FishingLicenseCheck

Minnesota fishing license

Minnesota requires a recreational fishing license from age 16. The state licenses freshwater fishing. The current license year is 2026 (March 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027).

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources · Reviewed July 30, 2026

Your trip in Minnesota

Special circumstances that can change the answer

Your likely official license

Yes — a licence is required. For a 1-day non-resident freshwater trip in Minnesota, the official match is Nonresident 24-Hour Angling.

Published cost for this trip$14
  • Nonresident 24-Hour Angling$14 · Consecutive 24-hour period.

What it covers

  • Nonresident 24-Hour Angling — freshwater. $14 fee for licence code 139 (Nonresident Angling License 24-Hour) in the 2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations licence list and the DNR Electronic Licensing System code table; a $1 issuing fee is added to original licenses at purchase.Limits on this license: No trout/salmon stamp required with a 24-hour license.

Required add-ons

No stamp or endorsement is attached to this licence for your residency, age and trip length. Check “You may also need” below for requirements that depend on where and what you fish.

You may also need

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources publishes these for the water you selected. Whether one applies depends on what you fish for and where — something this tool does not ask.

  • Trout/Salmon Stamp Validation — Required, in addition to a fishing or sports license, for anglers age 18 through 64 when fishing designated trout streams, designated trout lakes or Lake Superior, or when possessing trout on waters that are not designated trout water. Not required for children younger than 18, adults 65 and older, people fishing on a 24-hour or 72-hour license, or people who are exempt from license requirements or receive a license at no charge. · $10
  • Walleye Stamp Validation — Voluntary donation; purchase is not needed for fishing. Revenues are used for stocking walleyes purchased from the private sector. · $5
  • Sturgeon Tag/Endorsement — Required to harvest a sturgeon. May not be used with a Conservation License. · $5

Why this answer

  1. You selected non-resident status, age 35, freshwater fishing, for 1 day.
  2. Nonresident 24-Hour Angling covers the full trip: Consecutive 24-hour period.
Other options you are eligible for
  • Nonresident 72-Hour Angling — $36 for this trip · Consecutive 72-hour period.No trout/salmon stamp required with a 72-hour license.
  • Nonresident 7-Day Angling — $43 for this trip · Individual Angling, consecutive 7-day period.
  • Nonresident Individual Annual Angling — $51 for this trip · License year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February.A trout/salmon stamp validation is required in addition to this license for anglers age 18 through 64 fishing designated trout water or Lake Superior, or possessing trout.
Reduced-fee and free licenses, if you qualify (2, from $54)

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers these to anglers who meet specific criteria — such as a disability, veteran or military status, low income, or tribal membership. We cannot check whether they apply to you, so they are never used as the answer above.

  • Nonresident Married Couple 14-Day Combination Angling — $54 · Any combination (married couple) license requires each spouse to have a complete customer record on file.
  • Nonresident Combination Annual Family Angling — $68 · Covers one or both parents and dependent children under age 16, and enables each person to keep a limit.

Exceptions that may change it

  • Minnesota has free fishing days coming up on January 16, 2027 (Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend (day 1 of 3)), January 17, 2027 (Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend (day 2 of 3)) and January 18, 2027 (Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend (day 3 of 3)); May 9, 2026 (Take a Mom Fishing Weekend (day 1 of 2)), May 10, 2026 (Take a Mom Fishing Weekend (day 2 of 2)), June 5, 2026 (Take a Kid Fishing Weekend (day 1 of 3)), June 6, 2026 (Take a Kid Fishing Weekend (day 2 of 3)) and June 7, 2026 (Take a Kid Fishing Weekend (day 3 of 3)) have already passed. No licence is required on a free fishing day; other rules still apply.
  • Nonresident 24-Hour Angling: No trout/salmon stamp required with a 24-hour license.
  • Minnesota residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces who are stationed outside the state and home on leave do not need a fishing license.
  • Minnesota residents who have served in federal active service outside the United States during the preceding 24 months and are now discharged from overseas duty do not need a fishing license.
  • A permanent angling license is issued at no fee to any Minnesota resident over age 16 who has a developmental disability, or who is a veteran with a 100 percent service-connected disability.
  • An annual angling license is issued at no fee to Minnesota residents who are legally blind, who receive SSI or SSDI, who receive worker's compensation for total and permanent disability, or who receive disability benefits under the Federal Railroad Retirement Act or from the U.S. Postal Service.
  • Residents of a Minnesota licensed nursing or boarding care home, wards of the Minnesota Commissioner of Human Services, residents of state institutions, inpatients of a U.S. Veterans Administration hospital, and foreign exchange students attending school in Minnesota can obtain a fishing license at no fee.
  • Minnesota residents may fish without a license for any species except trout when shore fishing or wading on state-owned land within a state park, or when fishing from a boat or on the ice on water bodies completely inside the boundaries of a state park.
  • An adult who is showing a child younger than 16 how to bait, cast and remove fish does not need a license, provided the child holds the rod, sets the hook and reels in the fish.
  • This answer covers the licence only. Season, size, bag and waterbody rules still apply and change through the year.
Buy on the official Minnesota Department of Natural Resources site

We do not sell licenses and take no commission. This goes to the state agency.

