In 2026, the cost of an Ontario fishing license depends on your residency, licence type, and how long you plan to fish. An Ontario resident pays $26.57 for a one-year Sport Fishing Licence or $15.07 for a one-year Conservation Fishing Licence. A non-Canadian resident pays $83.19 for a one-year Sport licence. Most anglers buying a licence longer than one day also need an Outdoors Card, which costs $8.57 and is valid for three calendar years. Ontario adds 13% HST to products with a fee.
Last updated: September 16, 2026. Fees and licensing rules were checked against Ontario’s current 2026 recreational fishing information and the current Fish Licensing regulation. Ontario’s official 2026 fee page was updated August 4, 2026.
If you’re planning more than the licence itself, understanding fishing trip costs by trip type can also help you budget before you go.
Quick Answer
- Ontario residents: $26.57/year for Sport or $15.07/year for Conservation, before HST. Most annual buyers also need an $8.57 Outdoors Card.
- Canadian residents outside Ontario: $55.81/year for Sport or $33.43/year for Conservation, before HST.
- Non-Canadian residents: $83.19/year for Sport or $52.71/year for Conservation. Eight-day Sport and Conservation options are also available.
- One-day licences: Ontario sells a one-day Sport licence; there is no one-day Conservation licence. A one-day Sport licence does not require an Outdoors Card.
- HST: Products with a fee are subject to 13% HST.
- Age exemption: Ontario and Canadian residents under 18 or age 65 and older can generally use qualifying government-issued ID instead of purchasing a recreational fishing licence. This age exemption does not apply to non-Canadian residents age 65 and older.
- Free fishing dates in 2026: February 14–16, May 9–10, June 20–21, and June 27–July 5 for Ontario and Canadian residents.
For a fast buying decision: choose a one-day Sport licence if you will fish for one calendar day; consider a Conservation licence if reduced catch and possession limits suit you; choose a Sport licence for Sport limits; and, if you are a non-Canadian visitor fishing for several consecutive days, compare the eight-day options before buying an annual licence.
Who Needs a Fishing License in Ontario?
Most Ontario and Canadian residents from age 18 through 64 need a valid Outdoors Card and recreational fishing licence to fish in Ontario unless another exemption applies. Your licence can be a Sport Fishing Licence or Conservation Fishing Licence, and the catch and possession limits depend on the licence and the rules for the Fisheries Management Zone and waterbody where you fish.
Ontario and Canadian residents under 18 or age 65 and older generally do not have to purchase an Outdoors Card or recreational fishing licence. Instead, they can carry qualifying government-issued identification showing their name and date of birth. Sport fishing limits apply to this deemed-licence age exemption.
Non-Canadian residents have different age rules. Non-Canadian residents age 65 and older still need a licence unless another specific exemption applies. A non-Canadian resident under 18 may generally fish without purchasing their own licence when accompanied by someone holding a valid Ontario recreational fishing licence; fish kept by the youth count toward the licence holder’s catch and possession limits.
Members of Indigenous communities exercising an established Aboriginal or treaty right generally do not need an Outdoors Card or Ontario recreational fishing licence when fishing for food, social, or ceremonial purposes within their traditional or treaty territory. These rights are community-specific. Someone fishing outside the applicable traditional or treaty area generally needs a valid licence unless they have permission from a First Nation to fish within its traditional territory. See Ontario’s current recreational fishing licence guidance for details.
Ontario and Canadian residents can also fish without purchasing a recreational licence during Ontario’s designated free family fishing periods. The 2026 dates are February 14–16, May 9–10, June 20–21, and June 27–July 5. Government-issued identification is required, and Conservation licence catch and possession limits apply.
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Types of Ontario Fishing Licences
Ontario offers two main recreational fishing licence types: the Sport Fishing Licence and the Conservation Fishing Licence.
A Sport Fishing Licence allows the Sport catch and possession limits shown in Ontario’s fishing regulations. Sport licences are available for one day, one year, or three years. Non-Canadian residents can also purchase an eight-day Sport licence. In Ontario’s regulations, an “S” identifies a Sport limit.
A Conservation Fishing Licence has reduced catch and possession limits. It is available for one year or three years, while non-Canadian residents can also purchase an eight-day Conservation licence. Ontario does not offer a one-day Conservation licence. A “C” identifies a Conservation limit in the regulations.
A Conservation licence can make sense for anglers who expect to retain fewer fish or mostly practice catch-and-release, but you still need to check the exact species and zone rules because a Conservation limit can differ substantially from the corresponding Sport limit.
You need an Outdoors Card for most purchased fishing licences. The one-day Sport licence is the main purchased-licence exception and does not require an Outdoors Card.
