Buy the Right ND License the First Time
North Dakota’s online fishing-license system is simple once you account for the separate annual certificate, fixed April renewal date and special paddlefish or darkhouse requirements.
Use this guide to calculate the likely total, locate the correct customer record, print or download proof and check the rules that still apply after payment.
Go Straight to the Task You Need
Start with the cost builder when you are unsure what to buy. Returning customers can jump directly to account lookup, renewal or printing.
Calculate the Likely North Dakota License Total
The price shown beside a fishing license may not be the final total. Most customers also need one Fishing, Hunting and Furbearer Certificate during each April–March license year.
ND Game and Fish License Builder
March purchase warning: check the year shown in the cart. A current-year season license can expire within days when it is purchased shortly before March 31.
North Dakota Fishing License Fees for 2026
The certificate column is separate because the customer needs only one certificate during the license year. Someone who already bought it with another current fishing or hunting product should not add it again.
Resident Fishing Prices
| Resident product | License fee | Certificate | Who should compare it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Fishing | $27 | $2 when not already owned | Most residents age 16–64 who only need fishing privilege. |
| Married Couple Fishing | $42 | Verify each spouse’s certificate line in the official cart | A qualifying married couple instead of two $27 individual products. |
| Senior Citizen Fishing | $10 | $2 when not already owned | A North Dakota resident age 65 or older. |
| Totally or Permanently Disabled | $10 | $2 when not already owned | An approved resident with the required disability proof. |
| Veteran With 50% Service Disability | $10 | $2 when not already owned | An approved resident veteran meeting the listed requirement. |
| Combination License | $62 | $2 when not already owned | A resident also needing general game and habitat, small-game and furbearer privileges. |
| Paddlefish Tag | $15 | Check the tag checkout and current fishing-license requirements | A legal paddlefish snagger during an open season. |
Nonresident Fishing Prices
| Nonresident product | License fee | Certificate | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season Fishing | $68 | $5 when not already owned | Repeat trips during the same April–March fishing year. |
| Three-Day Fishing | $48 | $5 when not already owned | One short trip of three consecutive days. |
| Ten-Day Fishing | $58 | $5 when not already owned | A visit lasting four to ten consecutive days. |
| Married Couple Season Fishing | $108 | Verify each spouse’s customer and certificate lines | A visiting married couple fishing during the season. |
| Paddlefish Tag | $35 | Check the official tag and license checkout | A legal nonresident paddlefish snagger during an open season. |
After comparing the products, verify the amount on the official resident fee page or the official nonresident fee page.
What Is the Fishing, Hunting and Furbearer Certificate?
The certificate is a small annual prerequisite purchased in addition to most fishing licenses. It costs $2 for a resident and $5 for a nonresident.
Resident certificate
Purchase one per licensee for the April–March year when the person has not already obtained it.
Nonresident certificate
Purchase one per licensee for the April–March year when it is not already attached to the customer record.
| Common purchase | Base license | Certificate | Likely new-customer total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident individual | $27 | $2 | $29 |
| Resident senior | $10 | $2 | $12 |
| Nonresident season | $68 | $5 | $73 |
| Nonresident three-day | $48 | $5 | $53 |
| Nonresident ten-day | $58 | $5 | $63 |
Money-saving check: review the customer’s existing purchases before adding another certificate. Only one certificate is normally needed per person during the license year.
Season, Short-Term or Couple License?
| Fishing plan | Starting product | Why it usually fits | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident fishing one or more days | Resident individual season license | No ordinary resident three-day or ten-day fishing product is listed. | Overlooking senior, disabled, military or married-couple eligibility. |
| Visitor fishing one weekend | Nonresident three-day license | Lowest normal visitor base price. | Choosing dates that do not cover every fishing day. |
| Visitor fishing four to ten days | Nonresident ten-day license | Costs only $10 more than the three-day base license. | Ignoring a second trip that could make the season product better value. |
| Visitor returning later in the same license year | Nonresident season license | Only $10 more than the ten-day base license. | Buying near March 31 without checking the expiration. |
| Qualifying married couple | Married-couple fishing license | Can cost less than two separate season products. | Using one spouse’s identity for both people. |
| Resident who also hunts | Compare the $62 combination license | Includes fishing and several general resident hunting privileges. | Assuming it includes every species license or stamp. |
No general trout stamp is listed: North Dakota’s current fishing fee tables do not show a separate statewide trout stamp. Water-specific limits and closures still apply.
Travelling beyond North Dakota? Compare resident rules, visitor durations and online portals in our state-by-state fishing-license cost and buying guide.
How to Buy a North Dakota Fishing License Online
The official service starts by identifying the customer. It asks for the angler’s first name, last name and date of birth before displaying the available products.
