If you are 10 or older and plan to fish any public water in Arizona, you need an Arizona fishing license from the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). A resident general fishing license costs $37 a year and a nonresident license costs $55, and both include trout privileges and the right to fish with two poles at once, so no separate trout stamp is required.1eRegulations. Arizona Fishing – License and Fee Structure
Who Needs One
Arizona law prohibits taking any wildlife, fish included, without a valid license or commission-approved proof of purchase, and you must carry that proof while fishing and show it to any game ranger or peace officer who asks.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-331 – License or Proof of Purchase Required The rule applies to lakes, rivers, streams, and designated community fishing waters across the state.
Two groups are exempt entirely: children under 10 and blind residents.1eRegulations. Arizona Fishing – License and Fee Structure Teenagers are not exempt.
You also do not need a license to fish an artificial pond, tank, or lake that sits entirely on private land, is not open to the public, and is not managed by AZGFD.3Legal Information Institute. Arizona Admin Code R12-4-311 – Exemptions from Requirement to Purchase a License If the water connects to public waterways or AZGFD stocks it, the exemption disappears.
Once a year, on Free Fishing Day, anyone can fish public waters without a license. In 2025 that day fell on June 7.4Arizona Game and Fish Department. Arizona’s Free Fishing Day is June 7 All other rules — bag limits, size limits, tackle restrictions — still apply.
Resident or Nonresident
Your residency status sets your price. Arizona treats you as a resident if you have been domiciled in the state for at least six consecutive months before applying and do not claim residency in any other state.5Arizona Game and Fish Department. New Customer – AZGFD License Expect to show an Arizona driver’s license, military ID, or other state-issued identification at purchase.
Out-of-state college students do not get a special rate. Simply attending an Arizona school is not enough; the standard six-month domicile test still governs.
Military members get their own path. Active-duty personnel stationed in Arizona and their spouses qualify for resident pricing regardless of prior residency, as do service members stationed elsewhere who list Arizona as their home of record.5Arizona Game and Fish Department. New Customer – AZGFD License Arizona residents who are veterans with a 100% permanent service-connected disability and have lived in the state for at least one year can receive a complimentary license at no cost.6eLaws. Arizona Code 17-336 – Complimentary and Honorary Youth Licenses
License Types and Fees
Every AZGFD fishing license includes trout privileges and two-pole use.1eRegulations. Arizona Fishing – License and Fee Structure The main options:
- General Fishing — $37 resident, $55 nonresident. Covers all fish species statewide, including community fishing waters and the Arizona portions of the Colorado River and its impounded waters.
- Combination Hunt and Fish — $57 resident, $160 nonresident. Adds small game, upland game birds, and other hunting privileges.
- Youth Combination Hunt and Fish (ages 10–17) — $5, resident or nonresident. Same privileges as the adult combination license.
- Short-term Combination Hunt and Fish — $15 per day resident, $20 per day nonresident. You choose the dates at purchase and they do not have to be consecutive.
How and Where to Buy
You can buy a license three ways: online at license.azgfd.com with an immediate printout, in person at AZGFD offices or any of roughly 150 authorized dealers statewide (sporting goods stores, bait and tackle shops, major retailers), or by phone through AZGFD customer service.1eRegulations. Arizona Fishing – License and Fee Structure
An Arizona fishing license is valid for one year from the date of purchase, not on a calendar-year basis.1eRegulations. Arizona Fishing – License and Fee Structure Renewal costs the same as the original.
Where Your License Doesn’t Reach
An Arizona fishing license does not cover tribal waters. Each tribe manages its own fishery and issues its own permit. The Navajo Nation, for instance, requires anyone 12 or older to carry a valid Navajo fishing permit on Navajo waters.7Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife. Navajo Nation Fishing and Boating Regulations The San Carlos Apache, White Mountain Apache, and other tribes run their own permit systems. Fishing tribal water without the right tribal permit can bring fines and equipment confiscation on top of any state consequences.
National parks and other federal lands in Arizona generally follow state fishing rules, so your Arizona license is honored. Where a National Park Service rule conflicts with the state rule, the NPS rule controls.8National Park Service. Fishing in Parks Some parks add restrictions on tackle, bait, or catch-and-release, so check before you go.
Penalties for Fishing Without a License
Fishing without a valid license, exceeding bag limits, or otherwise violating Arizona’s game and fish laws is a Class 2 misdemeanor.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 17 Game and Fish 17-309 A Class 2 misdemeanor carries a fine of up to $750 plus surcharges and court fees that push the total higher.10Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-802 – Fines for Misdemeanors Using fraud to obtain a license, including lying about residency, is also a Class 2 misdemeanor and voids the license from the date it was issued.11Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 17-341 – Violation Classification
Fishing while your license is suspended or revoked is worse. That is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.12Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 17 Game and Fish 17-34013Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-707 – Misdemeanors Sentencing Courts can also seize equipment and impose civil penalties for unlawfully taken wildlife, and you cannot reinstate your license until those are paid.
One thing catches people out. Arizona belongs to the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, an agreement among 47 states.14CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts. Wildlife Violator Compact A fishing or hunting suspension in any member state is honored in every other. An unpaid citation from Colorado or California can block you from buying an Arizona license until you clear it.