Licensed for Fun

Ohio has a fishing license for every type of angler

Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard

A fisherman waits for a fish to bite on Grand Lake near West Bank Road on Thursday afternoon.

CELINA - Crappie are definitely spawning in Grand Lake, according to at least one Mercer County official, but before reaching for a fishing pole and heading out to a favorite fishing hole, make sure you first have a fishing license.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife offers many options when it comes to fishing licenses, including a lifetime license that when purchased removes all hassles for, well, the rest of an angler's life.

"Many of the people who hunt, fish, or trap here in Ohio have been doing it for their entire lives. They have no plans to stop," Brian Plasters with ODNR said in an email to The Daily Standard. "Offering a lifetime license gives that person the knowledge that they can continue to pursue these activities lawfully while also supporting conservation. Whether people enjoy fishing for walleye, saugeye, or bass, or hunting deer, waterfowl, rabbits, or squirrels, a lifetime license means they can continue to enjoy the outdoors for many years to come."

Plasters said lifetime and multi-year licenses were introduced in the fall of 2018 following the enactment of Senate Bill 257.

ODNR offers multiple fishing licensing options, from a resident one-day license at $14 to a resident lifetime license for $599.04. The cost of a lifetime license is significantly lower for a senior at $84.24 and about 33% less when purchased for a youth before their 16th birthday - $430.56.

Mercer County Commissioner Brian Miller told the newspaper that now is the time to hit up the lake for crappie. He said he likes the option of purchasing permits and/or licenses that are good for extended periods of time, whether it be a driver's license or a fishing license.

But the former Southwest District park manager for Ohio State Parks and Watercraft said at his age, it makes sense to purchase a five-year fishing license.

Currently, a resident one-year license is $25, a three-year license is $72.11, a five-year license is $120.18, a 10-year license is $240.36, and the good-until-your-last-breath lifetime license is $599.04.

The prices are substantially less for resident seniors - one-year license, $10; three-year license, $27.04; five-year license, $45.07 and lifetime license, $84.24.

Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard

The cost of a resident lifetime fishing license is $599.04. The cost of a lifetime license is significantly lower for a senior at $84.24 and about 33% less when purchased for a youth before their 16th birthday - $430.56.

"A lifetime or multiyear license offers customers the flexibility of purchasing a license at a reduced fee, saving time and money," Plasters said. "It also allows the customer to show his or her support for the Division of Wildlife and the future of conservation. The division, meanwhile, benefits from more stable funding provided by a longer-term purchase."

Ohio's total number of fishing licenses - including residential, nonresidential, one-day, multi-day and lifetime licenses - has dropped from 885,641 in 2016-17 to 709,753 in 2025-26. However, since 2018-19, lifetime fishing licenses have climbed from 636 in 2018-19 to 4,076 in 2025-26.

"Customers may purchase online, through the agency's mobile app HuntFish OH, at one of 950 license agents located throughout the state, or through the operator assist line for an additional $5.50 fee," Plasters said.

Additionally, similar to other state-issued licenses, hunting and fishing licenses must be purchased by the individual, not gifted or purchased by someone else - save for youth customers, Plasters noted.

"However, we do see customers purchasing gift certificates and giving those to individuals, some of which are to be used toward the purchase of multiyear and lifetime licenses," he said.

The overwhelming majority of the Ohio Division of Wildlife's roughly $85 million budget comes not from the state's general fund, but from hunting and fishing license fees and federal funds. A key part of the federal funding is a unique mechanism supporting fisheries and anglers called the Sport Fish Restoration program.

Fishing is a $2.2 billion industry in Ohio, chief of the Division of Wildlife Kendra Wecker said in April 2025 during the 2025 Sport Fish Restoration Partner with a Payer event at the St. Marys State Fish Hatchery.

Fishing license sales in 2023-24 provided 20% or $18.5 million of the agency's total revenue, helping fund fish stocking, habitat improvement, fishing access efforts and population monitoring, Wecker said.

"Stocking fish enhances angler opportunities throughout the state and helps support a $2.2 billion economy in the state. I think people don't always think about that, but fishing generates for Ohio $2.2 billion - with a B," she said.

Additional support is made available through the Sport Fish Restoration program, which provides funds to fish and wildlife agencies of the states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories for fishery projects, boating access and aquatic education. It was created in 1950, with the passing of the Sport Fish Restoration Act - also known as the Dingell-Johnson Act, according to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Modeled after the successful Wildlife Restoration Act, the Sport Fish Restoration Act dedicated permanent funding for fishery conservation.

Revenue comes from manufacturers' excise taxes on sport fishing equipment, import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats, and the portion of the gasoline fuel tax attributable to small engines and motorboats.

Licenses and permits

SOURCE: Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife