Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence

A Licence to Fish - Fish for the Future Revenue from fishing licence fees is being spent to improve angling opportunities and fish habitats in Victoria. Recreational Fisheries Officers are helping to ensure recreational fishers comply with recreational fishing regulations. While these officers are on patrol they can also assist you with information to make your fishing a more enjoyable experience. Do I need a licence? | Who is exempt? | What happens if I don't have a licence? | How do I obtain a licence? | Licence Outlets | Your licence fees at work | Future Projects | Know your limits | Guide to bays and inlets | Interstate fishing | Further information | Buy a licence online Do I Need a Licence? A Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) covers, all forms of recreational fishing in all of Victoria's marine, estuarine and freshwaters.

Unless you are exempt, a RFL is required when taking, or attempting to take, any species of fish by any method including line fishing, bait collection, gathering shellfish, yabby fishing, prawning and spear fishing. Who is Exempt? You will not need a licence to fish if you are: under 18 years of age; 70 years of age or over;. or a holder of a : Victorian Seniors Card or interstate equivalent; Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Card; Veterans' Affairs Repatriation Health Card coded (TPI) Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card coded either (DSP), (DSP Blind), (AGE), (AGE Blind) or (CAR) .What Happens if I Don't Have a Licence? Fisheries Officers will be on patrol to ensure fishers hold a valid licence. Penalties apply for fishing without a licence. How do I Obtain a Licence? Victorian anglers now have the option to buy a three-year Recreational Fishing Licence for $66. This presents a saving of $7.50 on the combined cost of purchasing three annual licences. Anglers can still buy the one-year RFL for $24.50, the 28-day RFL for $12, and the 2-day RFL for $6. The RFL may be purchased to come into effect on a future date for up to one year from the date of purchase. An RFL may not be loaned or transferred to another person. The RFL is available from many DPI offices and more than 980 retail businesses throughout Victoria, including most retail fishing tackle stores.

Licence Outlets To view the attached PDF documents you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy can be downloaded from Adobe Acrobat (external link). Recreational Fishing Licence Outlets (PDF 169KB) Purchase Victorian Fishing Licence Online Note: You will need a printer in order to obtain your licence online. Printer required for proof of purchase.

Your Licence Fees at Work The money collected through the sale of licences is being used to fund projects to improve recreational fishing opportunities and fish habitats in Victoria. A committee including representatives of the recreational fishing sector determines priorities and makes recommendations to the Minister Responsible for Fisheries on how the money should be spent. A brochure (PDF 1.3MB) outlining projects funded from 2001 until 2008 can be viewed and more detailed information about projects funded year to year is also available . Future Projects DPI will be considering project proposals from angling interest groups on an ongoing basis. For further information call the DPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186 Know Your Limits When going fishing remember to pick up the latest edition of the Recreational Fishing Guide from your RFL agent or DPI office. This guide has details of size and catch limits and other regulations. The Recreational Fishing Guide can also be found on this website. Guide to bays and inlets as defined in the Fisheries Regulations 2009 Maps showing the bays and inlets defined in the Fisheries Regulations 2009 Interstate Fishing A Victorian RFL is not valid in other states so check if you need a licence if you intend to fish interstate.

Further Information

Call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.
VRFish, the Victorian recreational representative body
Phone 03 9686 7077
or visit the VRFish website (external link)