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Ontario is popularly recognized as an angler’s paradise and rightly so. It is known for housing the highest number of lodges and lakeside resorts. It is really easy to find a place that suits all your needs! No wonder, Ontario attracts fishing enthusiasts from all across the globe.
Being a favorite destination for fishing, Ontario boasts a vast variety of fish. To go fishing in Ontario, you’ll need an Ontario fishing license or a license summary for fishing in Ontario. This article provides all the information about the Ontario fishing license. You will also learn about common terms associated with a Canadian fishing license. Finally, you will find a bunch of useful links for research.
Important terminologies:
A license summary is a document listing all valid fishing and hunting licenses. It can be a digital version, a printed version. It could be a printed box behind your Outdoors Card. It indicates whether the validity of the card is one year or three years. Keep reading to know more about the card and fishing license.
An Ontario resident – is an individual who lives in Ontario. They should have stayed in Ontario for at least six successive months. Their stay should be during the twelve months immediately before applying. Member or civilian employee of the RCMP or Canadian Armed Forces. Their immediate family should be stationed in Ontario. The family should have resided there for at least a month, to come under this category.
A Canadian resident – an individual who is not an Ontario resident. They may live in another part of Canada. They should’ve been living in Canada for a minimum of six successive months. This stay should be during the twelve months right before applying.
An Outdoors Card is a wallet-sized, plastic card. Its validity is up to 3 years. Most people will need to carry this card and fishing license. We will get into the details soon.
License fees
In this article, we are only discussing license fees for Ontario residents. For a 3-year sport license, the license fees are $79.71. For a 1-year sport license, the license fees are $26.57. For a 3-year conservation fishing license, the license fees are $45.21. For a 1-year conservation fishing license, the license fees are $15.07.
How to find a license issuer?
The official website of Ontario is a good place to search for license issuers. The website has all the details you need about hunting and fishing license issuers. You can search for license issuers in your vicinity. You will find details like the city, business name, street address, postal code, and issuer type. Before you approach the license issuers, make sure that they are open to the public.
There are different sets of rules and guidelines for Canadian residents (which implies both Ontario residents and Canadian residents) and non-Canadian residents.
For Canadian residents
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For a situation where you plan to go fishing only for a day, the card is not required. In its stead, you will require a One-day sport fishing license.
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If you fall between 18 years of age and 65 or older, you are exempt from needing the card or fishing license. Instead, you are required to carry your government identification proof at all times.
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If you are either below 18 years of age or above 65 years of age, you will need the card and a fishing license.
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Apart from this, if you wish to go only for a day you can get a one-day sport fishing license. The card is not needed in this scenario. Else, you need to buy a card prior to getting a fishing license or together with it.
For non-Canadian residents
(someone who is neither an Ontario resident nor a Canadian resident will need a non-resident fishing license to fish in Ontario)
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If you belong to the age category of 18 and above, you will need the card and a fishing license.
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If you belong to the age category of less than 18, you will require identity proof issued by the government.
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Similarly, if you wish to go fishing for a single day, you will need a one-day sport fishing license.
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It is also possible to get an eight-day fishing license online.
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Non-Canadian residents over the age of 65 years are not exempt from carrying their card and fishing license.
2. Veterans or active members of the Canadian Armed Forces are don’t have to carry a license. It is in the honor of their service provided. However, they are required to carry one of the following documents instead:
- Canadian Forces Identification Card (NDI 20)
- Record of Service Card (NDI 75)
- Canadian Armed Forces Veteran’s Service Card (NDI 75)
Keep in mind that you are required to carry bothyour card and fishing license while going fishing.
3. First Nations or indigenous people fishing within their traditional territory, or disabled Canadian residents do not require a fishing license in Ontario.
4. An Outdoors card is valid for up to one or three calendar years. An Ontario fishing license is valid for either one calendar year or three calendar years.
After applying for a card, it is usually delivered within a time frame of 20 days. In case of any issues related to it, you can call one of the following: 1-800-387-7011 or 1-800-667-1940.
5. The Ontario fishing license is available to all in two types:
- Sport license – It permits full catch and possession fishing privileges.
- Conservation license – It permits limited permission to catch and possessing fishing privileges.
- For convenience, it is possible to acquire your card and fishing license online.
- If you wish to get your license physically, make sure to ask your lodge or outfitters if they sell fishing licenses or not.
- You can also find various bait and tackle shops around the region that sell fishing licenses. Make sure to ask around.
6. In case you wish to update the details on your card or renew your card, you can do one of the following:
- call the toll free number 1-800-387-7011
- renew your card from license issuers
- through any of the participating ServiceOntario locations
The card fee and license fee vary depending on the zone you will be fishing in and the duration you will require. The fee differs for Ontario residents and Canadian residents outside Ontario.
Always carry your Recreational fishing license, or deemed license. Or, carry your Outdoors card, or a license summary to a conservation officer. You might have to produce it any time.
7. Any of the documents mentioned below could be an alternative to a Recreational fishing license:
i) A national identity card – issued by the Canadian National Institute for Blind (CNIB).
ii) Issued under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act – an accessible parking permit.
Last Updated on by Sanjana
