Licensing requirements follow the species of fish you are fishing for, regardless of where you are fishing. For example, anglers fishing for and possessing largemouth bass in brackish water need a freshwater license; anglers fishing for saltwater species in fresh water (e.g., spotted seatrout, red drum, snook, American shad) need a saltwater license to possess these species if fishing from a boat.  Resident  For the purpose of fishing in Florida, a person is a resident if he or she has lived in Florida for six continuous months prior to applying for licenses and claims Florida as his or her primary residence. Active military personnel stationed in Florida, including their spouses and dependent children residing in the household, are considered residents when purchasing fishing licenses. Resident 12-Month Freshwater Fishing  (Valid for 12 months from specified beginning  date) $13.50  Resident Freshwater Fishing/Hunting Combination (Valid 12 months from specified beginning date$23.50  Resident Freshwater/Saltwater Combination (Valid 12 months from specified beginning date $25.50 Resident Freshwater/Saltwater/Hunting Combination (Valid 12 months from specified beginning date $35.50 64 or Older Hunting and Fishing: includes Freshwater Fishing and Hunting licenses; and Type I Wildlife Management Area, Archery, Muzzleloading Gun and Turkey permits$13.50 Sportsman’s License: includes Hunting, Freshwater Fishing and permits for Wildlife Management Area, Archery, Muzzleloading Gun,Turkey and Florida Waterfowl (Valid 12 months from specified beginning date)...$67.50 Gold Sportsman’s License: Includes all licenses and permits in the Sportsman’s License plus saltwater fishing, Crawfish and Snook permits$83.50 Nonresident:  7-Day Freshwater Fishing   (Valid for seven consecutive days from specified beginning date$16.50  12-Month Freshwater Fishing  (Valid for 12 months from specified beginning date) $31.50 Licenses may be purchased from county tax collectors or their subagents, who are generally located at tackle shops, fish camps and sporting goods stores. In addition to license and stamp fees listed above, subagents are entitled to an additional 50 cents. License fees are set by the Florida Legislature and are subject to change. Check our Web site for updates. Feshwater Licence exemptions • Florida residents 65 years of age or older who possess either a Resident Senior Citizen Hunting and Fishing Certificate or proof of age and residency. A Florida Senior Citizen Hunting and Fishing Certificate is accepted in Georgia, but a trout stamp may be required.  • Georgia residents 65 years of age or older who have in their possession a Georgia Honorary Combination Hunting and Fishing License and proof of age.  • Florida residents certified as totally and permanently disabled, who possess a Florida Resident Disabled Person Hunting and Fishing Certificate. Applicants need to provide a certification of total and permanent disability from the United States Armed Forces, Railroad Retirement Board, Florida Worker’s Compensation or the United States Veterans Administration. Alternatively, current documentation from the Social Security Administration for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Supplemental Security Disability Income (SSDI) benefits also will be accepted.  • Any person who has been accepted by the Florida Department of Health as a client for developmental services, with proof (e.g., retardation).  • Children under 16 years of age  • Resident Freshwater Commercial Fishing License holders.  • Any resident who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and is not stationed in Florida, home on leave for 30 days or less, upon submission of orders.  • Any resident fishing in the county of his or her residence with live or natural bait, using poles or hand lines that are not equipped with a reel or other line retrieval mechanism (cane pole), for noncommercial purposes.  • Anyone fishing in a private fishing pond less than 20 acres. A private pond is a man-made pond constructed for the primary purpose of fishing, entirely within the property lines of the owner and with no surface water connection to public waters.  • Anyone fishing in a private pond of 20 acres or more where the pond owner has purchased a fish pond license at a fee of $3 per surface acre.  • Any person fishing in their county of residence on the homestead of their spouse or minor child, or any minor child fishing on the homestead of their parent.  • Anyone fishing in the St. Marys River or Lake Seminole (but not including tributary creeks in Florida), who has a valid Georgia fishing license. • Anyone fishing during Free Fishing Weekend.  