Georgia vs North Carolina fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, Georgia is $12 cheaper than North Carolina. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Georgia is $6 cheaper than North Carolina. You need a license from age 16 in Georgia and in North Carolina.
- 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 | Georgia | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $10 | $29 |
| 3 days | $17 | $29 |
| 7 days | $31 | $29 |
| 1 year | $50 | $56 |
| Salt water | ||
| 1 day | $10 | $15 |
| 3 days | $17 | $15 |
| 7 days | $31 | $15 |
| 1 year | $50 | $40 |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $15 | $32 |
| Salt water | $15 | $20 |
| Prices for | 2026 | 2026 |
Rules side by side
| Georgia | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 16 | 16 |
| Senior residents | Resident senior fishing license (65+): $4 (ages 65+) Resident senior lifetime fishing license (65+): $35 (ages 65+) | Age 70 resident lifetime inland fishing license: $20 (ages 70+) |
| Senior visitors | Normal visitor prices | Normal visitor prices |
| Required stamps | Saltwater Information Program (SIP) permit: Free | None |
| Next free fishing day | Not yet announced | Sun, Jul 4, 2027 Not yet announced |
| On a charter | It depends on the boat and where you fish | It depends on the boat and where you fish |
| License on your phone | – | Accepted |
| Annual licenses last | 12 months from purchase | 12 months from purchase |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Georgia fishing license · North Carolina fishing license
Shared waters
Savannah, Tugaloo and Chattooga rivers and their lakes (South Carolina) (Georgia rules)
A Georgia or South Carolina freshwater license is valid, for residents and non-residents, on the Savannah River from its mouth up to the Tugaloo/Seneca junction, the Tugaloo and Chattooga rivers up to the North Carolina line, and Lakes Hartwell, Richard B. Russell, Clarks Hill (Strom Thurmond), Yonah, Tugaloo, New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam and Stevens Creek. This covers the banks as well. Tributary streams are not covered, and nor are saltwater or commercial fishing. You need a South Carolina saltwater license to fish from a boat on the South Carolina side of the Savannah below the CSX trestle over the Back River. Shared creel and size limits apply on these waters. Secondary source: Georgia sport fishing regulations (eRegulations)
Lake Chatuge (North Carolina) (Georgia rules)
A valid Georgia or North Carolina license lets you fish Lake Chatuge, and branches you can reach by boat from the main lake, with hook and line from a boat only. The boat may not be tied to the shore or to a dock or pier attached to it. Both states honor each other's senior and youth exemptions. Each state's law applies on its own part of the lake. Secondary source: Georgia sport fishing regulations (eRegulations)
Chatuge Reservoir (Georgia) (North Carolina rules)
North Carolina and Georgia licenses are both honored for fishing from a boat (not anchored to the shore or a pier) on Chatuge Reservoir and its tributaries reachable by boat. Secondary source: NC inland fishing, hunting and trapping digest 2026-27 (online edition)
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 | Georgia | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Black bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Black bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
| Walleye |
bag 8 |
No minimum; bag 8 |
| Crappie |
bag 30 |
No statewide minimum (8" on many named waters); bag No statewide limit (20 on many named waters) |
| Striped bass |
Striped, white and hybrid bass |
Striped bass and bodie bass (inland) Striped bass (coastal): set each year |
| Red drum (redfish) |
Red drum |
Red drum |
| Spotted seatrout |
14" minimum; bag 15 |
14" to 20"; 1 over 26" allowed; bag 3 |
| Flounder |
12" minimum; bag 15 |
Southern flounder: set each year |
| Cobia |
36" fork length; bag 1 (6 per boat) |
Cobia: set each year |
Questions
Is a Georgia fishing license valid in North Carolina?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Savannah, Tugaloo and Chattooga rivers and their lakes (South Carolina); Lake Chatuge (North Carolina); Chatuge Reservoir (Georgia).
Which is cheaper for visitors, Georgia or North Carolina?
1 day (fresh water): Georgia $10, North Carolina $29. 1 year (fresh water): Georgia $50, North Carolina $56.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Georgia and North Carolina?
You need a license from age 16 in Georgia and in North Carolina.