Delaware vs New Jersey fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, Delaware is $5.50 cheaper than New Jersey. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Delaware is $14 cheaper than New Jersey. You need a license from age 16 in Delaware and in New Jersey.
- Free
- Official sources first
- Checked monthly
- Independent, not a state website
What visitors pay
Cheapest way for an adult non-resident to cover the trip, including required stamps, worked out from each state's price list. The cheaper state is marked.
| Trip | Delaware | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $12.50 | $9 |
| 3 days | $12.50 | $18 |
| 7 days | $12.50 | $19.50 |
| 1 year | $20 | $34 |
| Salt water | ||
| 1 day | $12.50 | Free |
| 3 days | $12.50 | Free |
| 7 days | $12.50 | Free |
| 1 year | $20 | Free |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $8.50 | $22.50 |
| Salt water | $8.50 | Free |
| Prices for | 2026 | 2026 |
Rules side by side
| Delaware | New Jersey | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 16 | 16 |
| Senior residents | Free (fresh + salt): Delaware residents 65 and over (free FIN number still needed) | Free (fresh): New Jersey residents 70 and over (fresh water; a driver license or other proof of age serves as the license, and no trout stamp is needed). Saltwater anglers still register free |
| Senior visitors | Normal visitor prices | Normal visitor prices |
| Required stamps | None | None |
| Next free fishing day | Not yet announced | Not yet announced |
| On a charter | Usually not: the boat's license covers its passengers | Usually not: the boat's license covers its passengers |
| License on your phone | Accepted | – |
| Annual licenses last | To 12-31 | To 12-31 |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Delaware fishing license · New Jersey fishing license
Shared waters
Delaware River and Bay (New Jersey) (Delaware rules)
On parts of the Delaware River, Delaware's jurisdiction runs to the New Jersey low-tide line, so you need a Delaware license to fish those waters. You do not need a Delaware license to fish from the New Jersey shore. Official source
Delaware River (New Jersey and Pennsylvania) (New Jersey rules)
A New Jersey or Pennsylvania license is accepted from a boat or either shoreline on the main stem of the Delaware River between the two states. Tributaries are not covered. Secondary source: NJ Fish & Wildlife freshwater fishing digest 2026 (eRegulations)
Limits for fish found in both states
Guide only. Statewide rules; many waters have their own. Check each state's official rules before you keep a fish.
| Fish | Delaware | New Jersey |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
12 in (15 in at Becks Pond); bag 6 (2 at Becks Pond) |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
None between 12 and 17 in (inclusive) may be kept; bag 6, no more than 1 over 17 in |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
| Trout |
No size limit; bag 6 (4 in or within 50 ft of fly-fishing-only waters) |
Trout (brook, brown and rainbow) |
| Crappie |
Panfish (crappie, sunfish, yellow perch) |
8" minimum; bag 10 combined |
| Striped bass |
Hybrid striped bass Striped bass |
Striped bass (non-tidal fresh water) Hybrid striped bass |
| Yellow perch |
Panfish (crappie, sunfish, yellow perch) |
No minimum; bag 25 |
| Red drum (redfish) |
Red drum |
Red drum |
| Flounder |
Summer flounder: set each year |
Summer flounder (fluke): set each year Winter flounder |
| Cobia |
43 in; bag 2 per angler |
43" minimum; bag 1 |
| Black sea bass |
Black sea bass: set each year |
Black sea bass: set each year |
Questions
Is a Delaware fishing license valid in New Jersey?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Delaware River and Bay (New Jersey); Delaware River (New Jersey and Pennsylvania).
Which is cheaper for visitors, Delaware or New Jersey?
1 day (fresh water): Delaware $12.50, New Jersey $9. 1 year (fresh water): Delaware $20, New Jersey $34.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Delaware and New Jersey?
You need a license from age 16 in Delaware and in New Jersey.