Ontario Fishing License Costs
The table below shows Ontario’s listed 2026 fishing licence fees in Canadian dollars before 13% HST. The $8.57 Outdoors Card fee is separate when a valid card is required.
| Licence product | Ontario resident | Canadian resident outside Ontario | Non-Canadian resident | Outdoors Card required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoors Card — valid 3 calendar years | $8.57 | $8.57 | $8.57 | Card itself |
| 1-day Sport | $12.21 | $15.21 | $24.86 | No |
| 8-day Sport | Not offered | Not offered | $54.38 | Yes |
| 8-day Conservation | Not offered | Not offered | $31.52 | Yes |
| 1-year Sport | $26.57 | $55.81 | $83.19 | Yes |
| 1-year Conservation | $15.07 | $33.43 | $52.71 | Yes |
| 3-year Sport | $79.71 | $167.43 | $249.57 | Yes |
| 3-year Conservation | $45.21 | $100.29 | $158.13 | Yes |
You can verify the current official amounts through Ontario’s 2026 recreational fishing licence and fee table or the Hunt & Fish Ontario fee page.
What Will You Actually Pay With HST and a New Outdoors Card?
For licences that require an Outdoors Card, a first-time buyer or someone who needs to renew the card must account for both the licence fee and the $8.57 card before 13% HST. The following examples are calculated from Ontario’s official 2026 base fees:
| Common purchase | Licence fee | New Outdoors Card | Approx. total with 13% HST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario resident — 1-year Sport | $26.57 | $8.57 | $39.71 |
| Ontario resident — 1-year Conservation | $15.07 | $8.57 | $26.71 |
| Canadian resident — 1-year Sport | $55.81 | $8.57 | $72.75 |
| Canadian resident — 1-year Conservation | $33.43 | $8.57 | $47.46 |
| Non-Canadian resident — 8-day Sport | $54.38 | $8.57 | $71.13 |
| Non-Canadian resident — 8-day Conservation | $31.52 | $8.57 | $45.30 |
| Non-Canadian resident — 1-year Sport | $83.19 | $8.57 | $103.69 |
| Non-Canadian resident — 1-year Conservation | $52.71 | $8.57 | $69.25 |
If you already have a valid Outdoors Card, do not add another $8.57 card fee. A one-day Sport licence does not require an Outdoors Card; with 13% HST, the listed one-day fees work out to approximately $13.80 for an Ontario resident, $17.19 for a Canadian resident outside Ontario, and $28.09 for a non-Canadian resident.
One important timing rule: a one-year fishing licence expires December 31 of the year printed on the licence, regardless of when during that year you buy it. A three-year licence expires December 31 of its third year.
You can buy fishing licences through the official Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service, participating licence issuers, or participating ServiceOntario locations.
Residency Definitions for Fishing Licences
Your residency status determines which fee column applies.
An Ontario resident is 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 the licence.
A Canadian resident for Ontario fishing-licensing purposes is someone who is not an Ontario resident, whose primary residence is elsewhere in Canada, and who has lived in Canada for at least six consecutive months during the 12 months immediately before applying.
A non-Canadian resident is someone who is neither an Ontario resident nor a Canadian resident under those definitions.
Special residency rules also cover members or civilian employees of the RCMP or Canadian Armed Forces, and their immediate family members, when they are stationed in Ontario and have resided in Ontario for at least one month.
Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces Exemption
Ontario residents who are active members or veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces can fish without purchasing an Outdoors Card or recreational fishing licence when they carry the qualifying military identification required by Ontario law.
Under the current Fish Licensing regulation effective July 1, 2026, an active member can use a Canadian Forces Identification Card (NDI 20) or Temporary Identification Card (NDI 10). A qualifying veteran can use a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran’s Service Card (NDI 75). Sport fishing limits apply to the deemed licence.
Because identification requirements can be amended, check the current Ontario Fish Licensing regulation before relying on a military document as your fishing licence.
Family Fishing Opportunities and Deemed Licences
Ontario and Canadian residents have four designated periods in 2026 when they can fish in Ontario without purchasing a recreational fishing licence:
- February 14–16: Family Fishing Weekend
- May 9–10: Mother’s Day Weekend
- June 20–21: Father’s Day Weekend
- June 27–July 5: Family Fishing Week
During these free fishing periods, anglers must carry qualifying government-issued identification and follow Conservation Fishing Licence catch and possession limits, along with all other applicable seasons, size limits, sanctuaries, zone rules, and waterbody-specific restrictions.
Free fishing removes the licence-purchase requirement for eligible Ontario and Canadian residents during the designated period; it does not suspend Ontario’s fishing regulations.
Ontario also recognizes several deemed licences. Ontario and Canadian residents under 18 or age 65 and older can use qualifying government-issued identification showing their name and date of birth. Sport limits apply to that age-based deemed licence.
