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Pick your trip and we'll work out the cheapest licenses to buy, including any required stamps.
Licenses and prices
Checked Nov 4, 2026Prices for 2026. Listed prices are base fees; agent and transaction fees are added to every purchase.
How long annual licenses last: One-year licenses run 365 days from purchase. Official source
Non-residents (visitors)
| License | Water | Length | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age-limited licenses | ||||
| Non-resident fishing license (1 year) Ages 16+ | Fresh | Annual | $75 | Official source |
| Non-resident one-day fishing license Ages 16+ | Fresh | 1 day | $10 | Official source |
| Non-resident five-day fishing license Ages 16+ | Fresh | 5 days | $25 | Official source |
Residents
| License | Water | Length | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident lifetime fishing license | Fresh | Lifetime | $500 |
By mailed, notarized application. Or 8 quarterly payments of $69. Official source |
| Age-limited licenses | ||||
| Resident fishing license (1 year) Ages 16–64 | Fresh | Annual | $25 | Official source |
| Resident one-day fishing license Ages 16–64 | Fresh | 1 day | $3.50 | Official source |
| Resident fishing license (5 years) Ages 16–64 | Fresh | 5 years | $100 | Official source |
| Senior resident fishing license (65-74, 1 year) Ages 65–74 | Fresh | Annual | $15 | Official source |
| Senior resident fishing license (65-74, 5 years) Ages 65–74 | Fresh | 5 years | $50 | Official source |
| Special licenses (conditions apply; not used by the calculator) | ||||
| Resident youth multi-year fishing license (16-20) Ages 16–20 | Fresh | Annual | $40 |
Only for: Ages 16-20; valid until December 31 of the year you turn 21. Official source |
| Resident hunting and fishing combination (1 year) | Fresh | Annual | $45 |
Only for: Includes hunting. Shown for hunters; the calculator quotes the fishing license. Official source |
Extra stamps and permits
Checked Nov 4, 2026-
Trout permit (16+)
$17.50Fishing for trout at designated trout waters during the trout season. Youth 15 and under: $4.50.
Everyone Official source
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Three-pole permit
$6Fishing with a third pole.
Everyone Official source
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Paddlefish permit
$10Snagging paddlefish. Includes 6 carcass tags.
Everyone Official source
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Handfishing permit
$25Handfishing (noodling) for flathead catfish. Expires December 31.
Everyone Official source
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Black bass tournament pass
$12Bass tournament anglers.
Everyone Official source
Who doesn't need a license
Checked Nov 4, 2026-
Anyone 15 or younger
Fresh Everyone Official source
-
Kansas residents aged 75 or over
Fresh Residents Official source
-
Non-residents fishing a private pond that isn't leased for public fishing
Fresh Non-residents · check this applies to you Official source
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Active Kansas National Guard members, disabled veterans rated 30% or more, and resident tribal members (free one-year license)
Fresh Residents · check this applies to you Official source
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Anyone, on Kansas Free Fishing Days
Fresh Everyone Official source
Fishing licenses from other states aren't valid in Kansas, except under the border-water agreements below.
Free fishing days
Checked Nov 4, 2026Dates can move, and some free days are for residents only. Confirm with KDWP before you go.
Next dates not yet announced. Check the official page.
The rule: One weekend in early June, set by KDWP.
Anyone may fish by legal means without a license. Length and creel limits still apply.
Residents and visitors
Checked Nov 4, 2026- Who counts as a resident
- You count as a Kansas resident for a fishing license if Kansas has been your permanent home for the 60 days immediately before you buy. (at least 60 days)
- Military
- Active-duty members of the armed forces who joined up while living in Kansas can buy resident licenses. So can non-residents on active duty stationed in Kansas, who must carry evidence of active duty with the license while fishing. Active members of the Kansas Army or Air National Guard can get free fishing and hunting licenses.
- Students
- Non-resident students attending school in Kansas can buy resident fishing licenses. They must carry proof of enrollment while fishing.
How to buy a Kansas fishing license
Checked Nov 4, 2026Sold online, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app and at license vendors.
- Online
- Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks license sales
- Phone
- 1-833-587-2164
- App
- GoOutdoorsKS
Licenses are sold online, in the GoOutdoorsKS app, by phone (toll-free, 6am to 9pm) and at more than 600 license vendors. KDWP suggests calling a vendor first to check it's open.
Charters, guides and piers
Checked Nov 4, 2026Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license.
Kansas is landlocked, so this is about fishing guides. Kansas scrapped its licensing rules for commercial guides from 1 January 2006, and no guide license covers clients. Guided anglers follow the general rule: residents aged 16 to 74 and non-residents 16 and over need their own license unless exempt. In 2016 KDWPT said commercial guiding of anglers is banned on state fishing lakes it owns, but allowed on federal reservoirs.
Charter rules depend on the boat and where you fish. Ask the captain, and check KDWP's rules before you book.
