We will use California as an example in this article because it's fees are the highest in the nation but the same principle should apply everywhere.
You might have asked yourself “Should I buy a lifetime license?” Or maybe you didn’t even know that such a thing existed. Not much money spent on the sport of fishing ever puts cash in your pocket. Your boat gets old and loses value and the same goes for your tackle. What if there was something you could buy that appreciated in value every year? Well as the title of the article suggests, a lifetime fishing license would do just that. But wait that’s a lot of money isn’t it? Is it? How much do you spend in a year of fishing? How many rods, reels, baits, and lures do you buy every season?
As of 2009 the cost of a 1 year license in California is $41.20. A lifetime license has 4 price tiers based on age. For ages 0-9 the cost is $459.25, ages 10-39 is $754.75, ages 40-61 is $679.50, and ages 62+ is $459.25. The Department of fish and Game (DFG) reports that over the past 5 years the cost for a license has increased by an average of 4.7% per year. At that rate a lifetime license would pay for itself in just 9 to 14 years depending on which pricing tier you fall into. Every year after that would be money in your pocket. How much money? Well at this rate of increase in fifty years a one year license will be $391.10. Buying a one year license for the next 50 years would cast you $7835.72. That’s enough money to buy a decent used boat today. Let’s look at the numbers in the chart below.
As a parent I have something else to consider. The price of a lifetime fishing license for my newborn son is a great deal at only $459.25. Yes a license is not required until age 16, but who knows what the cost would be by than. The state could even lower the age requirement in an effort to generate more funds.
Many people may scoff at the large upfront cost or have issues with how the funds collected from the licenses will be used. The bottom line is that the license fees will not go away and they will continue to increase in price. In most cases it makes financial sense to purchase a lifetime license. Perhaps instead of purchasing that new rod, reel, or lure put the money aside and in a short time you’ll have the money. You could use your tax refund or stimulus check. Look at it this way, it might be your only guarantee when it comes to fishing.
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