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How to Get a Fishing Licence in Ontario

Get a fishing licence in Ontario: the OUTDOORS Card, Sport and Conservation licences, 2026 fees for Ontario residents, and where to buy them.

Written November 4, 2026 · 11 min read

Applies in: Ontario

This guide covers getting a recreational fishing licence in Ontario. It is about the licence only: the OUTDOORS Card, the Sport and Conservation licences, the fees, and where to buy them. It states no season dates and no catch limits, because those vary by Fisheries Management Zone, species and waterbody, and it does not cover hunting. Hunting in Ontario uses the same OUTDOORS Card but a different licence, a different education requirement and tags; that process is set out in the companion hunting guide linked below, and the two licences' steps are never interchangeable.

Most people require a recreational fishing licence or deemed licence to legally fish in Ontario, as stated in the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary. To hunt and fish in Ontario, you need a valid OUTDOORS Card and a valid hunting or fishing licence, according to the Get an Outdoors Card and licence summary page.

Step 1: Check whether you need to buy a licence at all

Start here, because several groups fish under a deemed licence instead of buying one. Under the deemed-licence rules in the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary, a person carrying the specified documents while fishing may use them as a fishing licence, and catch and possession limits for a sport fishing licence apply in these situations:

  • Ontario and Canadian residents who are under 18 or 65 years of age or older, carrying a licence, permit, certificate or identification card issued by a federal, provincial or territorial government of Canada that shows their name and date of birth.
  • A person who has been issued an accessible parking permit under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, or a Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) national identity card, regardless of residency.
  • A person who requires the direct assistance of another person to fish and follow the law because of a disability defined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. The accompanying person needs no licence if only assisting, but must hold one if they fish themselves.
  • Ontario residents who are active members or veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, using a Canadian Forces Identification Card, Record of Service Card or Canadian Armed Forces Veteran's Service Card.

Indigenous community members exercising an Aboriginal or treaty right generally do not require an OUTDOORS Card and Ontario fishing licence when fishing for food, social or ceremonial purposes within their traditional or treaty territory, and should be prepared to provide identification showing community membership if requested by a conservation officer. Members fishing outside their traditional or treaty area must hold a valid fishing licence and follow the corresponding seasons, limits and gear restrictions, unless they have permission from a First Nation to fish within that First Nation's traditional or treaty territory.

Ontario and Canadian residents also get four free fishing periods each year, listed in the summary for 2026 as Family Fishing Weekend (February 14 to 16, 2026), Mother's Day Weekend (May 9 to 10, 2026), Father's Day Weekend (June 20 to 21, 2026) and Ontario Family Fishing Week (June 27 to July 5, 2026). During those periods anglers must carry government-issued identification and follow catch and possession limits for conservation licences. Check the current year's dates before relying on them, since the dates change each year.

Step 2: Work out your residency category

Your residency category decides which fee table applies. The Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary defines the categories as follows:

  • Ontario resident: a person whose primary residence is in Ontario and who has lived in Ontario for at least six consecutive months during the 12 months immediately before applying for a licence. This also includes a member or civilian employee of the RCMP or Canadian Armed Forces, or their immediate family, stationed and residing in Ontario for at least one month.
  • Canadian resident: a person who is not an Ontario resident, whose primary residence is in any part of Canada and who has lived in Canada for at least six consecutive months during the 12 months immediately before applying.
  • Non-Canadian resident: a person who is neither an Ontario nor a Canadian resident.

Most non-Canadian residents require an OUTDOORS Card and recreational fishing licence, including those 65 years of age or older. Non-Canadian residents under 18 may fish without a card and licence if accompanied by a person who has a valid Ontario recreational fishing licence, with any fish kept counting toward that person's limit, or they may buy their own card and licence to have their own limits.

Step 3: Choose a Sport or Conservation licence

Ontario sells two types of recreational fishing licence, described in the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary:

  • Sport fishing licence: for anglers who want full catch and possession fishing privileges. In the summary, S refers to limits under a Sport licence, such as S-4 for a catch and possession limit of 4.
  • Conservation fishing licence: a reduced catch and possession limit licence, ideal for anglers who want to live-release the majority of fish caught. In the summary, C refers to limits under a Conservation licence, such as C-2 for a limit of 2.

