Hunt and Fish Without a Licence While Home on Leave
A Florida-resident member of the armed forces who is NOT stationed in Florida and is home on leave for 30 days or less needs no hunting, freshwater fishing or saltwater fishing licence for the leave period. Submit your orders and that is the whole of it.
Verified August 27, 2026
What this benefit is
A Florida-resident member of the armed forces who is NOT stationed in Florida and is home on leave for 30 days or less needs no hunting, freshwater fishing or saltwater fishing licence for the leave period. Submit your orders and that is the whole of it.
What it's worth: No licence needed for a leave period of 30 days or less
- You must be a Florida RESIDENT member of the armed forces who is NOT stationed in Florida.
- The leave must be 30 days or less.
- It covers hunting, freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing.
- Orders must be submitted — the exemption runs on the orders rather than on an application.
- It saves the cost of a short-term licence, which is small, and the time of getting one, which on a two-week leave is not.
Who is entitled to it
- You are currently on active duty.
- You are a Florida resident.
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.
How to claim it
- 1Carry a copy of your orders. The exemption runs on them and a warden will ask.
- 2Check the leave length — the exemption is for 30 days or less.
- 3It only applies if you are NOT stationed in Florida. A member posted in-state buys a licence like anyone else.
- 4If you are here longer than 30 days, buy a licence — and ask about the Military Gold Sportsman's Licence at $20.
- Form
- Orders carried while hunting or fishing
- File with
- Nobody — carry your orders
- No renewal needed
Sources
- authority · statuteFla. Stat. 379.353
- operating · published policyFlorida FWC — licences and permits
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.