Border waters
Missouri River (Missouri)
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
Seasons and limits
Checked Nov 4, 2026Limits change, and many lakes, rivers and coastal areas have their own rules. Check KDWP's current rules before you keep a fish.
Statewide creel and length limits. Many lakes have their own limits. Limits shown are daily creel limits.
| Species | Where | Size | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bass Fresh Also: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass |
Statewide | 15" minimum | 5 in total | – |
| Official source Largemouth bass limits in other states | ||||
| Crappie Fresh | Statewide | – | 50 | – |
| Official source Crappie limits in other states | ||||
| Walleye, sauger and saugeye Fresh | Statewide | 15" minimum (not in rivers, streams and tailwaters) | 5 in total | – |
| Official source Walleye limits in other states | ||||
| White bass Fresh | Statewide | – | No limit | – |
| Official source | ||||
| Wiper (hybrid striped bass) Fresh | Statewide | – | 5 | – |
| Official source Striped bass limits in other states | ||||
| Striped bass Fresh | Statewide | – | 5 | – |
| Official source Striped bass limits in other states | ||||
| Channel catfish Fresh | Statewide | – | 10 | – |
| Official source Catfish limits in other states | ||||
| Blue catfish Fresh | Statewide | – | 5 | – |
| Official source Catfish limits in other states | ||||
| Flathead catfish Fresh | Statewide | – | 5 | – |
| Official source Catfish limits in other states | ||||
| Rainbow and brown trout Fresh | Statewide | – | 5 in total | – |
| A trout permit is needed at designated trout waters during the trout season. Official source Trout limits in other states | ||||
| Paddlefish Fresh | Statewide | – | 2 | – |
| Paddlefish permit needed. Official source | ||||
| Northern pike Fresh | Statewide | 30" minimum | 2 | – |
| Official source Northern pike limits in other states | ||||
Compare Kansas with other states
Neighboring states, side by side: prices, age rules, free days and shared waters.
Questions
Do I need a fishing license in Kansas?
Yes, if you are 16 or older and fish public waters in Kansas, unless an exemption applies. No license is needed for: Anyone 15 or younger; Kansas residents aged 75 or over.
How much is a non-resident fishing license in Kansas?
For an adult fishing fresh water, the cheapest options for 2026 are $10 for one day (Non-resident one-day fishing license); $45 for seven days (Non-resident five-day fishing license, 2 x Non-resident one-day fishing license); $75 for a year (Non-resident fishing license (1 year)). Listed prices are base fees; agent and transaction fees are added to every purchase.
Do seniors need a fishing license in Kansas?
Senior options for residents: Free (fresh): Kansas residents aged 75 or over. Non-resident seniors pay the normal non-resident prices.
How do I get a fishing license in Kansas?
Buy it from Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks: Sold online, in the Go Outdoors Kansas app and at license vendors.
Do I need a license to fish on a charter in Kansas?
Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license. Kansas is landlocked, so this is about fishing guides. Kansas scrapped its licensing rules for commercial guides from 1 January 2006, and no guide license covers clients. Guided anglers follow the general rule: residents aged 16 to 74 and non-residents 16 and over need their own license unless exempt. In 2016 KDWPT said commercial guiding of anglers is banned on state fishing lakes it owns, but allowed on federal reservoirs.
Sources and checks
Every fact on this page comes from Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks unless it's marked secondary. We use a secondary source only when the official site doesn't show something, and we name it.
- Licenses and prices
- Checked Nov 4, 2026 (prices for 2026)
- Free fishing days
- Checked Nov 4, 2026
- Seasons and limits
- Checked Nov 4, 2026
All 12 source pages
- ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Fishing-Regulations/Fishing-on-the-Missouri-River
- ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Fishing-Regulations/License-Requirements
- ksoutdoors.com/Fishing/Fishing-Regulations/Statewide-Creel-Length-Limits
- ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/News/News-Archive/2005-Weekly-News-Archive/10-27-05/GUIDE-REGULATIONS,-BOAT-FEES-TOP-COMMISSION-ACTION
- ksoutdoors.com/KDWP-Info/News/News-Archive/2016-Weekly-News/7-21-16/Commission-Stops-Commercial-Hunting-Guides-On-Public-Land
- ksoutdoors.com/License-Permits
- ksoutdoors.gov/Fishing/Fishing-FAQ/License-and-Regulation-Questions/Am-I-exempt-from-purchasing-a-fishing-license-because-I-am-in-the-military
- ksoutdoors.gov/fishing/fishing_fees
- ksoutdoors.gov/licenses-permits-fees/fishing-licenses-permit-fees
- mdc.mo.gov/fishing/regulations/reciprocal-fishing-privileges
- www.ksoutdoors.com/License-Permits/KDWP-Mobile-Apps
- www.ksoutdoors.gov/Home/Components/News/News/36/346
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