Fishing licenses are only issued to residents of the state capital of Wiesbaden.

Anyone wishing to fish requires a fishing license. The prerequisite for this is successfully passing the state fishing examination. Information about the preparatory courses and dates can be found on the homepage of the Association of Hessian Fishermen.

The following fishing licenses are available:

• The annual fishing license is valid for one year and can be renewed four times.
• The five-year fishing license is valid for five years and can be extended four times for five years, after which it must be reissued.
• The ten-year fishing license is valid for ten years and can be renewed once for ten years.

For young people aged ten and over:

• The youth one-year fishing license (up to the age of 15) is valid for one year and cannot be renewed.
• The youth four-year fishing license (up to the day before the 16th birthday).

No examination is required for the youth fishing license from the age of ten to 16.

Fishing on the Rhine is only permitted with a valid fishing permit. You can find water maps under Links and Downloads.

Loss of fishing license

If your fishing license is lost or illegible, you can apply for a replacement fishing license. The replacement fishing license is issued for the same period as the lost fishing license. Only the fee is charged for the replacement fishing license; the tax is not payable again.

Rewriting the fishing license

§ Section 26 of the Hessian Fishing Act

Fishing examination

The supreme fishing authority shall recognize the state or state-recognized fishing examinations of other federal states if the conditions under which the fishing examination is taken in other states correspond to the requirements of this Act and the legal provisions based on it.