Free Hunting, Freshwater and Saltwater Licences — Issued for Five Years
No-cost hunting, freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing licences AND permits for resident veterans rated 50% or higher. The licence is issued for five years and renewable on request, so it is not an annual errand.
Verified August 27, 2026
What this benefit is
A no-cost combination hunting and fishing licence for Florida resident veterans with a service-connected disability rated 50% or higher.
What it's worth: The combination hunting and fishing licence fee
- Based on the standard resident combination licence fee. Confirm the current fee with FWC.
- The statutory scope is hunting, freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing licences AND permits, all without fee — not a single combination licence.
- The licence is issued for FIVE years and is renewable on request. There is no annual purchase to remember.
- Because it covers permits as well as licences, ask about the permits you would otherwise buy separately.
Who is entitled to it
- An honorably discharged Florida resident veteran.
- Rated 50% or greater.
Not sure whether that describes you?
Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.
The thing most people get wrong
The threshold is 50%, not 100% — and the state's own guide is wrong
Chapter 2024-251 lowered this to 50% or greater with effect from 1 July 2024. The FDVA 2026 Benefits Guide still tells veterans they need 100% total and permanent, under-claiming the benefit by fifty percentage points. FWC's own page is correct.
How to claim it
- 1Get a VA Benefit Summary Letter showing your combined rating.
- 2Apply through FWC or a county tax collector.
- File with
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Documents you will need
- va letter rating 50 plus · proof of fl residency
- Periodic re-certification
- Re-certify every 5 years.
Common mistakes that cost people this benefit
- Not applying because a guide told you it needs 100%. It needs 50%.
- Letting the five-year re-certification lapse.
Questions people ask
- I was told years ago I did not qualify. Should I try again?
- Yes, if you are rated 50% or more. The threshold changed on 1 July 2024.
Sources
- authority · statuteFla. Stat. §379.353(1)(c), as amended by ch. 2024-251
Why only one source type: The statute is the authority. FWC publishes a correct operating page which has not yet been captured and hashed.
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.