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FAQs: Shoreline fishing - License requirement changes

Updated 07/29/2009
Contact: Henry Cabbage, 850-488-8843

Questions (with links to answers)

1. When will the shoreline license requirement take effect?
2. Who will be required to purchase the new license?
3. How much will the license cost?
4. If I have a regular saltwater fishing license, will I have to purchase a shoreline license too?
5. If I wade into the water to fish, will I no longer be covered by the shoreline license?
6. If I ride in a boat to a fishing spot and then fish from shore, am I still covered by the shoreline license?
7. Besides the cost of the license and administrative fee, will there be other charges added to the purchase?
8. Do nonresident anglers qualify for the shoreline license?
9. When will the shoreline license become available for purchase?
10. Is anybody exempt from the shoreline license requirement?
11. If I fish from shore, using a cane pole, Cuban yoyo or hand line with no reel attached, do I still have to purchase the shoreline license?
12. If I fish from shore, using a cast net, crab net, dip net, some other kind of net, crab basket, trap, gig or spear, am I still covered by the license exemption for anglers who don't have a fishing line retrieval mechanism?
13. If I gather scallops or other shellfish by hand, am I covered by the license exemption for anglers who don't have a fishing line retrieval mechanism?
14. If I have a regular saltwater fishing license, will I still have to purchase the shoreline license?
15. If I buy a shoreline license now, can I upgrade my license to a regular saltwater fishing license later if I decide to fish from a vessel or from shore using non-exempt gear?
16. Why did the state pass this new fishing license requirement?
17. How will the FWC use the money from the new shoreline license sales?
18. Are there other changes to license and permit requirements for other activities, like hunting?
19. Is there a similar shoreline license for freshwater anglers?
20. What are the exemptions for freshwater fishing licenses?
21. Where can I find more information about license requirements?

1. When will the shoreline license requirement take effect?

The new shoreline fishing license requirement will take effect Aug. 1.

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2. Who will be required to purchase the new license?

Resident saltwater anglers who fish from shore or a structure affixed to shore will need to buy a shoreline fishing license unless they have a regular saltwater fishing license or are exempt.

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3. How much will the license cost?

The license will cost $7.50 plus a $1.50 administrative fee, and additional handling fees listed below may also apply.

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4. If I have a regular saltwater fishing license, will I have to purchase a shoreline license too?

No. A resident regular fishing license that covers fishing from shore as well as from a vessel costs about $10 more than the shoreline license and may be the best option for most anglers unless they feel certain they will fish only from shore.

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5. If I wade into the water to fish, will I no longer be covered by the shoreline license?

Anglers who wade into the water are considered to be fishing from shore as long as they can stand on the bottom.

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6. If I ride in a boat to a fishing spot and then fish from shore, am I still covered by the shoreline license?

No. If an angler arrives at the fishing location by boat, he must have a regular saltwater fishing license, regardless of whether he fishes from shore.

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7. Besides the cost of the license and administrative fee, will there be other charges added to the purchase?

Maybe, depending on where you purchase the license. For instance, additional fees when the license comes from sales agents is 50 cents per license; on the Internet, $2.25 plus 2.5 percent of the total sale; and over the phone, $3.25 plus 2.5 percent of the total sale.

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8. Do nonresident anglers qualify for the shoreline license?

No. The shoreline fishing license is available to Florida residents only. Nonresident saltwater anglers must purchase a regular nonresident saltwater fishing license at $17 for three days, $30 for seven days or $47 for one year, regardless of whether they fish from shore or a vessel. These prices include administrative fees, but handling fees (above) are additional.

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9. When will the shoreline license become available for purchase?

The shoreline saltwater fishing license will go on sale July 15.

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10. Is anybody exempt from the shoreline license requirement?

The new license requirement allows exemptions for residents who are age 65 or older, all children under age 16, resident disabled persons who meet certain qualifications, active duty military personnel while home on leave, and all anglers who fish from a licensed pier. In addition, the license requirement includes two new exemptions - resident anglers drawing food stamps, temporary cash assistance or Medicaid, and anglers who use a pole or line without a line retrieval mechanism (such as a reel) in their home counties.

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11. If I fish from shore, using a cane pole, Cuban yoyo or hand line with no reel attached, do I still have to purchase the shoreline license?

There is an exemption for resident anglers using a pole or line, not equipped with a fishing line retrieval mechanism, using natural bait, and it applies to anglers who fish from shore, structures affixed to shore or vessels. This exemption applies only in the angler's home county.

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12. If I fish from shore, using a cast net, crab net, dip net, some other kind of net, crab basket, trap, gig or spear, am I still covered by the license exemption for anglers who don't have a fishing line retrieval mechanism?

