Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Fishing License in Tennessee

Are you looking forward to your trip to middle Tennessee where you can spend some time in the great outdoors? You want to be as prepared as possible, and if you plan on fishing on the Ocoee River, then you’ll need a Tennessee fishing license, even if you’re a resident. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about getting a fishing license in Tennessee.

Requirements of Getting a License

If you plan on fishing at all while you’re in town, you will need a fishing license. Here are some of the requirements of getting a license in the state of Tennessee

Residents

If you live in Tennessee, then the requirements for obtaining a license are slightly different than nonresidents. You must possess a valid Tennessee driver’s license, unless you are military personnel on active duty in this state or a student enrolled in school, college, or university for at least 6 months. You must also have your social security number to get a fishing license in Tennessee.

Nonresidents

Nonresidents of Tennessee, or people who are visiting from out of state, will just need to purchase the type of license they wish to have while they are in town.

Types of Fishing Licenses

There are several different types of fishing licenses in Tennessee to choose from. You can get a lifetime fishing license if you plan on fishing all the time, or you can even purchase a single day license if you will only have that amount of time to fish. Here are the most common types of fishing licenses you can get:

Residents

People who live in Tennessee have a variety of fishing licenses they can obtain, depending on what type of fishing they want to do. If you plan on hunting and fishing, you can get an annual combination license. If you are 13 to 15 years old, you can get a junior hunting, fishing, and trapping license. Here are some of the other types of licenses you can get as a resident:

• County of Residence
• One-Day Fishing
• Annual Trout
• Sportsman
• Lifetime Sportsman
• Annual Senior Hunt/Fish/Trap
• Permanent Senior Hunt/Fish/Trap
• Annual Senior Sportsman

Nonresidents

If you don’t live in Tennessee and you’re just visiting, you still have a great selection of licenses to choose from. These are the available licenses for nonresidents:

• Junior Hunt/Fish
• Annual Fishing – No Trout
• Three-Day Fishing – No Trout
• Ten-Day Fishing – No Trout
• Annual Fishing – All Species
• Three-Day Fishing – All Species
• Ten-Day Fishing – All Species

Where to Get a Fishing License in Tennessee

Since you know you want to fish on the Ocoee River while you’re in town, you just need to know where you can get a license. Of course, you can always purchase one online, but there are several places where you can go in person too. Any county clerk office or TWRA office in the area you will be in will sell you a fishing license, as well as sporting goods stores, hardware stores, and boat docks.

Now you know what you need to do in order to obtain a fishing license in Tennessee. Are you trying to decide what else you want to do while you’re in town? Look through our white water rafting trips on the Ocoee River, and plan one for your trip now!