resident who is fishing with live or natural bait, using poles or lines that are not equipped with a fishing-line-retrieval mechanism, and you are fishing for noncommercial purposes in your home county.  However, you must have a valid fishing license to fish by any method in a fish management area. 
• You are fishing in a fish pond of 20 acres or less which is located entirely within the private property of its owner.  A fish pond is a man-made pond constructed for the primary purpose of fishing, entirely within the property lines of the owner and with no surface water connection to public waters.
• You are fishing in a fish pond of 20 acres or more, whose owner has purchased a fish pond license at a fee of $3 per surface acre.
• You possess a Resident Freshwater Commercial Fishing License.
• You are fishing in the St. Mary's River or Lake Seminole (but not including tributary creeks in Florida) and have a valid Georgia fishing license.
• You are freshwater fishing during Free Fishing Weekend (the first weekend of April).

You do not need a saltwater fishing license if...

• You have been accepted as a client for developmental services by the Department of Children and Family Services.  The department must furnish proof to such clients.
• You are a resident fishing in saltwater from land or from a structure fixed to the land. A saltwater fishing license will be required effective Aug. 1, 2009.
• You are a resident fishing for a saltwater species in fresh water from land or from a structure fixed to land. A saltwater fishing license will be required effective Aug. 1, 2009.
• You fish from a for-hire vessel (guide, charter, party boat) that has a valid vessel license.
• You fish from a vessel, the operator of which has a valid vessel license issued in the name of the operator of the vessel.
• You fish for recreational purposes from a pier with a valid pier saltwater fishing license.
• You have a valid saltwater products license.
• You fish for mullet in fresh water and you have a valid Florida freshwater fishing license.
• Effective Aug. 1, 2009 - You are a resident who is saltwater fishing from land or a structure fixed to land who has been determined eligible for the food stamp, temporary cash assistance, or Medicaid Program by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Proof of identification and a benefit issuance or program identification card issued by DCFS or the Agency for Health Care Administration must be on your person when fishing.

Quota hunt permit exemptions

Follow this link for information about quota hunt permit exemptions.

Top of page

How to Order

Prices listed below include tax collector's fee.  In addition to the cost of a license or permit listed below, the license or permit vendor may charge an issuance fee of 50¢.

If you have a major credit card, the FWC offers you 2 ways to buy your hunting or fishing license without leaving your home.

With either method, you'll have a temporary license number within minutes, enabling you to hunt (in season) or fish right away.  Your permanent license will be mailed within 48 hours.

Top of page

Also see:  Specific Wildlife Management Area Regulations & Maps

Top of page

Hunter Safety Requirement

Persons born on or after June 1, 1975 may not be issued a license to hunt in Florida with the use of a firearm, gun (including a muzzleloading gun), bow or crossbow without first having successfully completed a hunter safety course.  Anyone who meets the above description must present a valid hunter safety certification card prior to being issued a hunting license (excluding lifetime licenses). 

Individuals exempted from purchasing a hunting license but born on or after June 1, 1975 are exempted from the hunter safety requirement.  Lifetime license holders born on or after June 1, 1975 whose licenses do not indicate that they have completed a hunter safety course must have the hunter safety certification card in their possession while hunting.

Hunter Safety Requirement Deferral
Anyone 16 years or older and born after May 31, 1975 may hunt under the supervision of a licensed hunter, 21 or older, without having to complete the state's hunter safety certification.  For more information see Hunter Safety Mentoring Exemption.

For more information and class schedules, contact the nearest FWC regional office.

Top of page

Also see:  More Freshwater License & Permit Information

Top of page

*If you have a resident recreational saltwater fishing license, you do not need a shoreline fishing license, because the resident recreational saltwater fishing license covers fishing from the shore, a dock, a jetty or a boat.

Also see:

• License information for charter and headboat operators, guides, vessels and piers
• Permit exemption information for redfish tournaments

Top of page

Note: Lifetime license may be purchased only at tax collectors' offices, or you may purchase online if you are age 16 or older and have a valid Florida Driver License that is at least 6 months old.

Note: Lifetime license may be purchased only at tax collectors' offices, or you may purchase online if you are age 16 or older and have a valid Florida Driver License that is at least 6 months old.

For more information or for applications for Lifetime licenses, contact your county tax collector's office or the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Top of page