How to Get a Hunting Licence in Alberta
Alberta hunting licences: the WiN number, the Alberta hunter education course, the $35 wildlife certificate, species licences, and the June draw.
How to Get a Fishing Licence in Alberta
Alberta sportfishing licences: the WiN number, AlbertaRELM purchase, 2026 fees from $27 to $87, and the walleye Special Harvest Licence.
Applies in: Alberta
Alberta has one main recreational fishing licence, the Sportfishing Licence, and one number that unlocks it: your Wildlife Identification Number, or WiN. Everything runs through AlbertaRELM, the province's online licensing system, or through a private licence issuer in your community. This guide walks through the WiN, the licence types and fees, and the extra walleye licence that applies in some waters.
Step 1: Get a Wildlife Identification Number
Before purchasing any licence, you must hold a valid Wildlife Identification Number (WiN). The WiN is a permanent 10-digit number used for all hunting and fishing licences, draws, and wildlife certificates in Alberta. Apply for your WiN at the same time you purchase your licence: online at AlbertaRELM, through the AlbertaRELM app, or at any licence issuer. A one-time WiN activation fee applies when you register; the current amount is shown in AlbertaRELM at checkout, because the fee stated on the province's own pages differs between the fishing regulations, the hunting regulations fee table, and the AlbertaRELM licence information page.
Step 2: Work out your residency category
Licence fees are based on where you live. Anglers are classified as Residents, Resident Veterans, Canadian Non-residents, or Non-resident Aliens. A Resident is an individual who makes their home in Alberta and is ordinarily present in Alberta, and who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, has lived in Canada for the 12 months immediately preceding the relevant date, or is on full-time service with the Canadian Armed Forces and would be eligible to vote in Alberta. A Canadian Non-resident lives in another province or territory, and a Non-resident Alien is a person who is neither an Alberta resident nor a Canadian non-resident.
Step 3: Check whether you need a licence at all
All persons sportfishing in Alberta are required to hold an Alberta Sportfishing Licence, except youths under 16 years of age, Alberta residents aged 65 and older, and First Nations persons as defined under the federal Indian Act. Even if you do not need a licence, the fishing regulations still apply to you. Alberta resident Canadian Armed Forces veterans are eligible for a free sportfishing licence: update and confirm your WiN profile status by providing approved identification, such as a Veteran Service Card, CAF 74, NDI 75, or CFOne "V", on the AlbertaRELM website or at a licence issuer, and carry the veteran licence and your approved veteran identification when sportfishing.
Step 4: Pick an annual or limited licence and pay the fee
Fees are in Canadian dollars and do not include the 5 percent federal Goods and Services Tax. An Alberta resident aged 16 to 64 pays $30.00 for an annual sportfishing licence. A Canadian resident from outside Alberta aged 16 or older pays $62.00 for an annual licence, $43.00 for a limited 7-day licence, or $27.00 for a limited 1-day licence. A non-resident from outside Canada aged 16 or older pays $87.00 for an annual licence, $57.00 for 7 days, or $29.00 for 1 day. Youth under 16 in any category need no licence. Resident anglers aged 65 and older need no licence either, but non-resident seniors still pay the full annual fee for their category.
Step 5: Add a walleye Special Harvest Licence if you plan to keep walleye
A standard sportfishing licence does not let you keep walleye everywhere. For the 2026 angling season, all Special Harvest Licences in Classes A, B, and C are available for direct purchase by eligible Alberta resident anglers on a first-come, first-served basis, until waterbody and class quotas are reached. They went on sale online at AlbertaRELM and at licence issuers starting April 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. MT. The walleye Special Harvest Licence costs $12.00. When purchasing one, you must have pre-numbered Government of Alberta paper tags before you begin your purchase; order tags through the Contact Us page on AlbertaRELM, the AlbertaRELM Help Desk at 1-888-944-5494, or in person at a Fish and Wildlife District Office or a licence issuer. Check the current Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations for which waters require a Special Harvest Licence.
Step 6: Buy in AlbertaRELM or at a licence issuer, and carry your licence
Recreational fishing licences are sold online through AlbertaRELM or through private licence issuers in communities throughout the province, including sporting goods stores, convenience stores, and gas stations. Licence issuers confirm your eligibility online and print licences and tags at the point of sale. Costs are the same online or at an issuer, with no service fees added. All purchased licences can be reprinted at a licence issuer for a $2.00 fee or online at no charge. If you lose a tag, bring your licence to a Fish and Wildlife District Office and complete a statutory declaration to authorize the replacement. Fishing in a national park in Alberta needs a separate national park fishing licence; the provincial licence is not valid there.
