Most people require a recreational fishing licence or deemed licence to legally fish in Ontario. You must carry your Outdoors Card or licence summary whenever you are fishing. If requested, you must present these documents to a conservation officer. An Outdoors Card is a plastic, wallet-sized card valid for three calendar years and used for administration purposes. In addition to your Outdoors Card, you will need to carry the following when you are fishing, depending on when you purchased your fishing licence.

Licence summary: A document that lists all valid fishing and hunting licences. The licence summary can be either a printed copy or saved as a digital format, or the box printed on the back of your Outdoors Card indicating a 3- or 1-year fishing licence.

The province of Ontario sells 2 different types of recreational fishing licences.

  • Sport fishing licence: For anglers who want full catch and possession fishing privileges. In this summary, S refers to limits under a sport fishing licence (such as S-4 = catch and possession limit of four).
  • Conservation fishing licence: A reduced catch and possession limit licence that is ideal for anglers who want to live-release the majority of fish caught. In this summary, C refers to limits under a conservation fishing licence (e.g. C-2 = catch and possession limit of 2).

Contact us: For more information on purchasing an Ontario fishing licence, visit Fish and Wildlife Licensing Service or call the NRISC at 1-800-387-7011.

Residency definitions

Ontario resident:
A person whose primary residence is in Ontario and has lived in Ontario for a period of at least six consecutive months during the twelve 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, who is stationed and resides 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 has lived in Canada for a period of at least six consecutive months during the twelve months immediately before applying for a licence.
Non-Canadian resident:
A person who is neither an Ontario nor Canadian resident.

When you don’t need to purchase a fishing licence

Instead of purchasing and carrying an Outdoors Card and recreational fishing licence, persons described below carrying the specified documents while fishing may use them as a fishing licence. Catch and possession limits for a sport fishing licence apply in these situations.

Regardless of residency, a person who has been issued any of the following documents may use it as a fishing licence:

  • an accessible parking permit issued under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act
  • the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) national identity card

The persons described below can carry a licence, permit, certificate or identification card issued by a federal, provincial or territorial government of Canada that indicates their name and date of birth and use it as a fishing licence.

  • Ontario and Canadian residents who are under 18 or 65 years of age or older.
  • Individuals, regardless of residency, who require the direct assistance of another person to fish and to follow applicable laws due to a disability defined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If the accompanying person is only assisting, they do not require a fishing licence, but must have one if they engage in fishing.
  • A person, regardless of residency, who also holds a black and white photocopy or printed version of an accessible parking permit issued under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act. A visitor who holds an out-of-province accessible parking permit can apply for an Ontario visitor accessible parking permit, more information at get an accessible parking permit.

Finally, Ontario residents who are active members or veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces can use one of the following documents as a fishing licence:

  • Canadian Forces Identification Card (NDI 20)
  • Record of Service Card (NDI 75)
  • Canadian Armed Forces Veteran’s Service Card (NDI 75)

Family fishing opportunities

Ontario and Canadian residents are also provided 4 opportunities throughout the year to fish without having to purchase a fishing licence. These dates include:

  • Family Fishing Weekend (February 17–19, 2024)
  • Mother’s Day Weekend (May 11–12, 2024)
  • Father’s Day Weekend (June 15–16, 2024)
  • Ontario Family Fishing Week (June 29 – July 7, 2024)

Government issued identification is required and anglers must follow catch and possession limits for conservation fishing licences. For more information on these fishing opportunities, contact the Natural Resources Information and Support Centre at 1-800-387-7011 or visit ontario.ca/FreeFishing.

Requirements for Indigenous persons

Many Indigenous communities in Ontario hold Aboriginal or treaty rights to fish. We are committed to respecting these constitutionally-protected rights. After conservation goals are met, Aboriginal and treaty rights to fish take priority before allocation and management of the resource for other purposes.

Aboriginal rights to fish stem from customs, practices or traditions that are integral to the distinctive culture of an Indigenous community. Treaty rights to fish are reserved through treaties between the Crown and Indigenous peoples. Aboriginal and treaty rights are collectively held and are associated with an Indigenous community’s traditional or treaty territory. These rights are not generic and different communities may hold different rights.

Aboriginal and treaty rights to fish can be exercised using modern means.