Both licence types are sold as 1-year and 3-year licences. A 1-day Sport licence is also sold, and it does not require an OUTDOORS Card. All fishing licence products are issued on a calendar-year basis from January 1 to December 31: regardless of the date of purchase, a 1-year licence expires on December 31 of the year printed on the licence, and a 3-year licence expires on December 31 of its third year. Your OUTDOORS Card, licence and licence summary are not transferable to another person.

Step 4: Buy the OUTDOORS Card and licence

An OUTDOORS Card is a plastic, wallet-sized identification card issued by the ministry that allows you to hunt or fish, valid for three calendar years, and you must carry it at all times while hunting or fishing, according to the Get an Outdoors Card and licence summary page. You can buy or renew your OUTDOORS Card online using the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service, by phone at 1-800-288-1155, at a licence issuer, or at a participating ServiceOntario location. To buy, renew or replace a card you need to provide your legal first, middle and last name, date of birth, mailing and residential address, height and eye colour, and parental consent for resident hunters aged 12 to 15.

The cost to buy, renew or replace a lost, stolen or damaged OUTDOORS Card is $8.57 plus HST. You can pay by VISA, VISA debit, MasterCard or Debit Mastercard; American Express is not accepted. The card is sent by mail and may take up to 20 days to arrive. While you wait, carry your licence summary, given to you when you purchased the card, as temporary proof of purchase, so you can go fishing immediately before the card arrives. If you buy a 1-year or 3-year fishing licence at the same time you renew or buy an OUTDOORS Card, the licence is printed on the back of the card. A licence summary is provided each time you purchase a licence, lists all your valid licences, and must be carried when you fish unless your licence is listed on the back of your OUTDOORS Card. A digital licence summary must be the PDF provided by the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service; a photograph or screenshot is not valid, and you are responsible for keeping your device charged and protected so it can be shown to a conservation officer.

Note the system change under way at the time of writing: the Outdoors Card page states that the current fishing and hunting licensing system will be unavailable from December 7 to 9, 2026 while Ontario transitions to FishHuntON, a new system launching December 10, 2026, and that starting December 10, 2026, OUTDOORS Card renewals will be available in FishHuntON. Plan a purchase or renewal around those dates, and check the page for the current buying route.

Step 5: Pay the 2026 fee for your category

The 2026 annual licence fees are in effect until December 31, 2026, and all products with a fee are subject to 13% HST, according to the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary:

  • OUTDOORS Card (all residency categories): $8.57.
  • Ontario residents: 3-year Sport $79.71; 1-year Sport $26.57; 1-day Sport $12.21, with no OUTDOORS Card needed, valid for one calendar day starting at 12:00 a.m.; 3-year Conservation $45.21; 1-year Conservation $15.07.
  • Canadian residents: 3-year Sport $167.43; 1-year Sport $55.81; 1-day Sport $15.21, with no OUTDOORS Card needed; 3-year Conservation $100.29; 1-year Conservation $33.43.
  • Non-Canadian residents: 3-year Sport $249.57; 1-year Sport $83.19; 1-day Sport $24.86, with no OUTDOORS Card needed; 8-day Sport $54.38; 3-year Conservation $158.13; 1-year Conservation $52.71; 8-day Conservation $31.52.

A 3-year Sport or Conservation licence can also be purchased through the automated telephone line at 1-800-288-1155 when renewing your OUTDOORS Card. Notify the ministry within 10 days of any change to your name, contact information, address or residency, by calling 1-800-387-7011 or through the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service. If your card, licence or licence summary is lost or stolen, you can reprint your licence summary online at no charge or order a replacement plastic card for a fee.

Step 6: Check your zone before you fish

Ontario is divided into 20 Fisheries Management Zones, and the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary sets out, for each zone, the zone-wide seasons and limits, species exceptions, waterbody exceptions, bait restrictions and fish sanctuaries, plus general regulations that apply in all zones. Find your zone on the zone map, then read that zone's section before you fish. The summary states plainly that it is a convenient reference only, neither a legal document nor a complete collection of the current laws, so for the current rules refer to the federal Fisheries Act, Ontario Fishery Regulations and the provincial Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and regulations. If a conservation officer asks, present your OUTDOORS Card and licence summary as described in Step 4.