Check current Minnesota regulations

Seasons, size limits, bag limits and waterbody closures are not covered by this tool and change through the year.

Source
2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Validity
2026 · March 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027
Reviewed
July 30, 2026

Answers at a glance

Common trips, answered from the same official record the checker uses. These assume an adult with no special circumstances — set your own age, water and trip above.

Visiting for a day

Adult visiting from another state · freshwater · one day

Nonresident 24-Hour Angling

$14

Resident for the season

Adult Minnesota resident · freshwater · all year

Resident Individual Angling (Adult Annual)

$25

Age and residency rules

Who counts as a resident. To qualify as a resident, a person must maintain a legal residence in Minnesota for at least 60 consecutive days before purchasing a license. Residents 21 years of age or older must provide a current Minnesota driver's license or Minnesota public safety ID card, or have a receipt for an application for one that is at least 60 days old. A nonresident under age 21 whose parent is a Minnesota resident also qualifies, as do tribal members with an unexpired Tribal ID showing a Minnesota address who hold no driver's license or state ID in any state and have not accepted resident hunting, fishing or trapping licenses in another state in the previous 60 days.

Age-based rules

  • Resident youth younger than 16 do not need a fishing license, and anyone not requiring a license may keep a possession limit of fish.
  • Minnesota residents 90 years of age and older do not need a fishing license.
  • Nonresidents younger than 16 do not need a license if a parent or guardian is licensed. Still required: The youth must fish under a licensed parent's or guardian's license (a family license counts). Fishing under a parent's individual license, the youth's fish count toward the adult's limit; to possess their own limit the youth must buy the $5 nonresident youth angling license or fish under a family license.
  • A permanent angling license is issued at no fee to any Minnesota resident over age 16 who has a developmental disability, or who is a veteran with a 100 percent service-connected disability. Still required: The no-fee permanent license must still be obtained, and is available only from the DNR by calling 877-348-0498. Free licenses are also subject to the $1 issuing fee.

License options

LicenseWhoWaterValid forPrice
Resident Individual Angling (Adult Annual)A trout/salmon stamp validation is required in addition to this license for anglers age 18 through 64 when fishing designated trout streams or lakes or Lake Superior, or when possessing trout.ResidentResident Individual Ages 18 through 89 (code 111).freshwaterLicense year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February unless otherwise noted.$25
Resident Youth Annual Angling (ages 16 and 17)Exempt from the trout/salmon stamp and from the spearing license requirement.ResidentYouth Individual Angling, age 16 and 17 (code 138).freshwaterLicense year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February.$5
Resident 24-Hour AnglingNo trout/salmon stamp required with a 24-hour license.ResidentAges 18 through 89 (code 110).freshwaterConsecutive 24-hour period.$12
Resident 72-Hour AnglingNo trout/salmon stamp required with a 72-hour license.ResidentAges 18 through 89 (code 140).freshwaterConsecutive 72-hour period.$14
Resident 3-Year Individual AnglingResidentAges 18 through 89 (code 141).freshwaterIndividual Angling, consecutive 3 years.$71
Resident Individual Conservation Angling (half bag limit)Conservation licenses are available only to Minnesota residents. Daily and possession limits are half of what may be taken with a standard angling license, and a sturgeon harvest tag may not be used with a Conservation License.ResidentAges 18 through 89 (code 105).freshwaterLicense year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February.$17
Resident Married Couple Combination AnglingMarried Couple Angling; each person may have their own possession limit. Any combination (married couple) license requires each spouse to have a complete customer record on file.ResidentAges 18 through 89 (code 112).freshwaterLicense year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February.$40
Nonresident Individual Annual AnglingA trout/salmon stamp validation is required in addition to this license for anglers age 18 through 64 fishing designated trout water or Lake Superior, or possessing trout.Non-residentNonresident Individual age 18 and over (code 121).freshwaterLicense year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February.$51
Nonresident Youth AnglingExempt from the trout/salmon stamp and spearing license. A nonresident under 16 does not need any license if fishing under a licensed parent's or guardian's license, but must buy this license to keep their own limit.Non-residentSold to nonresident youth age 16 and 17; youth under age 16 may also purchase it in order to possess their own limit (code 205, min/max age 0 to 17).freshwaterLicense year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February.$5
Nonresident 24-Hour AnglingNo trout/salmon stamp required with a 24-hour license.Non-residentAge 18 and over (code 139).freshwaterConsecutive 24-hour period.$14
Nonresident 72-Hour AnglingNo trout/salmon stamp required with a 72-hour license.Non-residentAge 18 and over (code 127).freshwaterConsecutive 72-hour period.$36
Nonresident 7-Day AnglingNon-residentAge 18 and over (code 126).freshwaterIndividual Angling, consecutive 7-day period.$43
Nonresident Combination Annual Family AnglingCovers one or both parents and dependent children under age 16, and enables each person to keep a limit.Non-residentPurchased by a parent age 18 or over (code 124).freshwaterLicense year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February.$68
Nonresident Married Couple 14-Day Combination AnglingAny combination (married couple) license requires each spouse to have a complete customer record on file.Non-residentAge 18 and over (code 125).freshwaterMarried Couple, consecutive 14-day period.$54

