Frequently Asked Questions

On rivers, lakes, and canals, yes — every angler (including children) needs their own carte de pêche, or you risk a fine of up to €450. Sea fishing, however, is free and requires no permit; since February 2026, though, targeting certain species (e.g. seabass, pollack, mackerel) requires free registration in the RECFishing system, which we're happy to arrange for you.

We process most licenses and deliver them to your email as a PDF within 1-2 business days.

The daily card is valid in the département you choose when ordering. The weekly and annual interfederal cards are valid in 91 reciprocal départements grouped under EHGO, CHI, and URNE — covering almost all of France. The exception is Savoie and Haute-Savoie (e.g. Lake Annecy and Lake Léman): the annual interfederal card isn't valid there, so choose that département and a daily or weekly card directly when ordering.

All you need is a name, date of birth, and address — the French carte de pêche requires no French documents or residency. Keep an ID document (passport or national ID card) with you at the water in case of an inspection.

We begin processing immediately after payment, so we only issue refunds when we are unable to obtain your license. Refunds do not apply to delays on the part of French institutions for licenses that have already been paid for; in that case, it is necessary to wait for processing.

Yes — in France every angler needs their own card, including small children. You can order everything directly from us: children under 12 (on 1 January) get the discounted annual Découverte card, youngsters under 18 the annual Mineure card, and adults the annual interfédérale card. For short trips the daily or weekly card works at any age.

Our prices are final, with no hidden fees. We offer a daily card, a weekly card valid for 7 consecutive days, and an annual interfederal card, plus processing of the mandatory sea registration. The price always includes the official federation fee, our processing service, and delivery of the license to your email. See our pricing page for current prices.

Absolutely. The carte de pêche can be obtained by both EU and non-EU citizens, with no residency requirement in France. Tourists, holiday visitors, and expats can all fish legally in French rivers and lakes with our license.

The price covers everything: the official fee paid to the French fishing federation (including membership in the local fishing association, AAPPMA, which comes with the card), processing of the entire application, and delivery of your official license PDF to your email. There are no additional costs or hidden charges.

The carte de pêche covers fishing on public freshwater — rivers, canals, and lakes — in both 1st- and 2nd-category waters. In 2nd-category waters, the annual card lets you fish with up to 4 rods. Night carp fishing is allowed only on stretches designated for it by the local prefecture. Private ponds not connected to watercourses have their own rules and are not covered by the card.

2nd-category waters (most lakes and big rivers) are open year round. 1st-category trout waters have a season running roughly from mid-March to mid-September (14 March to 20 September in 2026). Pike is protected roughly from late January to late April. National minimum sizes: trout 23 cm, pike 50 cm, zander 40 cm, black bass 30 cm — prefectures often raise these (pike 60 cm, zander 50 cm). In 2nd-category waters you may keep a maximum of 3 predators per day (of which at most 2 pike). Always check the specific département's regulations before fishing; we're happy to send them to you.

We deliver your official fishing license as a PDF to the email address you provide in your order. Simply save it on your phone or print it out; the PDF is legally valid during inspections.

Simply show your license PDF on your phone or as a printed copy, along with an ID document. The cards we process are officially issued through the national network of fishing federations (FNPF) and are fully recognised by the fishing wardens (garde-pêche), OFB agents, and the gendarmerie.

You can fish in France all year round. Spring and autumn favour predator fishing (pike, zander), summer is ideal for carp and wels catfish, and the trout season on mountain rivers peaks from spring to late summer. The annual card is valid until the end of the year, so you can visit more than once.

Yes, simply place a separate order for each family member — every card is issued to one named person. Remember that in France even children need their own card: we offer the discounted Découverte card for under-12s and the Mineure card for youngsters under 18.

Recreational sea fishing is free in France, but since 12 February 2026, every angler aged 16 or over who targets certain species (European seabass, pollack, mackerel, gilthead seabream, and in the Mediterranean, meagre) must register in advance in the European RECFishing system and report their catches — including released fish. We handle the registration for you completely and send you confirmation; reporting your catches while fishing remains your responsibility. Registration itself is free at the authority — our price is a fee for handling it and providing support in your language.

Yes, the carte de pêche is valid for fishing from the bank as well as from a boat or belly boat on freshwater (always subject to local venue rules). At sea you don't need any license — just the mandatory registration if you're targeting certain species.

Please check your Spam, Junk, or Promotions folder, where our emails and your license PDF sometimes end up. If you find the email, mark it as not spam and add info@fishinglicensefrance.com to your contacts so it reaches your inbox next time. Also make sure you entered the correct email address on your order; even a small typo means our messages cannot reach you. If you still can't find anything, reply to your order confirmation email or use the contact form and we'll resend your license right away.