Purpose of a fishing license

For the last few years the licenses have been blue. Is a license printed on the green paper valid? A: Yes — the green license you received is printed on official license stock. Both blue and green licenses are valid for the dates specified on the license. A small fee is charged for each duplicate validation. Duplicate fees are located on the license description page. A: No. Licenses should never be heat laminated as this will destroy the license.

If exposed to extreme heat, licenses will darken and become discolored. However, a discolored license is still valid as long as the text and signature are readable. Fishing licenses are considered valid and in use from the time of purchase and the fees cannot be refunded. A: You can if you have all the required information to issue a license to your friend. If you do not have all the information required to purchase a license for your friend, you can purchase a gift voucher that your friend can redeem at any License Agent or CDFW License Sales Office for a sport fishing license.

A: Yes. California residents may purchase lifetime fishing licenses. Q: Why do fees for fishing licenses, stamps and cards increase in price every year? The base fee for sport fishing licenses established in Fish and Game Code Section The Fish and Game Code, Section ,requires license fees adjust in response to increases or decreases in costs of goods and services using an index called the Implicit Price Deflator.

This index is a gauge of the change in the cost of goods and services from year to year. For example, as hatchery, law enforcement and wildlife management costs have increased, license fees needed to increase to keep pace with these rising costs.

Essentially, license fees adjust up and down to compensate for inflation or deflation. If license fees did not adjust for inflation, then funding for fish and wildlife management and protection would actually decrease because the buying power of a dollar has declined over the years.

Generally, the cost of goods and services increases at a fairly steady, slow rate. About two to three percent per year is common. In recent years, some costs have increased dramatically, particularly the cost of fuel. Because of this, the cost of goods and services jumped approximately 6. If the cost of goods and services were to decrease, then license fees would actually decrease the same percentage.

Although fishing and hunting license fees have increased throughout the years, the increase ensures that the CDFW has adequate funding to manage California's diverse fish and wildlife resources and provide the public with enjoyable fishing and hunting experiences.

Q: Is a fishing license required while fishing from a public fishing pier in ocean waters? A: No, but it must be a public fishing pier. A Sturgeon Fishing Report Card is required to take sturgeon from a public pier in ocean waters. A Spiny Lobster Report Card is required to take spiny lobster from a public pier in ocean waters. A public pier is defined in the sport fishing regulations as a publicly owned man-made structure that has the following characteristics: is connected, above the mean high tide, to the main coastline or to the land mass of a named and charted natural island; has unrestricted free access for the general public; and has been built or currently functions for the primary purpose of allowing angling access to ocean waters California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 1.

Additionally, publicly owned jetties or breakwaters that are connected to land, as described above, that have free unrestricted access for the general public and whose purpose it is to form the most seaward protective boundary of an ocean harbor are public piers.

Jetties, breakwaters, promenades, sea walls, moles, docks, linings, barriers and other structures that are not the most seaward protective boundary of an ocean harbor, are not public piers. Even though licenses and validations are not required while fishing from a public pier, all other regulations apply including minimum size, bag limits, seasons and report card requirements.

A: In addition to your fishing license, you may need one or more of the following:. If you have a valid California sport fishing license or a valid Arizona sport fishing license, you can fish from either shore of the portion of the Colorado River that makes up the California-Arizona boundary. A: Yes, children are required to purchase report cards if they fish for salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River Systems, abalone, steelhead, sturgeon or spiny lobster.

Q: Can a child who is under 16 years of age use two rods while fishing in inland waters? When fishing licenses go on sale for each season, the license is only valid for that season, regardless of when it was purchased. Once the new season begins, typically in the early spring, a new fishing license must be purchased. While you must obtain a fishing license for your home state to fish there, the license is not valid in other states.

This means if you plan only to fish while on vacation out of your home state, you will have to purchase a non-resident fishing license. This protection forms a circle that begins when an angler pays a licensing fee, which ultimately benefits him or her in the form of plentiful fishing. A fishing license US , fishing licence UK , or fishing permit is a regulatory or legal mechanism to control fishing.

Licensing is one mechanism of fisheries management and may be required for either commercial or recreational fishing. Most people require a Recreational Fishing Licence or deemed licence to legally fish in Ontario.

You must carry your Outdoors Card or licence summary whenever you are fishing. Sport fishing licence: For anglers who want full catch and possession fishing privileges. Additionally, anglers fishing with natural bait are no longer able to fish in public, inland fishing waters in their county of residence without a license.

Licenses for recreational fishing are required in every state in the United States. Research and fish surveys are conducted through part of the proceeds of license sales. Determining the health and number of fish in a fishery is critical. Check out the Sportfish Restoration Program. Educational programs, which help improve the skills of new anglers. Many of the free clinics, workshops and youth fishing days are paid for by license sales. Communications materials like learn-to-fish books and pamphlets are as well.

A percentage of license sales goes towards improving fishing and boating access which provides each of us the opportunity to launch our boats and catch 'em up! Do you like this content? Subscribe to our Newsletter and get all the information you need to learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing adventure. Tom Keer is an award-winning writer who lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Keer writes regularly for over a dozen outdoor magazines on topics related to fishing, hunting, boating, and other outdoor pursuits.

When they are not fishing, Keer and his family hunt upland birds over their three English setters. Visit him at www.