NOTE: A valid Fishing License is required to fish by any method in a Fish Management Area. Although the above exemptions apply, individuals may always choose to purchase a license as a way to contribute to fish and wildlife conservation. Purchasing a license also helps the FWC receive more of the excise taxes spent on fishing tackle and motor boat fuels under Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration. Methods of taking game fish Game fish and nongame fish may be taken with pole and line or rod and reel. There is no limit on the number of rods an angler may use.  Freshwater fish may not be taken by use of any free-floating, unattached device, or by use of firearms, explosives, electricity, spear gun, poison or other chemicals. The taking of fish by underwater swimming or diving is prohibited. It is unlawful to sell, offer for sale or transport out of the state any freshwater game fish unless specifically permitted by the FWC, except that licensed anglers may transport two days’ bag limit of legally harvested game fish.  It is illegal to possess any freshwater fish along with gear that cannot legally be used to take freshwater fish, including gear types listed above and below for taking nongame fish or bait. An exception is game fish may be possessed together with cast nets having a stretched mesh size not greater than 1 inch; minnow dip nets not more than 4 feet in diameter; minnow seines having a stretched mesh size not greater than 1 inch, a length not more than 20 feet and a depth not more than 4 feet; and minnow traps not more than 24 inches in length and 12 inches in diameter, with a funnel entrance not more than 1 inch in spread.  It is illegal to fillet or remove the head or tail fin of black bass, striped bass, white bass, Sunshine bass (striped bass x white bass hybrid), peacock bass, black crappie and panfish (where special black crappie or panfish size or bag limits are in effect) until after you have completed fishing for the day.  Nongame fish may be taken:  • By bush hook, setline or trotline baited with cut bait or other substance; but not including live game fish or any part of any game fish; bush hooks, setlines or trotlines (limited to 25 hooks total) are permitted for taking nongame fish for personal use, but only in those areas where trotlines may be lawfully used in accordance with the Wildlife Code of the State of Florida. Refer to the “Commercial Freshwater Fisheries Rules and Regulations Summary.”  • By manually operated spears, gigs, snatch hooks, crossbows or bows during daylight hours except on the Jim Woodruff Dam spillway, in Dade County canals south of C-4 and east of L-31N or L-31W, and at the spillways of the Eureka and Rodman dams. Nongame fish may be taken at night using gigs or bow and arrow.  • By cast nets in the Southwest Region (except in certain waters adjoining Saddle Creek Fish Management Area, and certain Fish Management Areas); Northeast Region, (except for Duval, Indian River, and Nassau counties; certain St. Johns River Water Management District areas of Lake County; and certain Fish Management Areas) in Citrus and Hernando counties (North Central Region) and Glades County (South Region). • Using a bow and light at night. Night bowfishing tournaments do not require a permit in the Northwest Region.  • By netting and impounding at night from Sept. 1 to May 1 in specified waters in northwest Florida. Nets used to take nongame fish in these specified waters must be less than 100 feet in length, have a minimum 3-inch stretched mesh and shall be continuously attended to ensure immediate release of any trapped game fish; contact the Northwest Region office for details. GAME AND NONGAME FRESHWATER FISH Game Fish—black bass, black crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, warmouth, redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish, flier, mud sunfish, longear sunfish, shadow bass, peacock bass, white bass, striped bass and sunshine bass. Nongame Fish—bowfin, common carp, catfish, pickerel, eels, gar, threadfin shad, gizzard shad, shiners, tilapia (Nile perch), killifish, suckers, topminnows and fishes not listed as freshwater game fish and not taken for sport. PROHIBITED GEAR FOR TAKING MARINE SPECIES IN FRESH WATER Use of any hand or mechanically propelled, single or multi-pronged spear or lance, barbed or barbless, to harvest or attempt to harvest any marine species while diving in freshwater is prohibited.  Spearfishing for mullet in freshwater is prohibited.  (Note:  spearfishing involves the user being at or below the surface of the water (meaning swimming). Gigging from a boat or shore is allowed, as is snatch hooking and bow fishing.)