License Requirements

See Fishing License Information & Fees for details and costs.

Residents 16 years of age and older

  1. A state or county freshwater fishing license
  2. Fishing a Designated Stocked Trout Water? Need an additional trout license. (Note a resident may not use a 5-day freshwater license in combination with a trout license).
  3. Fishing in most waters within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests requires a National Forest Stamp
  4. Planning to fish in selected special regulation waters? Some require a signed landowner permit card which can be obtained from certain DGIF offices or streamside landowners (see Individual Stream Descriptions). Obtaining a permit online will require users to access the VDGIF License Purchasing System.  Once on the license page click on Purchase A License, then Locate or Create Your DGIF Customer Account, click on Purchase/Replace a License/Permit, and scroll down to fish permits and click Add to Cart.

Nonresidents 12 years of age and older

  1. A nonresident annual, daily, or 5-day freshwater fishing license.
  2. Fishing a Designated Stocked Water? Need an additional nonresident trout license. Note: Nonresidents of any age, including children under 12, must have a nonresident fishing license (annual, daily or 5 day) and an additional trout license to fish designated stocked trout waters.
  3. Fishing in most waters within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests requires a National Forest Stamp.
  4. Planning to fish in selected special regulation waters? Some require a signed landowner permit card which can be obtained from certain DGIF offices or streamside landowners (see Individual Stream Descriptions). Obtaining a permit online will require users to access the VDGIF License Purchasing System.  Once on the license page click on Purchase A License, then Locate or Create Your DGIF Customer Account, click on Purchase/Replace a License/Permit, and scroll down to fish permits and click Add to Cart.

Note: The trout license is only required from October 1 through June 15. From June 16 through September 30 anglers can fish in stocked trout waters without a trout license.

Fee Fishing Areas require a daily fishing permit in addition to an appropriate freshwater fishing license.