Kansas vs Missouri fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, Kansas is $2 cheaper than Missouri. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Missouri is $18 cheaper than Kansas. You need a license from age 16 in Kansas and in Missouri.
- 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 | Kansas | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $10 | $9 |
| 3 days | $25 | $27 |
| 7 days | $45 | $57 |
| 1 year | $75 | $57 |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $25 | $14 |
| Prices for | 2026 | 2026 |
Rules side by side
| Kansas | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 16 | 16 |
| Senior residents | Free (fresh): Kansas residents aged 75 or over | Free (fresh): Missouri residents aged 65 or over |
| 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 | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license |
| License on your phone | – | Accepted |
| Annual licenses last | 12 months from purchase | To Last day of February |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Kansas fishing license · Missouri fishing license
Shared waters
Missouri River (Missouri) (Kansas rules)
Anglers with a valid Kansas or Missouri fishing license can fish any flowing part and backwaters of the Missouri River where it forms the Kansas-Missouri border, plus any oxbow lake the river flows through. You can fish from the bank on either side and attach legal gear to it. Tributaries need a license from the state they flow through. Where the two states' rules differ, the stricter one applies. Official source2
Missouri River (Kansas, Nebraska) (Missouri rules)
Missouri permits are honored on the flowing river, adjacent backwaters and shared oxbow lakes, including from the bank. Tributaries are not included. Follow the rules of the state you are in, and the stricter rules when in the other state's waters. Official source
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 | Kansas | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Black bass |
Black bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Black bass |
Black bass |
| Trout |
Rainbow and brown trout |
Rainbow: none. Brown: 15" minimum in streams; bag 4 in total (Statewide; 1 more) |
| Walleye |
Walleye, sauger and saugeye |
Walleye and sauger |
| Crappie |
bag 50 |
None statewide (many lakes 9" to 10"); bag 30 (15 on many lakes) |
| Catfish |
Channel catfish Blue catfish |
Channel catfish Blue catfish |
Questions
Is a Kansas fishing license valid in Missouri?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Missouri River (Missouri); Missouri River (Kansas, Nebraska).
Which is cheaper for visitors, Kansas or Missouri?
1 day (fresh water): Kansas $10, Missouri $9. 1 year (fresh water): Kansas $75, Missouri $57.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Kansas and Missouri?
You need a license from age 16 in Kansas and in Missouri.