Here’s how much more Maine residents are paying for fishing licenses

 Two people fish in Gardiner in May 2026. (Anna Chadwick/Staff Photographer) The cost of a fishing license for Maine residents went up $5 in 2026 — the first increase in 15 years. As of January, a basic fishing license for a Maine resident costs $30, up from $25. A nonresident now pays $83, an increase of $19. Officials said every new dollar is going directly to the fisheries division of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the projected increase in annual revenue is nearly $2 million for multiple projects. “This is the first time we can tell anglers that we know exactly where $5 of your $30 is going,” said Liz Latti, the state’s director of fisheries and hatcheries. “It’s coming right back to the division.” Latti said $2 from the $5 increase for residents is going toward the division’s conservation efforts. A field staff of 21 monitors the fish populations in the state’s rivers, lakes and streams. Latti said the revenue will allow the division to contract more researchers through the Wildlife Management Institute, a conservation nonprofit. The money also recently helped the state buy two electrofishing boats, which are used in species monitoring, Latti said. Previously, the state only had one that worked, so staff spent days transporting it around the state. Another $2 from that increase is going directly to the state’s hatcheries maintenance account, Latti said, and $1 goes toward maintenance at boat access areas. Advertisement The $19 increase for nonresidents is divvied up between the same projects. The rest of the license fees goes to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife as in the past, Latti said. Many people also pay a $2 agent fee, which hasn’t changed. Related [Maine Marine Patrol issues more than 50 summonses to striped bass anglers](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/09/maine-marine-patrol-issues-more-than-50-summonses-to-striped-bass-anglers/) In 2025, more than 380,000 people had a fishing license in Maine, according to data from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. That number includes residents and nonresidents, as well as those who bought combination licenses that include both fishing and hunting. Typically, more than 170,000 Mainers buy either a basic fishing license or a combination license in a given year, according to state data. A department spokesperson said the state doesn’t have data yet for 2026. Don Kleiner, of Union, is in his 40th year as a fishing guide and includes the cost of a license in the overall price of trips. Many of his clients are repeat visitors from out of state. Advertisement Kleiner said he thought he might get calls from anglers last year when he testified at a legislative committee hearing in support of a price increase, but he didn’t. In November, he announced on his website that he would raise his own prices by $50 or $100, depending on the trip. The higher license fees were one factor on top of the rising cost of gas and equipment in recent years, he said. “What I didn’t anticipate was how much everything else was going to go up,” Kleiner said. “I didn’t go up enough, frankly.” Again, he said, he expected to get disgruntled calls — but did not. “I expected some drop off and blowback,” Kleiner said. “And zero. None.” Anecdotally, the change doesn’t seem to be making big waves at local retailers either. “People like to fish and are going to fish,” said Dana Eastman, who works at the Tackle Shop in Falmouth. “An extra $5 isn’t going to stop them.” He said he hasn’t heard any complaints because he thinks anglers know the money is going back to stocking and access. “As long as it doesn’t go to the general fund, no one cares,” Eastman said. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [fishing (hobby)](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/fishing/), [maine department of inland fisheries and wildlife](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maine-department-of-inland-fisheries-and-wildlife/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle) [Megan GrayStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle) Megan Gray covers the outdoors and tourism at the Portland Press Herald. A Midwest native, she moved to Maine in 2016. She has written about presidential politics and local government, jury trials and. [More by Megan Gray](https://www.pressherald.com/author/megan-doyle)