Regardless of residency, a person carrying an Ontario accessible parking permit or a Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) national identity card may qualify to use that document as a deemed fishing licence. Ontario also provides an exemption for a person who needs another person’s direct assistance to fish and follow the law because of a qualifying disability. The assisting person does not need a licence if they are only helping, but they need their own licence if they fish.
If a person uses a black-and-white photocopy or printed version of an Ontario accessible parking permit, Ontario also requires qualifying government-issued identification showing the person’s name and date of birth. Visitors with an out-of-province accessible parking permit should check Ontario’s visitor-permit rules.
A non-Canadian resident under 18 attending a qualifying organized camp may use government-issued photo identification, or a photocopy of it, together with the required camp identification card as a deemed licence. Conservation Fishing Licence limits apply to that organized-camp provision.
Applying for Your Outdoors Card and License
You can buy or renew an Outdoors Card through Hunt & Fish Ontario or use a participating licence issuer or ServiceOntario location. The 2026 Outdoors Card fee is $8.57 before HST.
Your Outdoors Card is valid for three calendar years and is required for most purchased recreational fishing licences except the one-day Sport licence.
Ontario says the physical card takes approximately 20 days to arrive by mail. You do not have to wait for the plastic card before fishing: while it is in transit, you can carry the licence summary showing your valid Outdoors Card and fishing licence.
A licence summary can be carried on paper or in digital form. If you use your phone, keep the official PDF supplied through the Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service; a photograph or screenshot of the licence summary is not valid digital proof. Make sure the device remains powered and usable if a conservation officer asks to see it.
You must notify Ontario within 10 days of changes to information such as your name, contact information, address, or residency. If your Outdoors Card, fishing licence, or licence summary is lost or stolen, you can reprint the licence summary online at no charge and order a replacement plastic card for a fee.
After buying your licence, also check the current Fisheries Management Zone, species season, catch and possession limits, size limits, bait rules, sanctuaries, and any waterbody-specific exceptions. A valid licence does not override those rules. For a broader primer, see our fishing regulations basics guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Different Types of Fishing Licenses in Ontario?
Ontario has Sport Fishing and Conservation Fishing licences. Sport licences are available for one day, one year, or three years. Conservation licences are available for one year or three years. Non-Canadian residents can also buy eight-day Sport or Conservation licences. Ontario does not offer a one-day Conservation licence.
How Much Does an Ontario Fishing License Cost?
For 2026, an Ontario resident pays $26.57 before HST for a one-year Sport Fishing Licence or $15.07 for a one-year Conservation Fishing Licence. Canadian residents outside Ontario pay $55.81 for one-year Sport, while non-Canadian residents pay $83.19. Most licences longer than one day also require an $8.57 Outdoors Card. Products with a fee are subject to 13% HST.
Do You Need an Outdoors Card for a One-Day Fishing License in Ontario?
No. Ontario’s one-day Sport Fishing Licence does not require an Outdoors Card. The one-day fee is $12.21 for an Ontario resident, $15.21 for a Canadian resident outside Ontario, and $24.86 for a non-Canadian resident before 13% HST.
Do Seniors Over 65 Need a Fishing License in Ontario?
Ontario and Canadian residents age 65 and older generally do not need to purchase an Outdoors Card or recreational fishing licence. They can carry qualifying government-issued identification showing their name and date of birth. Non-Canadian residents age 65 and older still need a fishing licence unless another specific exemption applies.
Can Veterans Fish for Free in Ontario?
Qualifying Ontario-resident Canadian Armed Forces veterans can fish without purchasing an Outdoors Card or recreational fishing licence when carrying the military identification required by Ontario’s current regulation. As of the July 1, 2026 regulation change, the veteran provision identifies the Canadian Armed Forces Veteran’s Service Card (NDI 75). Sport limits apply.
Can You Fish While Waiting for Your Outdoors Card?
Yes. Ontario says the physical Outdoors Card can take approximately 20 days to arrive. While waiting, you can fish by carrying your licence summary showing your valid Outdoors Card and fishing licence. The licence summary can be printed or carried as the official digital PDF.
Conclusion
For 2026, start by identifying whether you are an Ontario resident, Canadian resident outside Ontario, or non-Canadian resident. Then choose Sport or Conservation limits and the licence duration that matches your trip. Remember that most licences longer than one day require the $8.57 Outdoors Card and that 13% HST is added to products with a fee.
Before fishing, confirm your licence or deemed-licence eligibility, carry the required proof, and check the current rules for your Fisheries Management Zone and exact waterbody. If you’re new to fishing, our beginner fishing guide covers the other basics to prepare before your first trip.
