| LICENSING
License
requirements are merely summarized here. For more information,
including lists of species for which a license is required,
refer to the latest sport fishing regulations pamphlet. Licenses
are sold through a computerized point-of-sale license system
at dealers throughout the sate, by toll free telephone, and
over the internet. See the inside front cover for the phone
number and internet address where you can buy your licenses.
- Annual
licenses and catch record cards run from April 1 through
March 31 of the following year.
- Licenses
are required for both residents and nonresidents 15 years
of age and older (see “Kids and Seniors” for
more information). Reduced-fee licenses are available for
qualified disabled persons, disabled veterans, youths age
15, and resident seniors (age 70+; see below).
- A
saltwater license is required to fish for most marine and
anadromous species in saltwater.
- A
shellfish/seaweed license is required for all shell fishing
and gathering of seaweeds.
- A
freshwater fishing license is required to fish for most
freshwater species and steelhead
- A
combination freshwater/saltwater and shellfish / seaweed
license is available to all license buyer categories except
resident seniors.
- Short-term
combination freshwater/saltwater and shellfish / seaweed
licenses are available to both residents and non-residents
for one- through five day periods. Check the current regulations
pamphlet for rates and additional information.
- Annual
and 3-day razor-clam-only licenses (not shown below) are
available to resident and nonresident adults and seniors.
- A
combination catch record card is required to fish for or
retain steelhead, salmon, sturgeon, halibut or Dungeness
crab. A card (one only) is issued free upon request with
any appropriate license purchase (but not with razor-clam-only
licenses).
Recreational
License Fee Schedule
| License
Type |
Annual
Freshwater |
Annual
Saltwater |
Annual
Shellfish/
Seaweed |
Annual
Combination |
1-day
Combination |
| Youth
age 15 |
combo
only |
combo
only |
combo
only |
$7.67 |
$7.00 |
| Resident
Adult age 16-69 |
$21.90 |
$19.71 |
$8.76 |
N/A |
$7.00 |
| Resident
Senior age 70+ |
$5.48 |
$5.48 |
$8.76 |
N/A |
$7.00 |
| Resident
Disabled |
combo only |
combo
only |
combo
only |
combo
only |
N/A |
| Non-Resident
age 16+ |
$43.80 |
$39.42 |
$25.19 |
$81.03 |
$14.00 |
| First
Catch Record Card combo only |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Kids
and Seniors
Juvenile
anglers are residents or non-residents
14 years of age and under. Juveniles can fish for free,
no licenses required, for all legal species, in all open
waters during open seasons. See Juveniles-only Fishing
Waters below. A free catch record card is still
required in most areas for steelhead, salmon, sturgeon,
halibut and Dungeness crab. Youth fishers are residents
or non-residents 15 years of age. They can buy the freshwater
plus saltwater plus shellfish/seaweed combination license
for $7.67. At age 16 they are considered adults, and pay
the standard adult resident or non-resident fee.
Resident
seniors, 70 years of age or older, can buy reduced-fee
freshwater, saltwater, or shellfish/seaweed licenses for
$5.48. each. Non-resident seniors pay the
standard non-resident fee.
Disability
Reduced-Fee Licenses
Persons
with certain permanent disabilities as defined in RCW
77.32.490 may qualify for a reduced-fee $7.67 combination
freshwater, saltwater and shellfish license. Persons who
are blind, permanently use a wheelchair, or have a developmental
disability as defined in RCW
71A.10.020 qualify for this reduced-fee license. Some
veterans with certain service-connected disabilities also
qualify for the reduced fee license. Contact the WDFW Licensing
Division at (360) 902-2456, or at any of the regional
offices listed on the inside front cover, or on
the internet
at http://wdfw.wa.gov/lic/formpage.htm to obtain an application,
which must be approved by the WDFW Licensing Division in
Olympia. Persons
with certain permanent disabilities may also obtain a free
“Designated Harvester Card,” which allows
any licensed angler to assist them in the taking of fish
and shellfish if they are unable to do so; see WAC
220-55-065. A free “Fly Fishing Only”
special use permit is available to persons with permanent
physical disabilities who cannot use conventional fly-fishing
equipment; see WAC
220-56-210. Contact the Department’s ADA Coordinator
in Olympia at (360) 902-2349 for more details.
Vehicle
Use Permits
Users
of most WDFW access areas must have a Vehicle Use Permit
decal displayed in their vehicle. Each decal can be
moved between two vehicles, placed on the dash or hung from
the mirror rather than permanently affixed. One decal
is issued free when you buy your fishing or hunting license.
Extra decals cost $5.48 each. Decals can also be purchased
separately (without a fishing or hunting license purchase)
for $10.95 each. This program is designed to let non-hunters
and non-anglers share the cost of maintaining these facilities.
Juveniles-only
Fishing Waters
These lakes and
streams are set aside for juveniles (14 years old and younger),
and in a few cases disability license holders, seniors and
families. These bodies of water are listed alphabetically
by county (see index for page location). Check the regulations
pamphlet for size and catch limits and other possible special
rules.
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