Department of Fish and Game
Home Licensing Statistics

License Statistics

DFG's License and Revenue Branch (LRB) is responsible for the sale and provision of more than 150 types of licenses and permits and the associated revenue collection. DFG enlists approximately 2000 retail license agents that vary in size from "mom and pop" stores in rural areas, to large sporting goods stores in urban areas.

Available Data

License sales data is organized by license type and license year, listing fees, quantities issued and revenue totals.

  • Sport Fishing
    Sport fishing licenses are valid January 1 through December 31. Approximately 2 million anglers purchase a California fishing license each year.
  • Hunting
    Hunting licenses are valid July 1 through June 30 of the following year. Portions of this money are dedicated to specific wildlife programs, such as improving waterfowl nesting and rearing habitat or conducting annual big game population surveys.
    The LRB conducts a variety of drawings throughout the year to award limited numbers of big game hunting tags and waterfowl hunting area reservations. For example, each year, more than 110,000 applications are submitted for big game tag drawings, including premium deer, elk, antelope, and bighorn sheep tags). Drawings are also conducted from September through January for reservations to hunt waterfowl on State-operated wildlife areas. Each waterfowl season, the LRB receives more than 700,000 applications, and awards more than 60,000 reservations.
  • Commercial Fish Businesses
    Commercial fish business licenses are valid from January 1 through December 31. These licenses are sold at eight DFG offices.
  • Commercial Fishing
    Commercial fishing licenses, permits and registrations are valid from April 1 through March 31. These licenses are sold at eight DFG offices.
  • Special Licenses and Permits
    Special permits, licenses, registrations, and stamps are valid at different times throughout the year. These licenses are issued only at the main LRB office in Sacramento and are required for the taking, buying, selling, breeding, viewing, possessing, studying, and collecting of certain animals. The LRB maintains a database of aquaculturists, biological supply houses, falconers, fallow deer farmers, domesticated game breeders, guides, hunting clubs, native reptile propagators, restricted species permittees, scientific collectors, and trappers.

Sport Fishing Licenses

Fees Number Issued Revenue

Hunting Licenses

Fees Number Issued Revenue

Commercial Fishing Licenses Permits

Fees Number Issued Revenue

Special Licenses and Permits

Fees Number Issued Revenue

Commercial Fish Business Licenses

Fees Number Issued Revenue

Sport Fishing Sales by County

County sales statistics are based on the county of issuance not the county of customer's residence. Sales listed as undistributed inventory occur at chain agents that report statewide sales through a single location. County sales are a static snapshot and the total sales may not exactly match the 10 year item sales figures that are also accessible from this page.

Annual Licenses
Resident 1992-2004, 2005
Nonresident 1992-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Resident Pacific Ocean-Only 1992-2001, 2002, 2003 (discontinued after 2003)
Short Term Licenses
One-Day Sport Fishing 2004, 2005
Two-Day Sport Fishing 1999-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Ten-Day Nonresident Sport Fishing 1996-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
One-Day Pacific Ocean-Only 1992-2001, 2002, 2003 (discontinued after 2003)
One-Day Pacific Ocean-Only
with Ocean Enhancement Stamp		 1992-2001, 2002, 2003 (discontinued after 2003)
Stamps and Harvest Cards
Abalone Report Card 1998-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Bay-Delta Sport Fishing
Enhancement Stamp		 2004, 2005
Second-Rod Stamp 1995-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Sport Salmon Punch Card 1992-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Steelhead Report Card 1992-2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Striped Bass Stamp 1992-1994, 1998-2001, 2002, 2003 (discontinued after 2003)