WHO NEEDS A LICENSE LICENSES AND FEES FIP MD/POTOMAC RECIPROCITY
All Recreational Saltwater Fishing Licenses and vessel registration are issued by the Department of Wildlife Resources. Click here or call 1-866-721-6911 to purchase your license or to find in-person license agents.
No paid license or FIP registration required.
No paid license required, but you must obtain a no-cost FIP (Fisherman Identification Program) registration. There is an optional $5 lifetime saltwater fishing license for VA resident anglers 65 or older; if a person has purchased this optional license they do not need to register for FIP.
| SW = Saltwater FW = Freshwater |
Resident | Non-Resident | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual SW | $17.50 | $25 | |
| Individual SW (2-year) | $33.50 | N/A | |
| Individual SW (3-year) | $49.50 | N/A | |
| Individual SW (4-year) | $65.50 | N/A | |
| Individual FW/SW | $39.50 | $71 | |
| 10-day Temp SW | $10 | $10 | |
| 5-day Temp FW/SW | $24 | $31 | |
| Recreational Boat SW | $48 | $76 | This entitles a VA-registered boat owner (the licensee) to an individual fishing license valid for all Virginia saltwater recreational fishing. Passengers on a licensed boat may fish without additional paid license (FIP required). Non-Residents purchasing the Non-Resident SW Recreational Fishing Boat License must have a boat registered in VA. MD or PRFC license holders with reciprocity privileges can fish in VA without purchasing the NR license. |
| Reissuance of SW Recreational Boat License | $5 | $5 | |
| Tidal Boat Sport Fishing | $126 | $201 | This entitles a VA-registered boat owner (the licensee) to an individual fishing license valid for all Virginia freshwater and saltwater recreational fishing. Passengers on a licensed boat may fish without additional paid license (FIP required). Non-Residents do not need to have a boat registered in VA. |
| Individual Lifetime SW (Under 45) | $276 | $500 | Apply for a Lifetime License |
| Individual Lifetime SW (45-50) | $132 | $240 | Apply for a Lifetime License |
| Individual Lifetime SW (51-55) | $99 | $180 | Apply for a Lifetime License |
| Individual Lifetime SW (56-60) | $66 | $120 | Apply for a Lifetime License |
| Individual Lifetime SW (61-64) | $35 | $60 | Apply for a Lifetime License |
| Individual Lifetime SW (Age 65 and older) | $5 | Apply for a Lifetime License This is an optional license which can be purchased to allow fishing in MD waters under the VA/MD reciprocity agreement or to avoid annual FIP registration requirements. The license is optional and individuals age 65 and older may still fish Virginia tidal waters for saltwater species without a license (FIP required). |
|
| Individual Lifetime SW Disabled | $10 | $10 | Apply for a Lifetime License |
In 2011, the VMRC implemented a free state saltwater angler identification program in order to exempt saltwater anglers from having to register yearly with the National Saltwater Angler Registry and pay an annual federal registration fee. The Virginia Fisherman Identification Program (FIP) will require unlicensed saltwater anglers age 16 and older to register for free with the VMRC and receive an identification number annually. If someone plans to fish in saltwater without needing to buy a license or to fish for anadromous or marine species in Virginia's freshwaters, they'll need to register with VMRC. If you plan to only fish from a licensed charter boat you do not have to register.
For more information or to register, visit www.mrc.virginia.gov/FIP.
Anglers with saltwater licenses from either Virginia, Maryland, or the Potomac River Fisheries Commission may fish in any portion of the Chesapeake Bay, or any of the saltwater reaches of its tributary rivers, as well as seaside bays and creeks and the Atlantic Ocean where a Virginia saltwater license is required. Persons entering the waters of these jurisdictions are subject to each jurisdiction's respective laws, rules, regulations, and amendments.
Current MD/VA Reciprocity Agreement
For more information on licensing and reciprocity, consult the MD DNR web site or the PRFC web site.
Page updated: 3:52 PM Tuesday, April 15, 2025
