Florida Non-Resident Fishing License: Costs, Permits, and Penalties

A Florida non-resident fishing license costs $17 for three days, $30 for seven days, or $47 for a full year, and anyone 16 or older who doesn’t live in Florida needs one before casting a line in fresh or salt water. You can buy the annual license online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or by phone at 1-888-FISH-FLO. The 3-day and 7-day options are sold only in person, at county tax collector offices and authorized agents like tackle shops.

Who Needs a License

You count as a non-resident if you haven’t lived in Florida continuously for at least six months and don’t claim it as your primary residence. If that’s you and you’re 16 or older, you need a license for any freshwater or saltwater fishing in the state.

The requirement kicks in the moment you “attempt to take fish.” Casting counts, whether or not anything bites. A saltwater license also covers harvesting crabs, lobster, and marine plants.¹

Two boundaries catch visitors off guard. Florida residents can get a free saltwater shoreline license; non-residents cannot. A standard non-resident saltwater license is required whether you fish from shore or a boat.² The military exemption in Florida law applies only to Florida residents in the U.S. Armed Forces stationed out of state and home on leave for 30 days or less. Non-resident military members visiting Florida still need to buy a license.³

Cost by Duration

Non-resident licenses come in freshwater and saltwater, each at three durations, with the same fees on both sides:

3-day license: $17.00, valid for three consecutive days
7-day license: $30.00, valid for seven consecutive days
Annual license: $47.00, valid for 12 months from the date of purchase

These prices include the statutory issuance fee. A vendor may add a 50-cent issuance fee on top.⁴

If you plan to fish both fresh and salt water, you need a license for each. There is no non-resident combination license; the statutory fee schedule lists freshwater and saltwater base fees separately with no bundled non-resident option.⁵

Where to Buy

Three purchase channels exist, and your license type decides which ones you can use.

Online

Go to GoOutdoorsFlorida.com for an annual license. Select freshwater, saltwater, or both, and add any species permits during checkout. A handling fee of $2.25, or $1.75 plus a 2.95% surcharge on the total sale, is added to online transactions.⁶ Online purchases do not include the 3-day or 7-day options.

By Phone

Call 1-888-FISH-FLO (1-888-347-4356), seven days a week. Phone purchases also cover only the annual license. The handling fee runs $6.25 plus a 2.95% surcharge per person.⁶

In Person

Visit any county tax collector’s office or authorized agent. Tackle shops, bait shops, and sporting goods stores across the state sell licenses. This is the only way to buy the 3-day or 7-day non-resident license. Walmart is excluded from selling these shorter licenses, even though it’s an authorized agent for other license types.⁷ In-person agents may charge the 50-cent issuance fee, but the percentage surcharge that applies online and by phone doesn’t apply here.

Have your full legal name, date of birth, home address, and a driver’s license or state ID number from your home state ready when you buy.

When You Can Fish Without Buying One

A few situations let you skip the purchase:

Anyone under 16, regardless of residency
Passengers on a vessel that holds a valid charter vessel license
Anglers fishing from a public pier that holds its own saltwater pier license
License-free fishing days: freshwater on the first Saturday and Sunday in April and the second Saturday and Sunday in June; saltwater on the first Saturday and Sunday in June, the first Saturday in September, and the Saturday after Thanksgiving⁸

The charter and pier exemptions come from Florida Statute 379.353.³

Extra Permits for Certain Species

A base license covers general fresh or salt water fishing. Several popular species require an additional permit on top:

Snook permit: $10 per year, required for anyone targeting or keeping snook, including from shore
Spiny lobster permit: $5 per year
Tarpon tag: $51.50 per year, required to land a tarpon, sold only at tax collector offices, no exemptions⁴
Shore-based shark fishing permit: free, but you must first complete an FWC-approved online course at MyFWC.com/SharkCourse, and both the course and permit must be renewed annually. It applies to everyone 16 and older fishing for sharks from any shore-connected structure, including jetties, bridges, and piers.⁹
Blue crab and stone crab trap registration: free, required for anyone 16 or older before using traps, even for anglers who are otherwise exempt from a fishing license. Register at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com; the registration number must be permanently attached to each trap alongside your name and address.¹⁰

Carrying Proof on the Water

After purchase, you receive a confirmation number that acts as your temporary license. A screenshot on your phone or a printed confirmation is legally sufficient; no physical card is required. The FWC’s Fish|Hunt FL app stores your license on your smartphone for quick display.

Keep it accessible while fishing. An officer asking to see your license won’t accept a promise that it’s back at the hotel. If you lose the paperwork, pull the record back up at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.

Penalties for Fishing Without a License

Florida Statute 379.407 sets the base penalties:

First offense: up to 60 days in jail, a fine of $100 to $500, or both
Second offense within 12 months: up to 6 months in jail, a fine of $250 to $1,000, or both¹¹

Consequences can travel home with you. Florida belongs to the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, so if a Florida violation triggers a suspension of your license privileges, other member states must treat the suspension as if it happened locally, which can affect your hunting and fishing privileges there.¹² FWC officers patrol popular fishing spots regularly, and unfamiliarity with the rule doesn’t reduce the fine.

1
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Visitors’ Licenses
2
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Saltwater Shoreline Fishing Information
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 379.353 – Recreational Licenses, Permits, and Authorization Numbers
4
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Recreational Saltwater Licenses and Permits
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 379.354 – Recreational License and Permit Fees
6
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. How to Order Your License or Permit
7
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Freshwater Recreational Licenses and Permits
8
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. License-Free Fishing Days
9
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Sharks
10
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Blue Crab
11
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 379.407 – Administration; Rules, Publications, Records; Penalties; Injunctions
12
The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 379.2255 – Wildlife Violator Compact Act