Information to Have Ready
- Angler’s legal first and last name
- Date of birth in MMDDYYYY or MM/DD/YYYY format
- North Dakota driver’s-license or nondriver ID information when required for resident status
- Resident or nonresident eligibility
- Exact fishing dates for a three-day or ten-day license
- Existing certificate or prior-license information
- Payment method and an email or device for saving proof
Confirm Residency, Age and Trip Length
Decide whether the customer qualifies as a resident and whether the youth, senior, military, student, disability or married-couple rule applies.
Identify the Existing Customer
Enter the legal first name, last name and birth date used for earlier North Dakota licenses. Do not begin a second record only because an old document has been lost.
Select the Fishing Product
Choose the resident individual, senior, couple, nonresident season, three-day or ten-day product that matches the customer and trip.
Check the Annual Certificate
Add the $2 resident or $5 nonresident certificate only when it has not already been purchased for the current April–March year.
Check Special Fishing Requirements
Paddlefish snaggers need a tag during an open season. Darkhouse participants must complete the free registration before taking part.
Review the Cart Carefully
- Correct customer and date of birth
- Correct resident or nonresident status
- Correct April–March fishing year
- Correct season or consecutive-day product
- Certificate included only when needed
- Special tag or registration checked
- No unrelated hunting product selected accidentally
Pay and Open the Active License
Complete payment, then print or download the issued document. Check the customer name, license year and product before leaving the portal.
After preparing the correct customer details and product list, use the official NDGF My Account service.
Identity warning: enter personal information only on the verified North Dakota government licensing service. Do not send birth dates, identification numbers or payment details to a social-media license seller.
Fix a Customer Record That Cannot Be Found
My Account uses identity information rather than beginning with an email-and-password form. Small differences in a name or birth date can prevent a returning customer from matching.
Never held an NDGF record
Enter accurate legal information and complete the new-customer process for the person who will fish.
Purchased before
Try to match the earlier record before creating another customer profile.
Account-Matching Checklist
- Use the legal first name rather than a nickname.
- Try the last name shown on the previous license.
- Check hyphens, suffixes and former surnames.
- Enter the birth date in the displayed format.
- Check a prior license image, printout or purchase record.
- Call Licensing before creating a duplicate account.
Customer-Record Help Script
“Hello, I need help locating an existing North Dakota Game and Fish customer record. The customer’s legal name is [name], date of birth is [date], and the earlier license was purchased around [year]. My Account is not matching the record. Please help me locate it before I create another profile.”
How North Dakota Fishing License Renewal Works
North Dakota uses a fixed fishing year. The license runs from April 1 through March 31, not for one year from the individual purchase date.
Read the active fishing year
Check whether the current document ends on the upcoming March 31.
Identify the same customer
Use the existing legal name and birth date rather than enrolling again.
Purchase the new year
Select the new April–March license, certificate and any required activity item.
| Purchase timing | Normal expiration | What the buyer should understand |
|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | March 31, 2027 | The customer receives almost the full fishing year. |
| October 2026 | March 31, 2027 | The document does not normally continue through October 2027. |
| March 2027 | March 31, 2027 | Check whether the upcoming April 1 license year is the intended purchase. |
Two different time periods: the current fishing proclamation covers April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2028, but an individual fishing license still covers one April–March fishing year.
How to Print or Download an ND Fishing License
NDGF’s Buy and Apply service supports purchasing, printing and downloading licenses. An angler must keep valid proof in possession while fishing.
Print or Download From My Account
- Open My Account.
- Enter the customer’s first name, last name and date of birth.
- Open the active license document.
- Select the print or download option.
- Check the name, fishing year and products.
- Save a second paper or digital copy.
Can the License Be Displayed on a Phone?
Yes. North Dakota accepts a digital image of the active fishing license stored on a mobile device.
Downloaded image
Fast proof when it clearly shows the current customer and fishing year.
NDGF mobile app
Downloads licenses, certifications and regulations for offline retrieval.
Printed backup
Useful during dead batteries, severe cold and remote ice-fishing trips.
- Download while the phone has internet service.
- Open the license once before leaving home.
- Check that the current year is visible.
- Charge the device or carry backup power.
- Keep a dry paper copy during winter trips.
Use the official NDGF mobile-app page for current app-store and offline-access instructions.
North Dakota Youth and Residency Rules
Youth Rules Depend on Residency
| Youth situation | Basic license rule | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota resident under 16 | No basic fishing license required | The youth may take and possess a limit but must follow all other rules. |
| Nonresident under 16 and accompanied | No nonresident license required | The accompanying individual must possess a valid fishing license. |
| Nonresident under 16 and unaccompanied | Do not rely on the youth exemption | Contact NDGF before fishing or purchasing. |
| Any youth snagging paddlefish | Youth fishing rule still applies | Every paddlefish snagger must possess a paddlefish tag. |
North Dakota’s accompanied nonresident-youth rule differs from many states. Compare state thresholds in our fishing-license age requirements guide.