Stamps, endorsements and report cards

  • Trout/Salmon Stamp Validation — Required, in addition to a fishing or sports license, for anglers age 18 through 64 when fishing designated trout streams, designated trout lakes or Lake Superior, or when possessing trout on waters that are not designated trout water. Not required for children younger than 18, adults 65 and older, people fishing on a 24-hour or 72-hour license, or people who are exempt from license requirements or receive a license at no charge. · $10
  • Walleye Stamp Validation — Voluntary donation; purchase is not needed for fishing. Revenues are used for stocking walleyes purchased from the private sector. · $5
  • Sturgeon Tag/Endorsement — Required to harvest a sturgeon. May not be used with a Conservation License. · $5

Exemptions worth knowing

  • Minnesota residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces who are stationed outside the state and home on leave do not need a fishing license. Still required: You must carry leave or furlough papers while fishing or transporting fish.
  • Minnesota residents who have served in federal active service outside the United States during the preceding 24 months and are now discharged from overseas duty do not need a fishing license. Still required: You must carry discharge papers while fishing or transporting fish.
  • An annual angling license is issued at no fee to Minnesota residents who are legally blind, who receive SSI or SSDI, who receive worker's compensation for total and permanent disability, or who receive disability benefits under the Federal Railroad Retirement Act or from the U.S. Postal Service. Still required: The no-fee license must still be obtained: present a current letter from Social Security stating the disability or SSI benefits (or proof of the qualifying disability benefit) to any license agent. Free licenses are subject to the $1 issuing fee.
  • Residents of a Minnesota licensed nursing or boarding care home, wards of the Minnesota Commissioner of Human Services, residents of state institutions, inpatients of a U.S. Veterans Administration hospital, and foreign exchange students attending school in Minnesota can obtain a fishing license at no fee. Still required: The no-fee license must still be obtained. Institutional applicants must use the application available from the DNR (888-646-6367); foreign exchange students can obtain theirs from any license agent with proof of exchange student status.
  • Minnesota residents may fish without a license for any species except trout when shore fishing or wading on state-owned land within a state park, or when fishing from a boat or on the ice on water bodies completely inside the boundaries of a state park.
  • An adult who is showing a child younger than 16 how to bait, cast and remove fish does not need a license, provided the child holds the rod, sets the hook and reels in the fish.
  • On Take a Mom Fishing Weekend, Minnesota resident moms may fish without a license. On Take a Kid Fishing Weekend and Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend, Minnesota residents 16 and older may fish without a license if they are with children younger than 16.

Free fishing days

  • Take a Mom Fishing Weekend (day 1 of 2) — May 9, 2026. Minnesota resident moms may fish without a license.
  • Take a Mom Fishing Weekend (day 2 of 2) — May 10, 2026. Minnesota resident moms may fish without a license.
  • Take a Kid Fishing Weekend (day 1 of 3) — June 5, 2026. Minnesota residents 16 and older may fish without a license if they are with children younger than 16.
  • Take a Kid Fishing Weekend (day 2 of 3) — June 6, 2026. Minnesota residents 16 and older may fish without a license if they are with children younger than 16.
  • Take a Kid Fishing Weekend (day 3 of 3) — June 7, 2026. Minnesota residents 16 and older may fish without a license if they are with children younger than 16.
  • Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend (day 1 of 3) — January 16, 2027. Minnesota residents 16 and older may fish without a license if they are with children younger than 16.
  • Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend (day 2 of 3) — January 17, 2027. Minnesota residents 16 and older may fish without a license if they are with children younger than 16.
  • Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend (day 3 of 3) — January 18, 2027. Minnesota residents 16 and older may fish without a license if they are with children younger than 16.

Where this comes from

Primary source
2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations — Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Retrieved
July 26, 2026
Reviewed
July 30, 2026
Also consulted

Found something out of date? Email corrections@fishinglicensecheck.com and tell us which figure and which page — see corrections.

Nearby states

Licenses are issued state by state — a Minnesota license does not carry its own rules across the border, so if your trip crosses one, check both states.

Across all states