Western Australia Fishing Licence Fees 2026: RFBL, Freshwater, Net, Rock Lobster, Abalone and Marron

Current WA fee snapshot

Western Australia does not use one general recreational fishing licence. DPIRD publishes separate recreational licence categories by activity.

WA recreational licence category	Published standard 12-month fee before concessions
Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence (RFBL)	AUD 40
Net fishing, including haul, set and throw nets	AUD 50
South-west freshwater angling	AUD 50
Rock lobster	AUD 50
Abalone	AUD 50
Marron	AUD 50

If you apply for more than one licence type in a single transaction, DPIRD lists a 10% discount. DPIRD also lists half-fee concession categories, so confirm your eligibility before checkout.

Start with the activity

The most useful WA question is not "do I need a fishing licence?" It is "which activity am I doing?"

Trip type	Fee or licence check
Fishing from a powered boat	Check RFBL first, then species, gear and possession rules.
Using a powered boat to transport catch or fishing gear to or from a land-based spot	Check RFBL before treating the trip as shore fishing.
Boat trip where the only fishing activity is already covered by a current WA activity licence, such as rock lobster or abalone	Check the activity licence and current DPIRD RFBL exception wording before adding RFBL.
Shore or jetty line fishing with no powered boat or special activity	Often rules-first rather than paid-licence-first, but still check species, closures and gear.
South-west freshwater angling	Check the south-west freshwater licence area, under-16 rule and powered-vessel exception.
Nets, rock lobster, abalone or marron	Check the matching WA activity licence and current species guide.

Common fee traps

Mistake	Better action
Buying RFBL and assuming it covers all boat-based activities.	Add separate checks for rock lobster, abalone, marron and net fishing.
Treating a shore trip as licence-free without checking gear or species.	Check whether the trip includes nets, listed species, closures or special rules.
Missing the south-west freshwater boundary.	Confirm the DPIRD freshwater guide before buying or skipping the freshwater licence.
Buying multiple activity licences separately.	Check the 10% multi-activity discount if buying more than one type in one transaction.
Paying a generic national checkout.	Use the official DPIRD or WA Government apply-or-renew pathway; third-party provider receipts are not WA recreational fishing licences.

Fees do not replace WA rules

The licence fee only answers the activity-permission layer. Seasons, open days, possession limits, size limits, gear marking, closed waters and marine parks still decide whether a trip is lawful.

Use the evergreen WA special fishing licences guide for the activity decision, WA boat fishing licence guide for RFBL edge cases and WA south-west freshwater angling for freshwater trips.

References

Official source	What to use it for
DPIRD recreational fishing licences	Activity categories, annual fees, concessions and multi-activity discount.
WA Government apply or renew	Official application and renewal route.
DPIRD RFBL page	Boat-fishing and catch/gear transport triggers.
DPIRD south-west freshwater angling guide	Freshwater area, under-16 rule and freshwater-only powered-vessel exception.
DPIRD activity guides	Rock lobster, abalone, marron, net and other activity-rule checks.
WA statewide recreational fishing guide	Statewide rules, possession and activity cross-checks.

In short

For Western Australia in 2026, match the fee to the activity before paying. RFBL is AUD 40, most listed non-boat activity licences are AUD 50, and the rules still need a separate DPIRD check before keeping fish.