Bill
SB 3537
The bill updates Illinois fishing licenses: sets a $14.50 base for ages 18-64, exempts under 18 and 65+ from fees, expands 3-year and veteran discounts, and strengthens lifetime an
Date Introduced: February 5, 2026
Sponsor: Sen. Chapin Rose (co-sponsor)
Committee Actions: Assigned to Appropriations; Rule 2-10 deadlines established; subsequent readings and deadlines noted
Purpose and intent
- The bill amends the Illinois Fish and Aquatic Life Code to modify license fee structures and age-based exemptions for residents. Its central aims appear to be:
- Adjusting the standard resident fishing license fee and the eligibility/discount rules by age.
- Clarifying and consolidating exemptions for youths and older adults from certain license fees.
- Maintaining parity and flexibility for veteran and senior resident pricing, while preserving existing options for 3-year licenses, lifetime licenses, and sportsmen’s licenses.
Key provisions and changes
1) Resident sport fishing and spearing license fees (Section 20-45)
- Repeats and adjusts existing fee rules for sport fishing devices and spearing devices.
- New baseline: $14.50 for individuals aged 18 to 64 (previously 16 to 64).
- Exemptions from fees:
- No fee for residents under 18 or residents 65 and older (previously, residents 65+ paid half the standard fee).
- Removes provision allowing a fee reduction for residents 75+ (explicitly deletes that)
- No fee for lifetime licenses for residents 65+ (retains lifetime license concept but clarifies exemptions)
2) 3-year fishing license (Section 20-45, subsection a-3)
- Fee structure:
- 3-year license costs 3 times the annual fee.
- Exemptions: no fee for residents under 18 or 65+, or 65+ for the 3-year option is half the 3-year fee (this reflects the ongoing senior discount approach).
Veteran discount:
- For resident veterans after service or mobilization: fee is half of the 3-year license.
Verification: Department shall establish acceptable verification procedures (administrative rule) to prove veteran status.
3) Other license-related subsections (a-5, c-5)
- (a-5) Blank placeholder (no current text visible in the summary).
- (c-5) 3-year sportsmen’s combination license:
- Combines non-commercial fishing privileges with hunting privileges.
- Fee structure mirrors the 3-year fishing license approach, with senior and veteran discounts applying.
- Veterans verification required by administrative rule.
4) 24-hour fishing license (subsection d)
- 24-hour license priced at $5.
- Does not exempt from salmon/inland trout stamps.
- Not required if the person already holds a license under subsection (a) or (a-3).
5) Commercial licenses and mussel licenses (subsections b, e)
- Commercial fishing license fee remains $60 (resident fishing license remains $14.50).
- Commercial device fees (e.g., seines, nets, trotlines) have specified per-unit fees:
- Seining: 18 per 100 yards (or fraction)
- Minnow gear: 20 per device
- Other devices (trot line devices, basket traps, hoop nets, etc.): 3 per 100 lineal yards
- Lake Michigan gill nets: initial 2,000 feet at $10, then $10 per additional 1,000 feet
- Gill/trammel nets: $18 per 100 yards
6) Sportsmen’s combination license (Section c)
- Combines fishing and hunting privileges with a $25.50 base fee.
- Senior discount: 50% for residents 65+.
- Veteran discount: 50% for veterans (with required service verification).
7) Lifetime licenses (Section f)
- Lifetime hunting, fishing, and sportsmen’s combination licenses:
- Fees set as multiples of the current annual license fees (30x).
- Exemption: no lifetime license fee charged to residents 65+.
- Reissuance fee: $10.
- All lifetime licenses deposited into the Fish and Wildlife Endowment Fund.
- Youth under 16 with a lifetime license must carry a competency certificate when in the field.
- Additional stamps or permits may still be required; lifetime license does not exempt from other stamps.
- Department may regulate issuance, use, suspension, revocation, and related penalties.
8) Expiration and renewal
- Most standard licenses expire March 31 of each year, with specific exceptions:
- 24-hour licenses expire 24 hours after issue.
- 2-year expiration for some licenses (a-3 and c-5) extend to March 31 of the second year after issuance.
- Automatic renewal provision by Department rule.
- Penalties for failing to obtain required licenses: fines and Class B misdemeanor distinctions for certain license types.
Effective dates
- The text reflects ongoing amendments; specific effective dates are tied to the act’s enactment and any administrative-rule procedures for verifications, renewals, and exemptions.
Impact and who is affected
Notes
- The bill revises several age- and veteran-related discount provisions and sets new baselines (notably changing the age eligibility from 16 to 18 for the base fee and clarifying exemptions for older residents).
- It preserves a comprehensive framework for license renewals, lifetime licenses, and the mixture of fishing/hunting privileges, while emphasizing administrative-rule procedures for verification of veteran status.
For readers seeking specifics, consult the amended text of 515 ILCS 5/20-45 and related sections on lifetime, 3-year, and sportsmen’s licenses.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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