The exemption for anglers using a pole or line, not equipped with a fishing line retrieval mechanism, does not include anglers who use any type of gear other than hook and line. For instance, crabbers who use traps, baskets, crab nets, dip nets or landing nets will need to purchase fishing licenses. Also, fishermen who use cast nets or other types of nets are not exempt from license requirements.

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13. If I gather scallops or other shellfish by hand, am I covered by the license exemption for anglers who don't have a fishing line retrieval mechanism?

No. The exemption for anglers using a pole or line not equipped with a fishing line retrieval mechanism does not include those who gather shellfish or other marine animals by hand.

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14. If I have a regular saltwater fishing license, will I still have to purchase the shoreline license?

No. Residents who have a valid regular saltwater fishing license will not have to purchase the shoreline license.

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15. If I buy a shoreline license now, can I upgrade my license to a regular saltwater fishing license later if I decide to fish from a vessel or from shore using non-exempt gear?

No.  Anglers who have a shoreline license but need a regular saltwater fishing license would be required to purchase a regular saltwater fishing license at full price even if they already have a shoreline license.

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16. Why did the state pass this new fishing license requirement?

At the request of the FWC, the Florida Legislature passed the new license requirement to head off a federal registration requirement that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2010, and will have a $15 to $25 fee, beginning in 2011. The shoreline license makes Florida's resident anglers exempt from that federal fee.

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17. How will the FWC use the money from the new shoreline license sales?

The money will help fund marine resource research, management and law enforcement.

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18. Are there other changes to license and permit requirements for other activities, like hunting?

Yes. Other permit fee changes that were requested by several hunting, fishing and conservation organizations won't take effect until July 2010. They include increases in

• the state waterfowl permit, from the current $3 to $5;
• the resident turkey permit, from $5 to $10;
• the nonresident turkey permit, from $100 to $125;
• the wildlife management area permit for hunting, fishing and other recreational uses, from $25 to $30;
• the limited-entry or special-opportunity hunt fee, from $100 per day to $150 per day and $250 per week to $300 per week, as determined by FWC Commissioners;
• the snook permit, from $2 to $10; and
• the lobster permit, from $2 to $5.

Also, starting in July 2010, the law creates a $5 annual deer permit (required in addition to a hunting license for deer hunters unless they are exempt from license and permit requirements) and allows the agency to charge up to $5 per day for non-hunting and non-fishing recreation on certain wildlife management areas. The FWC will evaluate areas where the FWC is the lead manager to determine where to charge the fees and how much to charge.

In addition, up to 10 percent of the hunting and sport fishing permit fees are to be used to promote those sports, with emphasis on youth participation.

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19. Is there a similar shoreline license for freshwater anglers?

No.  There never was a general exemption for fishing from the shore or a structure attached to shore in freshwater, so no new license was needed. In addition, the new exemption for anglers drawing food stamps, temporary cash assistance or Medicaid applies only to resident saltwater anglers fishing from shore or a structure attached to shore and does not relate to freshwater.

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20. What are the exemptions for freshwater fishing licenses?

Current freshwater fishing license exemptions are as follows:

• You are under 16 years of age.
• You are a Florida resident age 65 or older.
• You fish in your county of residence on your homestead or the homestead of your spouse or minor child, or if you are a minor child hunting or freshwater fishing on the homestead of your parent.
• You are a Florida resident certified as totally and permanently disabled and possess a Florida Resident Disabled Person Hunting and Fishing Certificate.
• You are a Florida resident who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, who is not stationed in this state, and you are home on leave for 30 days or less.
• You are a Florida resident who is fishing with live or natural bait, using poles or lines that are not equipped with a fishing line retrieval mechanism, and you are fishing for noncommercial purposes in your home county.  However, you must have a valid fishing license to fish by any method in a fish management area. 
• You have been accepted as a client for developmental services by the Department of Children and Family Services.  The department must furnish proof to such clients.
• You are fishing in a fish pond of less than 20 acres that is located entirely within the private property of its owner.  A fish pond is a man-made pond constructed for the primary purpose of fishing, entirely within the property lines of the owner and with no surface water connection to public waters.
• You are fishing in a fish pond of 20 acres or more, whose owner has purchased a fish pond license at a fee of $3 per surface acre.
• You possess a Resident Freshwater Commercial Fishing License.
• You are fishing in the St. Marys River or Lake Seminole (but not including tributary creeks in Florida) and have a valid Georgia fishing license.
• You are freshwater fishing during Free Fishing Weekend (the first full weekend of April).

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21. Where can I find more information about license requirements?

More information about license and permit requirements, outdoor recreation and FWC programs is available at MyFWC.com.

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