Related guides:

Getting a fishing licence in Ontario, in five steps

  1. Check whether you need a licence at allMost people need an OUTDOORS Card and a fishing licence, but Ontario and Canadian residents under 18 or 65 and older can use government ID showing name and date of birth as a deemed licence.
  2. Work out your residency categoryAn Ontario resident has a primary residence in Ontario and has lived there for at least six consecutive months in the 12 months before applying.
  3. Choose Sport or ConservationA Sport licence gives full catch and possession privileges; a Conservation licence gives reduced limits and suits anglers who live-release most of their catch.
  4. Buy the OUTDOORS Card and licenceBuy online through the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service, by phone, at a licence issuer or at a participating ServiceOntario location.
  5. Carry the card and licence summary, and check your zoneCarry your OUTDOORS Card at all times while fishing, carry your licence summary unless the licence is printed on the card, and check the seasons and limits for your Fisheries Management Zone.

Questions people ask

Do I need an OUTDOORS Card to fish in Ontario?

In most cases, yes. To hunt and fish in Ontario you need a valid OUTDOORS Card and a valid hunting or fishing licence, and you must carry the card at all times while fishing. The exceptions are the deemed-licence cases set out in this guide, such as Ontario and Canadian residents under 18 or 65 and older who carry government-issued identification showing their name and date of birth, and a 1-day sport fishing licence, which does not require an OUTDOORS Card.

What is the difference between a Sport and a Conservation fishing licence?

A Sport fishing licence gives full catch and possession fishing privileges, marked S in the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary, such as S-4 for a catch and possession limit of 4. A Conservation fishing licence gives reduced catch and possession limits, marked C, and suits anglers who want to live-release the majority of fish caught. The two licences follow the same seasons; only the limits differ. Both are sold as 1-year and 3-year licences for Ontario residents, and a 1-day Sport licence is also sold.

How much does an Ontario resident pay for a fishing licence in 2026?

The 2026 fees for Ontario residents, in effect until December 31, 2026 and subject to 13% HST, are $26.57 for a 1-year Sport licence, $79.71 for a 3-year Sport licence, $12.21 for a 1-day Sport licence, $15.07 for a 1-year Conservation licence and $45.21 for a 3-year Conservation licence. The OUTDOORS Card costs $8.57 plus HST to buy, renew or replace. Canadian residents and non-Canadian residents pay higher fees, listed in this guide from the same Ontario page.

How long does an OUTDOORS Card last, and what do I do while I wait for it?

An OUTDOORS Card is valid for three calendar years, and the renewal period starts in December every year. The card is sent by mail and may take up to 20 days to arrive. While you wait, carry your licence summary, given to you when you purchased the card, as temporary proof of purchase, which means you can go fishing immediately before the card arrives. A licence summary can be carried on paper or in digital format, but a digital copy must be the PDF provided by the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service, not a photograph or screenshot.

Do children or seniors need a fishing licence in Ontario?

Ontario and Canadian residents under 18 or 65 years of age or older do not need to purchase a fishing licence. They can carry a licence, permit, certificate or identification card issued by a federal, provincial or territorial government showing their name and date of birth and use it as a fishing licence, and sport fishing licence catch and possession limits apply in those cases. Non-Canadian residents aged 65 or older still need an OUTDOORS Card and a recreational fishing licence. Non-Canadian residents under 18 may fish without a card and licence only when accompanied by a person holding a valid Ontario recreational fishing licence, and any fish kept count toward that person's limit.

Where do I find the seasons and catch limits for where I plan to fish?

In the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary, which divides Ontario into 20 Fisheries Management Zones and sets out zone-wide seasons and limits, species exceptions, waterbody exceptions, bait restrictions and fish sanctuaries. This guide states no season or limit figure, because seasons and limits vary by zone, species and waterbody. Read the section for your zone before you fish, and treat the summary as a convenient reference only, not a legal document.

Keep going

Sources

No figure in this guide was carried from a secondary source. The following were cut because they could not be verified on an opened Ontario page: the steps for creating an online Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service account; any season date or catch limit for any species, zone or waterbody; the 2027 free fishing dates; and whether a 1-day licence can be bought through every channel listed in Step 4. Check the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary for your zone and the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service for the current buying steps before relying on any of those points.

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