Who Qualifies for Resident Pricing?
A person may generally qualify after actually living in or maintaining legal residence in North Dakota for the previous six months without continuing to claim residency in another state.
An applicant age 18 or older applying for resident pricing must provide a valid North Dakota driver’s-license number or nondriver photo-identification number.
Residency Waivers and Special Situations
- A person with a bona fide intention to become a resident may apply for a waiver for nonlottery licenses.
- Military personnel in North Dakota on duty or leave may qualify for a similar waiver.
- A qualifying full-time nonresident student living in North Dakota may qualify for resident nonlottery pricing.
- A North Dakota resident on qualifying active-duty leave may fish without a license when official proof requirements are met.
- Approval should be obtained before choosing the resident price.
Residency is a legal certification. Owning land, visiting relatives or temporarily staying in North Dakota does not automatically create resident-license eligibility.
After understanding the basic rule, use the official NDGF residency and waiver page to confirm the applicant’s situation.
Paddlefish and Darkhouse Fishing Requirements
The 2026 Paddlefish Season Is Over
The normal paddlefish snagging period is May 1–21, but the 2026 harvest season closed early on May 8 at 7:00 p.m. Central Time. The subsequent 2026 release-only period also ended before this update.
Do not travel for 2026 paddlefish snagging now. Review the official season page before buying future tags or making lodging and travel plans.
| Paddlefish item | Resident | Nonresident | Micro-level rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tag fee | $15 | $35 | Only one nontransferable tag is issued per snagger. |
| Fishing privilege | Required when the regular age rule requires it | Required when the regular age rule requires it | The paddlefish tag does not automatically replace the fishing license. |
| Participation | Personal participation required | Personal participation required | Each snagger must cast, hook and retrieve that person’s own fish. |
- Possess the valid tag before using snagging equipment.
- Do not transfer the tag to another angler.
- Do not snag from a boat.
- Use no more than one snag hook per line.
- Follow harvest-day and release-only-day instructions.
- Check for an early closure before travelling.
Use the official paddlefish season page for current closure notices, maps and future dates.
Darkhouse Spearing Requires Free Registration
Every participant in darkhouse spear or bow fishing must register for free in addition to holding any fishing license required for that person.
- Complete registration before participating.
- Check the November 15–March 15 season.
- Review the list of closed waters.
- Use only legal equipment and species.
- Mark every ice hole larger than 10 inches when leaving.
Registration is an extra requirement. It does not replace the fishing license or certificate when those products are required.
North Dakota Free Fishing Days in 2026
North Dakota residents receive four designated license-free fishing dates in 2026. The summer dates have passed; the winter dates remain later in the year.
June 6–7, 2026
The 2026 summer Free Fishing Days have ended.
December 26–27, 2026
These winter dates are the remaining 2026 Free Fishing Days.
- The exemption is for North Dakota residents.
- Paddlefish snagging is excluded.
- Daily and possession limits remain active.
- Darkhouse registration can still be required.
- Equipment, bait and water-specific rules still apply.
- A nonresident does not receive the resident exemption.
Releasing every fish does not create a general license exemption outside an official free day. Read our catch-and-release fishing-license guide before relying on that assumption.
Rules to Check After Buying the License
A valid ND Game and Fish license permits participation. It does not replace legal equipment, bait, water, possession and transportation rules.
Pole and Ice-Fishing Limits
| Situation | General rule | Practical check |
|---|---|---|
| Open-water hook and line | Maximum two poles per angler | Each pole may have one line in the water. |
| Ice fishing | Maximum four poles per angler | Each tip-up counts as one pole. |
| Mixed open water and ice | Four total, but no more than two in open water | Count every active pole and tip-up. |
| Distance from equipment | Poles must be visible and within 150 feet | Do not leave gear around a distant shoreline or shelter. |
| Unattended pole | A pole unchecked for more than one hour is an illegal set line | Check every active setup regularly. |
| Ice hole larger than 10 inches | Mark the area when leaving | Carry a visible natural marker or brightly colored wooden lath. |
Live-Bait Rules Change by Water
No live aquatic organism may be imported into North Dakota. Legal live-bait species also vary across statewide waters, the Red River, Devils Lake, Lake Sakakawea, Lake Oahe and other named waters.
- Buy legal bait within North Dakota.
- Check whether live baitfish are allowed at the exact water.
- Check which baitfish species are legal there.
- Do not transport live rainbow smelt except where specifically allowed.
- Do not assume bait legal at one lake is legal at the next lake.
Fish Transportation and Gift Labels
Fillets must be packaged so they can be separated and counted. Fish given to another person still count against the donor’s daily limit.
