Discover Pass, hunting and fishing license prices all increasing in 2025
Washington’s all-in-one state park admission pass is about to get 50% more expensive.
The price of a year-long Discover Pass will jump from $30 to $45 on Oct. 1, Washington State Parks announced on Monday, May 19. Here’s what to know.
First Discover Pass price increase since 2011
A Discover Pass allows you to park your vehicle at any state park, along with recreational lands managed by the state’s departments of fish and wildlife and natural resources.
A single-day pass costs $10. In an email to McClatchy, Washington State Parks said that the price of a single-day pass will remain the same going forward.
The change was mandated by a bill recently passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Bob Ferguson. It’s the first price change since the state began selling the passes in 2011.
How to buy a Discover Pass
You can buy a Discover Pass online, at a state parks office, a store that’s licensed to sell the passes, a hunting or fishing license vendor, when registering your car, or over the phone at (866)320-9933. Some state parks have automated pay stations where you can buy a pass as well.
If you buy your pass online, over the phone or through a licensed vendor, there’s an additional $5 fee for an annual pass and a $1.50 fee for a single-day pass.
Hiking and fishing permit prices increase
In addition to the increase in the price of a Discover Pass, Governor Ferguson signed a bill into law raising the price of hunting and fishing permits in the state. Those increases will go into effect on July 1.
Under the new law, a year-long freshwater fishing license costs $34.50 for Washington residents, $103.50 for non-residents, while a year-long saltwater permit costs $35.19 for residents and $72.45 for non-residents. A combination fishing license, which covers both, costs $62.79 for residents and $149.73 for non-residents.
A deer, elk, bear and cougar hunting license will cost $117.30 for residents and $1,076.40 for non-residents. A small game license will be set at $48.30 for residents and $227.70 for non-residents. A combination license costs $144.90 for residents and $1,197.84 for non-residents.
Currently, a deer, elk, bear and cougar permit is $95.50 for residents, meaning the new price will represent more than a 22% increase, while an annual combination fishing permit will be 16.9% higher than its current price of $55.35.
Discounts are available for youth and seniors.
You can buy a license on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website, over the phone, or at one of the state’s registered license dealers.
This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 12:15 PM.