If you’re 16 or older and coming from out of state, you’ll need an Arkansas non-resident fishing license from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) before you cast a line. The two options are a three-day trip license for $30 or an annual license for $60, and either one takes just a few minutes to buy online, by phone, or at a retailer in the state.
License Types and Fees
Arkansas offers two base non-resident licenses and an add-on trout permit. The fees below took effect June 30, 2025.
- Non-Resident Annual Fishing License (NRF): $60, valid for one year from the date of purchase rather than a fixed calendar period.
- Non-Resident 3-Day Trip Fishing License (NT3): $30, covering three consecutive days.
- Non-Resident Trout Permit (TPN): $20, required on top of your base license to keep trout or to fish designated trout waters.
For a trout trip on the White River, plan on $80 for the annual license plus trout permit, or $50 for a three-day trip with trout access. The AGFC used to sell a 7-day trip license, but the current fee schedule no longer includes it.
When You Need a Trout Permit
You need the trout permit if you’re 16 or older and either keeping trout from any Arkansas water or fishing these six stretches, catch-and-release included:
- Beaver Lake Tailwater, from Beaver Dam to the boundary signs at Houseman Access
- Lake Greeson Tailwater, from Narrows Dam to Muddy Fork Road (the low-water bridge)
- Little Red River, from Greers Ferry Dam to the Arkansas Highway 305 bridge
- North Fork of the White River, downstream of Norfork Dam
- White River, from Bull Shoals Dam to the Arkansas Highway 58 bridge at Guion
- Spring River, from 100 yards below Dam 1 at Mammoth Spring State Park to the mouth of Myatt Creek
On those waters the permit applies whether or not you land a trout. That’s the rule that catches most visiting anglers.
What to Have Ready Before You Buy
The AGFC will ask for:
- Full legal name
- Mailing address
- Date of birth
- Social Security Number
- Basic physical description (gender, height, eye color, race)
- Driver’s license number (optional)
The Social Security Number surprises a lot of people. Federal and state law require the AGFC to collect it for child support enforcement, not for tax reporting.
Foreign Visitors Without a Social Security Number
If you’ve never been issued a Social Security Number, the licensing system has an exemption that lets you skip the field. You can still buy a license, but be ready to explain your situation if you’re purchasing in person or by phone.
How to Buy an Arkansas Non-Resident Fishing License
Any of these four methods issues a valid license right away.
- Online at the AGFC licensing portal, ar-web.s3licensing.com, available 24 hours a day. Create an account, enter your information, pay, and print or save the license.
- By phone at 833-345-0325 or 501-207-0326 during office hours. The agent gives you a confirmation number that acts as proof.
- In person at any AGFC regional office.
- At authorized retailers, including sporting goods stores and bait shops around the state. This is usually the fastest option if you’re already on your way to the water.
Carry the License With You
Arkansas law requires you to have a valid fishing license on your person while fishing. A game warden can ask to see it at any time, and not having it counts as a violation even if you did buy one. Print a copy of an online license or keep a screenshot on your phone. A phone-purchase confirmation number works as temporary proof, but a printed license is safer.
Free Fishing Weekend
Once a year in June, Arkansas holds a free fishing weekend when residents and non-residents can fish anywhere in the state without a license or trout permit. In 2025 it ran from noon Friday, June 6, through midnight Sunday, June 8. The AGFC usually announces the next year’s dates in the spring. Every other regulation still applies during that weekend, including daily limits, slot limits, and length limits.
Penalties for Fishing Without a License
Fishing without a valid license in Arkansas is a misdemeanor. Non-residents face penalties under the AGFC’s violation classification system, with court-imposed fines starting at $100 and reaching $1,000 or more depending on the severity class, and possible jail time of up to 30 days for lower-level offenses.
A court can also suspend or revoke your fishing privileges in Arkansas, order community service in place of jail, and require restitution to the AGFC for the value of any fish illegally taken. For a regular visitor, losing the right to fish in the state tends to hurt more than the fine.