Texas Fishing License 2026: Freshwater, Saltwater, All-Water, and Prices
Water type comes first, then age and birthdate rules, then tags and border-water exceptions.
Texas rules that change the cart
- Package choice
- Freshwater, Saltwater, and All-Water are separate Texas buying paths.
- Senior birthdate rule
- The full exemption is tied to residents born before January 1, 1931.
- Year-from-purchase
- Resident all-water buyers can choose the year-from-purchase option when late-season timing matters.
- Crabbing gear tags
- Saltwater crabbing and gear rules sit on top of the fishing package.
Texas starts with package choice: Freshwater, Saltwater, or All-Water. A one-day product can fit a short trip, and the resident year-from-purchase option changes the timing again, but the water type still decides the first row you buy.
Age and special rules add another layer. Anglers under 17 are generally exempt, Texas residents born before January 1, 1931 are exempt, and older residents use reduced senior packages. Saltwater tags, Lake Texoma, crabbing, and veteran paths all hang off the same licensing stack rather than replacing it.
Read the package table first, then match your trip to the right water and the right purchase window before checking out.
2026 Texas Price Rows
Use the TPWD package page for the live purchase record.
| Product | Resident | Nonresident | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater package | $30 | $58 | Freshwater lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. |
| Saltwater package | $35 | $63 | Includes saltwater endorsement and the red drum/spotted seatrout tags. |
| All-Water package | $40 | $68 | Covers both freshwater and saltwater. |
| One-day All-Water | $11 | $16 | Short-trip row. |
| Year-from-purchase All-Water | $47 | N/A | Resident only. |
| Senior Freshwater | $12 | N/A | Resident senior row for freshwater. |
| Senior Saltwater | $17 | N/A | Resident senior row for saltwater. |
| Senior All-Water | $22 | N/A | Resident senior row for both waters. |
| Lake Texoma license | $12 | $12 | Lake-specific border-water product. |
Most standard Texas packages expire on August 31. Residents born before January 1, 1931 are exempt from the base license, not from every special-use rule.
Guides
Texas Fishing License Age Requirements 2026: Kids & Seniors
Texas fishing license age requirements: check the under-17 exemption, adult packages, senior rules, Texoma notes, and required tags.
Updated August 19, 2026
Texas Fishing License Cost 2026: Freshwater, Salt & All-Water
Texas fishing license cost 2026: compare freshwater, saltwater, all-water, one-day, and year-from-purchase packages before checkout.
Updated August 19, 2026
Crabbing in Texas: License Requirements 2026
Texas crabbing license requirements: saltwater endorsement, crab traps, 10-day gear tags, six-trap limit, blue-crab rules, and exemptions.
Updated August 18, 2026
Texas Veterans Fishing License 2026: Eligibility & How to Apply
Texas veterans fishing license guide: item 502 disabled-veteran eligibility, proof, in-person application, package scope, and alternatives.
Updated August 18, 2026
How to Check Your Texas Fishing License Status (2026)
Check a Texas fishing license status online: account lookup, package coverage, validity dates, tags, reprints, and August 31 renewals.
Updated August 18, 2026
Texas Senior Fishing License 2026: Born-Before-1931 & 65+ Rates
Texas senior fishing license 2026 rules: born-before-1931 exemption, 65+ resident packages, year-from-purchase option, tags, and Texoma notes.
Updated August 18, 2026
Texas Fishing License 2026: All-Water Fees & Senior Rule
Current Texas fishing license fees, all-water packages, senior birthdate rules, exemptions, and TPWD endorsement details for 2026.
Updated August 18, 2026FAQs
Which Texas package covers both freshwater and saltwater?
The Texas fishing article says the All-Water package covers both freshwater and saltwater privileges.
Do Texas residents born before January 1, 1931 need a fishing license?
The Texas senior article says those residents are exempt from the fishing-license requirement.
Is Texas crabbing a separate ordinary recreational crab license?
No. The Texas crabbing article says crabbing uses the saltwater fishing-license system plus gear rules.