Florida Saltwater Fishing License: Cost, Shoreline and Snook Permits
A Florida saltwater fishing license is required to take or attempt to take saltwater fish, crabs, clams, marine plants or other saltwater organisms, and to land saltwater species in Florida even if you caught them in federal waters. The annual price matches freshwater: $17 resident, $47 non-resident. A visiting angler should buy the $17 3-day or $30 7-day instead of the annual unless they will be back.
| Item | Resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Saltwater annual | $17 | $47 |
| 3-day saltwater | Not sold | $17 |
| 7-day saltwater | Not sold | $30 |
| Freshwater + saltwater combo | $32.50 | Not sold |
| Resident five-year saltwater | $79 | Resident only |
| Shoreline-only saltwater | No cost | Not listed as free |
| Snook permit | $10 | $10 |
| Spiny lobster permit | $5 | $5 |
| Tarpon tag (to land) | $51.50 | $51.50 |
What a Florida saltwater fishing license costs
Resident annual is $17. Resident five-year is $79. Non-resident annual is $47, 3-day is $17, 7-day is $30. FWC's published prices include the statutory issuance fee. A license agent may add 50 cents, and online or phone orders add a handling fee. All sales are final.
Residents who also fish lakes and rivers can buy the $32.50 freshwater and saltwater combo, or the $48 combo that adds hunting. The Gold Sportsman's license at $100 folds saltwater, freshwater, hunting and the common stamps into one resident product.
Shoreline-only saltwater
Florida residents can get a no-cost shoreline-only saltwater license. It is valid from the shoreline or a structure attached to shore. It is not valid from a boat, from a shoreline you reached by boat, or if you are swimming or diving to take fish. If you will never leave a beach, pier or jetty, take that option at Go Outdoors Florida before you pay $17 for a full saltwater license. Non-resident shoreline is not listed as a free product on the FWC fee page.
Snook, lobster and tarpon add-ons
A snook permit is $10 annual ($50 for a resident five-year) on top of the saltwater license, including shoreline fishing, when you take or try to take snook. Check the current closed seasons before you buy it. Sales are final even if that zone is closed. A spiny lobster permit is $5 annual ($25 resident five-year). A tarpon tag is $51.50 and is required to land tarpon. It is sold at tax collector offices only. Reef-fish designation and shore-based shark fishing permits are no-cost but still required for those activities.
Piers, boats and who is exempt
Some public piers hold their own recreational vessel or pier license, so an individual fishing from that pier may not need a personal saltwater license. Read the sign on the pier. Charter and headboat customers are often covered by the boat's license. Kids, certain seniors and other exemption classes are listed on the FWC page and change, so do not assume the rule from another state.
How to buy
Go Outdoors Florida (gooutdoorsflorida.com) sells saltwater licenses online. You can also buy by phone, at a tax collector office, at a license agent, or in the Fish/Hunt FL app. Buy from FWC's system, not a third-party "license service."
Start from the Florida fishing license page for the base license, or compare non-resident hunting and non-resident fishing fees across states. Official source: FWC saltwater recreational licenses .