Anglers over the age of 15, who are fishing the waters of Vermont must have a Vermont Fishing License. This requirement is true for both residents of Vermont as well as non-residents of Vermont. Luckily for these anglers, Vermont offers many types of Fishing Licenses, so they can choose the one that best fits their particular situation.
Residents of Vermont can choose from a Resident Fishing License, a Resident Youth Fishing License for ages 15 – 17, a Resident 3-Day Fishing License, a Resident Combination Fishing and Hunting License or a Resident Youth Combination Fishing and Hunting License. According to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, a resident of Vermont is “a person who has resided in Vermont for the six months immediately prior to the date of making their license application, and who has not during that period claimed a residence in any other state for any purpose.”
Non-residents of Vermont can choose from a Non-resident Fishing License, a Non-resident Youth Fishing License for ages 15-17, a Non-resident 1, 3 or 7-Day Fishing License, a Non-resident Combination Fishing and Hunting License or a Non-resident Youth Combination Fishing and Hunting License.
Residents of Vermont who are serving the Armed Forces or who are under orders to perform homeland defense or any state-side contingency operation for at least 120 consecutive days is eligible for a free Vermont Fishing License or a Vermont Combination Hunting and Fishing License. If an angler gets their Vermont Fishing License under this section, they are eligible to retain it until such time as it expires, even if the angler is no longer serving the armed forces. This fishing license is only available from the Waterbury Office where the anger will be expected to complete a license application form and submit it with a copy of their Leave and Earnings Statement, a copy of their DD Form 2 and a copy of their orders that placed them on active duty. Members of the Armed Forces who are not residents of Vermont, but who are on active duty and are stationed in Vermont are eligible to purchase a Resident Vermont Fishing License as long as they have a certificate from the commander of the post where they are stationed stating that they are indeed stationed at said post.
Vermont Fishing Licenses can be purchased online, by mail or in person. To purchase the Vermont Fishing License online, the angler can visit https://www.vtfwdsales.com/ where they will be able complete an application for their Vermont Fishing License after which they will pay for it with a credit card, then they can print it out. To order a Vermont Fishing License by mail, the angler will need to go to http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/buylicense.cfm to download the application, then they will need to complete the application and mail it to the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, ATTN: Licensing, 103 South Main Street, Waterbury, Vermont 10676-0501. Anglers can also choose to purchase their Vermont Fishing License by paying a visit to the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife Office in Waterbury, Vermont or by visiting the many authorized license agents found throughout the state.