Gifted-fish label: include the donor’s name, fishing-license number, phone number, date, species and number of fish.
Red River and Bois de Sioux Boundary Waters
A person holding a valid North Dakota or Minnesota fishing license may fish between the riverbanks and from the shoreline of the state that issued the license. While on the water or ice, the angler follows the rules of the state whose license is being used.
Boundary-water reminder: bait transport, aquatic-invasive-species and shore rules can change when the angler moves from one state’s water or shore to the other.
Fish That Must Be Released During Ordinary Hook-and-Line Fishing
Pallid sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon, lake sturgeon and paddlefish caught by ordinary hook and line must be returned immediately, regardless of condition.
Use the official searchable 2026–28 fishing proclamation before each trip.
The signed 2026–28 fishing proclamation PDF is also available for users who need the formal source document.
North Dakota Game and Fish License Help
Buy, Renew or Access a License
Use this to identify the customer, purchase the current year and open active documents.
Check Basic License Rules
Use this for age, purchase methods, mobile proof and license-year information.
Verify Resident Prices
Check individual, couple, senior, disability, veteran and combination products.
Verify Visitor Prices
Compare season, three-day, ten-day, couple and paddlefish products.
Find a Retail Vendor
Use an official vendor when online payment, phone access or printing is not practical.
Find a Fishing Water
Use the official map to locate waters, access points and location information.
Licensing Contact
North Dakota Game and Fish Department100 N. Bismarck Expressway
Bismarck, ND 58501-5095
Licensing: 701-328-6335
General information: 701-328-6300
Office hours: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, excluding state holidays
Missing License or Print-Problem Script
“Hello, I need help with a North Dakota fishing license. The customer’s legal name is [name], date of birth is [date], and the purchase was attempted or completed on [date]. The issue is [record not found, wrong fishing year, missing document, certificate question, print problem or special tag]. What information do you need to locate the customer and active license?”
North Dakota Fishing License Online FAQs
Where can I buy a North Dakota fishing license online?
Use the official North Dakota Game and Fish My Account service. Its customer-identification page asks for the angler’s legal first name, last name and date of birth.
How much is a North Dakota resident fishing license in 2026?
The resident individual fishing license is $27. A $2 Fishing, Hunting and Furbearer Certificate is also required unless the person already bought that certificate for the current license year, making a typical new individual purchase $29.
How much is a North Dakota nonresident fishing license?
The nonresident season fishing license is $68, the three-day license is $48 and the ten-day license is $58. A $5 annual Fishing, Hunting and Furbearer Certificate is also required unless already owned for that license year.
When does a North Dakota fishing license expire?
North Dakota fishing licenses follow a fixed license year from April 1 through March 31. A license bought late in the license year normally still expires on March 31.
How do I renew a North Dakota fishing license?
Identify the existing customer in NDGF My Account and purchase the license for the new April 1 through March 31 fishing year. Renewal is a new fishing-year purchase rather than a 365-day extension.
How do I print or download my North Dakota fishing license?
Open NDGF My Account, identify the customer and access the active license. The official Buy and Apply service supports printing or downloading license documents.
Can I show my North Dakota fishing license on my phone?
Yes. North Dakota accepts a digital image of the active fishing license stored on a mobile device. The NDGF mobile app can also download licenses, certifications and regulations for offline retrieval.
Do children need a North Dakota fishing license?
A North Dakota resident under 16 may fish and possess a limit without a fishing license. A nonresident under 16 may fish without a nonresident license when accompanied by an individual who possesses a valid fishing license.
Does North Dakota require a trout stamp?
The current North Dakota resident and nonresident fishing fee tables do not list a separate general trout stamp. The angler still needs the applicable fishing license and certificate and must follow water-specific trout limits and rules.
What should I do if NDGF My Account cannot find my license?
Check the legal first name, last name and birth date used for the earlier purchase. Avoid creating an unnecessary duplicate record and call the NDGF Licensing Division at 701-328-6335 if the customer or active license still cannot be located.
Final North Dakota License Checklist
- The browser is on the official North Dakota government service.
- The correct existing customer record has been identified.
- The legal first name, last name and date of birth are accurate.
- Resident or nonresident status is correct.
- Youth, senior, military, student, disability or couple eligibility has been checked.
- The correct April–March fishing year is selected.
- The season, three-day or ten-day product matches the trip.
- The annual certificate is added only when needed.
- Paddlefish season status has been checked before buying a tag.
- Darkhouse registration is completed before participation.
- The official checkout total has been reviewed.
- The active license has been printed or downloaded.
- A mobile or paper backup is available.
- Legal bait and pole limits have been checked.
- The exact water’s limits, closures and posted signs have been reviewed.
Final authority: the NDGF My Account checkout, current fee pages and 2026–28 fishing proclamation control over any third-party summary.