Mississippi Fishing License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Mississippi fishing license costs $17 for a resident adult and $60 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).
A standalone Mississippi fishing license makes sense only for anglers who don't hunt: residents who do both are almost always better off buying the $25 All Game Hunting/Freshwater Fishing combo instead of paying for fishing and hunting separately.
- Non-resident 3-day $30
- Sportsman License (all game + fishing + turkey stamp + WMA access), resident $45
Standalone freshwater license for anglers who do not hunt; residents who hunt typically buy the $25 All Game Hunting/Freshwater Fishing combo instead, which is cheaper than the two bought separately. Saltwater fishing needs a separate license ($10 resident/$30 non-resident annual). Anglers under 16 and Mississippi landowners fishing their own water are exempt.
Fee last verified 2026-09-12.
Heading out for Mississippi fishing? Game wardens require carrying physical or digital license proof and valid tags. Equip yourself with a waterproof license and tag pouch, rechargeable wide-beam LED headlamp, and corrosion-resistant multi-tool pliers before your trip.
What a Mississippi fishing license costs
The standalone resident freshwater fishing license is $17; non-residents pay $60, or $30 for a 3-day option. Saltwater fishing needs a separate license: $10 for residents, $30 for non-residents annually, or $15 for a non-resident 3-day. Residents who also hunt should instead consider the $25 All Game Hunting/Freshwater Fishing combo, and anyone wanting everything, hunting, fishing and saltwater, should look at the $45 Sportsman License.
Who needs a license
Anglers under 16 and Mississippi landowners fishing their own water are exempt from needing a license. Everyone else, resident or not, needs the appropriate freshwater or saltwater license before fishing.
License year and deadlines
Mississippi's fishing license year runs July 1 through June 30, the same cycle as hunting licenses, so both can be bought and managed on one renewal schedule.
How to buy your Mississippi fishing license
MDWFP's online portal, mobile app, phone line and roughly 500 statewide agent locations all sell fishing licenses alongside hunting licenses and the various combo options.
Fishing in Mississippi: what to expect
Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson is one of the state's most popular fisheries, known for crappie and largemouth bass close to the state's largest metro area. The Mississippi River and its oxbow lakes and backwaters along the western border hold catfish, crappie and bass in classic river-bottom habitat, while the Gulf Coast around Biloxi and Gulfport opens up speckled trout, redfish and offshore species for anglers who buy the separate saltwater license.
Combo pricing: fishing alone vs. bundled
The math strongly favors bundling in Mississippi: a resident buying the $17 freshwater license separately from a $25 hunting license pays $42 total, more than the $25 All Game Hunting/Freshwater Fishing combo that includes both for less than the freshwater license alone would suggest. Anyone planning to fish saltwater on the Gulf Coast even occasionally should compare the $45 Sportsman License against buying freshwater, saltwater and hunting licenses separately, since the Sportsman License usually wins once more than one activity is in play.
How to renew a Mississippi fishing license
There is no separate renewal process in Mississippi. A fishing license is not extended in place; when it expires you buy a new one for the next license year through the same system you used the first time, and your customer profile, hunter or angler ID and any saved payment details carry over so the second purchase takes a couple of minutes. License year runs July 1 through June 30.
The fastest route is the official Mississippi online licensing portal, which also lets you print or download the new license and add any stamps, tags or endorsements in one transaction. In-person license agents (sporting goods stores, bait shops and, in many states, county clerks) sell the same license at the same price, so use whichever is closer. Buying before the old license lapses is not required, but it avoids an accidental gap if a season opens before you get round to it.
Planning more than one? See the Mississippi hunting license page too, see how much a fishing license costs in every state, compare non-resident fishing fees across states, browse every state, or use the state license finder.