List Of State Fish & Wildlife Departments (For All 50 States)

UPDATED 03 NOVEMBER 2023

by Robert Ceran

The rules for fishing in the US are set out by the state governments, and each of the states has a Fish & Wildlife department that deals with the regulations in this area.

Usually the same department is also responsible for regulating hunting, boating, and wildlife conservation. 

Below is a list of the Fish and Game authorities of all 50 states, each with a link to their website.

It’s best to refer to the website of the wildlife agency in your state to check the different types of licenses available to you, as well as the price of a fishing license.

Also, if you want to buy a fishing license online, you can do this directly on the website of your state’s Fish & Wildlife department.

Finally, you can also check your local fish and game authority to figure out the age requirements for getting a fishing license in your state.

Alabama:

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Alaska:

Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Arizona:

Arizona Game and Fish Department

Arkansas:

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

California:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Colorado:

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Connecticut:

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Delaware:

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife

Florida:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

See also: Getting a fishing license in Florida (here’s what you need to know)

Georgia:

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Hawaii:

Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources  

Idaho:

Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Illinois:

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Indiana:

Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife

Iowa:

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Kansas:

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Kentucky:

Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources

Louisiana:

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Maine:

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife

Maryland:

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Massachusetts:

Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game

Michigan:

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Minnesota:

Minnesota Division of Fish & Wildlife

Mississippi:

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks

Missouri:

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Montana:

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Nebraska:

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Nevada:

Nevada Department of Wildlife

New Hampshire:

New Hampshire Fish & Game Department

New Jersey:

New Jersey Division of Fish, Game & Wildlife

New Mexico:

New Mexico Game and Fish Department

New York:

New York Department of Environmental Conservation

North Carolina:

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

North Dakota:

North Dakota Game & Fish Department

Ohio:

Ohio Division of Wildlife

Oklahoma:

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Oregon:

Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission

Rhode Island:

Rhode Island Division of Fish & Wildlife

South Carolina:

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

South Dakota:

South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks

Tennessee:

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

Texas:

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Utah:

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Vermont:

Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife

Virginia:

Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries (freshwater)

Virginia Marine Resources Commission (saltwater)

Washington:

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

West Virginia:

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

Wisconsin:

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Wyoming:

Wyoming Fish & Game Department