North Rhine-Westphalia.

Official name

Fishing exam (Fischerprüfung)

Administered by

District fisheries authorities (counties and cities)

Exam format

Theory: 60 questions (6 subjects × 10, official pool of 342), pass 45/60 and 6/10 per subject. Practical: assemble 1 of 10 rod setups correctly (25/28 points) + identify 4 of 6 fish pictures (from 49). Only 2 statewide exam rounds per year

Minimum age

From 3 July 2026: exam and full license from age 12 (before: exam 13, license 14); youth license abolished; ages 10–15 may fish accompanied

No legal course requirement (strongly recommended due to the demanding practical exam); pure online courses allowed, practice day voluntary

Exam fee

€50 (practical retake €30)

Fishing license

€16/1 year, €48/5 years (half fee, half levy); digital NFC card license from July 2026

No shortcut here — in this state the only way to the water leads through the fishing exam.

Residence rule

Out-of-state exams only recognized if your main residence was outside NRW at exam time

One of Germany's toughest practical exams; 2026 reform digitizes the license system (DigiFischDok)

• mlv.nrw.de/themen/jagd-und-fischerei/fischerei-und-aquakultur/fischereipruefung-und-fischereischein/
• lave.nrw.de/themen/fischerei/leitstelle-fuer-fischereischeinwesen
• land.nrw/pressemitteilung/modern-und-faelschungssicher-nordrhein-westfalen-fuehrt-digitalen-fischereischein
• recht.nrw.de/system/files/BA/4679-28681-sgv_793_19971126_1_anlage1.pdf
• essen.de/leben/sicherheit_und_ordnung/fischerei/fischereipruefung__inhalt.de.html
• kreis-guetersloh.de/themen/ordnung/jagd-und-fischereiwesen/der-fischereischein-in-nrw/