Members of Indigenous communities 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. Indigenous individuals should be prepared to provide identification showing their community membership if requested by conservation officers. Members of Indigenous communities fishing outside of their traditional or treaty area must hold a valid fishing licence and follow the corresponding seasons, limits, slot sizes and gear restrictions, or have permission from a First Nation to fish within their traditional or treaty territory (R v. Shipman et al., 2007). This is also applicable to members of Indigenous communities from the United States fishing in Ontario waters.

Non-Canadian residents

Anyone who is not an Ontario or Canadian resident is considered a non-Canadian resident for the purposes of fishing licence regulations. Most non-Canadian residents require an Outdoors Card and recreational fishing licence to fish in Ontario, including those 65 years of age or older. The following exceptions apply.

  • Non-Canadian residents under 18 years of age may fish without an Outdoors Card and licence if accompanied by a person who has a valid Ontario recreational fishing licence. Any fish kept are part of the catch and possession limit of the person who holds the licence. Alternatively, non-Canadian residents under 18 years of age may purchase an Outdoors Card and recreational fishing licence to have their own limits.
  • Non-Canadian youth, under 18 years of age, attending an organized camp that provides meals and accommodates a minimum of five campers may use a government issued photo identification (or a photocopy) together with a camp identification card as a deemed licence to fish. The camp identification card must state the name and location of the camp, the name and date of birth of the camper and the dates that the camper is at the camp. These campers must follow conservation limits.

Non-Canadian residents camping on Crown lands in Northwestern Ontario are subject to conservation fishing licence limits. Read Crown Land Camping Regulations for more details.

Applying for your Outdoors Card and licence

The delivery time for an Outdoors Card is approximately 20 days. If you’ve applied for an Outdoors Card and haven’t received it within the stated timeframe or have additional questions related to your Outdoors Cards, call 1-800-387-7011.

The following are rules about the Outdoors Card.

  • You must notify us within 10 days of any changes to your name, contact information, address and/or residency. You can update your information by calling 1-800-387-7011, or online.
  • Your Outdoors Card, recreational fishing licence or licence summary is not transferable to another person – they provide privileges to you alone.
  • All fishing licence products are issued on a calendar year basis from January 1 to December 31.
  • Regardless of the date of purchase, 1 year fishing licences expire December 31 of the year printed on the licence, while 3-year fishing licences expire December 31 of its third year.
  • It is an offence to attempt to obtain more than one Outdoors Card or provide false information when applying for your Outdoors Card, recreational fishing licence or licence summary.
  • If your Outdoors Card, recreational fishing licence or licence summary is lost or stolen, you can reprint your licence summary online at no charge and/or order a replacement plastic card for a fee. You can also visit a local licence issuer or participating ServiceOntario centre that offers our services for replacement.
  • Anglers are able to purchase their Outdoors Card and fishing licences online.
  • Outdoors Cards are not required when purchasing a one-day licence.

Licence fees

The 2024 annual licence fees are in effect until December 31, 2024. For the location of the licence issuer nearest you, visit ontario.ca/OutdoorsCard or call 1-800-387-7011.

The following licences are available online or through all licence issuers or participating ServiceOntario locations. Three-year sport and conservation fishing licences can also be purchased through our automated telephone licensing line 1-800-288-1155 when renewing your Outdoors Card.

All products with a fee are subject to HST.

  • Some anglers qualify to use other documents instead of purchasing and carrying an Outdoors Card and recreational fishing licence. For more information visit: Fishing licence (Canadian residents).

Outdoors Card

For Ontario, Canadian, and non-Canadian residents.
LicenceFees
Outdoors Card$8.57

Ontario residents:

LicenceFees
three-year sport fishing licence$79.71
three-year conservation fishing licence$45.21
one-year sport fishing licence$26.57
one-year conservation fishing licence$15.07
one-day sport fishing licence (you do not need an Outdoors Card)
Valid for 1 calendar day starting at 12:00 a.m.
$12.21

Canadian residents:

LicenceFees
three-year sport fishing licence$167.43
three-year conservation fishing licence$100.29
one-year sport fishing licence$55.81
one-year conservation fishing licence$33.43
one-day sport fishing licence (you do not need an Outdoors Card)
Valid for 1 calendar day starting at 12:00 a.m.
$15.21

Non-Canadian residents:

LicenceFees
three-year sport fishing licence$249.57
three-year conservation fishing licence$158.13
one-year sport fishing licence$83.19
one-year conservation fishing licence$52.71
one-day sport fishing licence (you do not need an Outdoors Card)
Valid for 1 calendar day starting at 12:00 midnight

$24.86

eight-day sport fishing licence$54.38
eight-day conservation fishing licence$31.52