FYI Fishing License Exemptions

[delmer]

While this is the Family Day free fishing weekend, I thought I would share something that I recently discovered. If you have been issued a parking permit by the MTO, you do not need to buy a fishing license. My wife has always purchased a 3 year conservation license (which is still valid for another 2 years), but was recently issued a parking permit because of mobility issues. This now gives her the limits of a sport fishing license without the need to buy. From page 8 of the 2025 Fishing Regs Summary:

When You Don’t Need to Purchase
a Fishing Licence – Deemed Licences
Instead of purchasing and carrying an Outdoors
Card and Recreational Fishing Licence, persons
described below carrying the specified documents
while fishing may use them as a fishing licence.
Catch and possession limits for a Sport Fishing
Licence apply in these situations.
Regardless of residency, a person who has been
issued any of the following documents may use it
as a fishing licence:

• an accessible parking permit issued under
Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act