Figures the opened official pages do not state
The opened My Wild Alberta page states the licence fees, the WiN requirement, and the Special Harvest Licence rules set out above. It does not state a single WiN activation fee: the Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations states a one-time $8.00 fee, the Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations fee table lists WiN activation at $10, and the AlbertaRELM licence information page states a one-time $12.00 fee for a virtual WiN. No single figure was asserted in this guide; confirm the current amount in AlbertaRELM when you register. The opened pages also do not state the licence-year start and end dates, so no licence validity dates are asserted here.
Related guides:
- How to get a fishing licence in Ontario: Ontario's separate provincial system, with its OUTDOORS Card and Sport or Conservation licence.
- How to get a fishing licence in British Columbia: BC's freshwater licence through WILD and the separate federal tidal licence from DFO.
The Alberta fishing licence path
- Get a Wildlife Identification NumberA permanent 10-digit WiN is required before you can buy any licence or apply on a draw
- Work out your residency categoryResident, Canadian non-resident, or non-resident alien, with different fees for each
- Pick an annual or limited licenceResident annual licence $30.00 for ages 16 to 64; non-resident annual licences $62.00 and $87.00
- Add a walleye Special Harvest Licence if neededA $12.00 Special Harvest Licence is needed to keep walleye where one applies
- Buy in AlbertaRELM or at a licence issuerBuy online at AlbertaRELM or in person at more than 300 private licence issuers
- Carry your licence while fishingReprint a lost licence online at no charge, or at an issuer for a $2.00 fee
Questions people ask
Do I need a fishing licence in Alberta?
Yes, almost everyone does. All persons sportfishing in Alberta are required to hold an Alberta Sportfishing Licence, except youths under 16, Alberta residents aged 65 and older, and First Nations persons as defined under the federal Indian Act. Alberta resident Canadian Armed Forces veterans are eligible for a free sportfishing licence.
What is a WiN, and do I need one before I buy a licence?
A WiN is a Wildlife Identification Number, a permanent 10-digit number that identifies you in Alberta's licensing system. You must hold a valid WiN before purchasing any licence or applying on a draw. You can apply for your WiN at the same time you purchase your licence in AlbertaRELM, through the AlbertaRELM app, or at any licence issuer.
How much does an Alberta fishing licence cost?
Fees do not include the 5 percent federal Goods and Services Tax. An Alberta resident aged 16 to 64 pays $30.00 for an annual licence. A Canadian resident from outside Alberta pays $62.00 for an annual licence, $43.00 for a 7-day licence, or $27.00 for a 1-day licence. A non-resident from outside Canada pays $87.00 for an annual licence, $57.00 for 7 days, or $29.00 for 1 day.
Where do I buy an Alberta fishing licence?
Buy online through AlbertaRELM, or in person through a private licence issuer such as a sporting goods store, convenience store, or gas station. Licence issuers can confirm your eligibility online and print licences and tags at the point of sale. Costs are the same online or at an issuer, with no service fees added.
Do I need anything extra to keep walleye?
Yes, in waters where a Special Harvest Licence applies. For the 2026 angling season, Special Harvest Licences for walleye in Classes A, B, and C are available for direct purchase by eligible Alberta resident anglers on a first-come, first-served basis until waterbody or class quotas are reached. The walleye Special Harvest Licence costs $12.00, and you must have pre-numbered Government of Alberta paper tags before you begin your purchase.
What if I lose my licence?
All purchased licences can be reprinted either at a licence issuer for a $2.00 fee or online at no charge. For a lost or destroyed tag, you must bring your licence and complete a statutory declaration at a Fish and Wildlife District Office to authorize the replacement.
Sources
- My Wild Alberta, Fishing Licences and Fees — who needs a licence, the WiN requirement, the residency definitions, the 2026 licence fees, the walleye Special Harvest Licence rules, and where to buy.
- Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations, Licensing — the WiN requirement, the licence fee table, the free CAF veteran licence, and the reprint rules.
- Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations, Licence Costs — the WiN activation fee as listed in the province's hunting licence fee table.