(Updated 02/07/11)
- When did the shoreline license requirement take
effect?
- Who is required to have a valid shoreline fishing
license with them?
- How much does the license cost?
- If I have a regular saltwater fishing license,
will I have to purchase a shoreline license too?
- If I wade into the water to fish, will I no longer
be covered by the shoreline license?
- If I ride in a boat to a fishing spot and then
fish from shore, am I still covered by the shoreline
license?
- Do nonresident anglers qualify for the shoreline
license?
- Is anybody exempt from the shoreline license
requirement?
- If I fish from shore, using a cane pole, Cuban
yoyo or hand line with no reel attached, do I still have to have
the shoreline license?
- 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?
- 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?
- If I get a shoreline license now, can I buy a
regular saltwater fishing license later if I decide to fish from a
vessel or from shore using non-exempt gear?
- Why did the state pass this shoreline fishing
license requirement?
- Are there other changes to license and permit
requirements for other activities, like hunting?
- Is there a similar shoreline license for
freshwater anglers?
- Where can I find more information about license
requirements?
- Do I need a Snook Permit if I have a Shoreline
license?
1. When did the shoreline license
requirement take effect?
The new shoreline fishing license requirement took
effect Aug. 1, 2009.
Top of
page
2. Who is required to have a valid
shoreline fishing license with them?
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.
Top of
page
3. How much does the license cost?
The license is free, effective July 1, 2010.
However, anglers who obtain the license over the phone will pay a
convenience fee of $3.33 to the vendor who provides the service,
and those who obtain the license off the Internet will pay a $2.31
convenience fee.
Top of
page
4. If I have a regular saltwater fishing
license, will I have to get a shoreline license too?
No. A resident regular fishing license that covers
fishing from shore as well as from a vessel costs $17 and may be
the best option for most anglers unless they feel certain they will
fish only from shore.
Top of
page
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.
Top of page
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.
Top of
page
7. 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 are additional.
Top of
page
8. 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 exemptions for 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.
Top of
page
9. If I fish from shore, using a cane
pole, Cuban yoyo or hand line with no reel attached, do I still
have to have 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.
Top of
page
10. 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 obtain a shoreline license to crab from
shore or purchase a regular fishing license. Also, fishermen who
use cast nets or other types of nets are not exempt from license
requirements.
Top of
page
11. 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.
Top of
page
12. If I get a shoreline license now,
can I buy a regular saltwater fishing license later if I decide to
fish from a vessel or from shore using non-exempt gear?
Yes. Anglers who have a shoreline license but
need a regular saltwater fishing license can purchase a regular
saltwater fishing license, even if they already have a shoreline
license.
Top of
page
13. Why did the state pass this
shoreline fishing license requirement?
At the request of the FWC, the Florida Legislature
passed the shoreline fishing license requirement to head off a
federal registration requirement that would have gone into effect
Jan. 1, 2010, and would have had a $15 to $25 fee, beginning in
2011. The shoreline license makes Florida's resident anglers exempt
from that federal fee.
Top of
page
14. 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 will
take effect July 1, 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 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.
Top of
page
15. 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.
Top of
page
16. 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.
17. Do I need a Snook Permit if I have
a Shoreline license?
Yes, if you are not exempt and have a Saltwater
Shoreline license you are required to have a Snook Permit to keep a
snook in season.
Top of
page
Persons with Disabilities